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Social media developments in the last decade have led to the emergence of a new form of word of mouth (WOM) in the digital environment. Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is considered by many scholars and practitioners to be the most influential informal communication mechanism between businesses and potential and actual consumers. The purpose of this paper is to extend knowledge about WOM in this new context by proposing a conceptual framework that enables a better understanding of how trust and reciprocity influence eWOM participation in ORCs.

This study applies non-probability convenience sampling technique to conduct a quantitative study of data from an online survey of 189 members of ORCs. Partial least squares (PLS) is used to analyse the correlations between individuals’ intention to seek opinion, to give their own opinion and to pass on the opinion of another within ORCs.

The data analysis reveals that opinion seeking within ORCs had a direct effect on opinion giving and opinion passing. Ability trust and integrity trust had a positive effect on opinion seeking, while benevolence trust had a direct positive effect on opinion passing. Reciprocity had a direct impact on opinion passing. While reciprocity did not affect opinion giving, the relationship between these two concepts was mediated by integrity trust.

By studying the complexities that characterise the relationships between reciprocity, trust and eWOM, the study extends understanding of eWOM in ORCs.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of only a few papers that have examined the complex interrelationships between reciprocity, trust and eWOM in the context of ORCs.

This paper aims to establish how strategic target-market selection decisions are shaped, challenged and driven in response to the rapidly evolving technological landscape. The authors critically evaluate the implications of these changes for the role of marketers and the organizational function of marketing.

The research uses qualitative methods. Key-informant interviews are conducted among senior organizational practitioners within client-side organizations, digital agencies and strategic marketing consultancies, seeking to contrast their views.

The findings reveal an erosion of responsibility for the integrated strategic role of marketing decision-making. In particular, the authors reveal that the evolving digital landscape has precipitated a sense of crisis for marketers and the role of marketing within the firm. This extends beyond simply remedying a skills-gap and is triggering a transformation that has repercussions for the future of marketing and its practice, thus diminishing functional accountability.

The findings have long-term implications for marketing as a strategic organizational function of the firm and for marketing as a practice.

The study considers an increasingly digitalized marketplace and the associated impact of big data for the function of marketing. It reveals the changing scope of strategic marketing practice and functional accountability.

Recent academic work has introduced a series of innovative concepts to the branding debate. In particular, the concept of brands that are embedded throughout the organisation has come to the fore. This paper uses a literature review and three mini‐case studies to explore the issues in the branding debate and to illustrate how brand management is changing in response to market and environmental changes.

This paper aims to deepen the understanding of the marketing process and practices taking place during the initial stages of the company development, by revealing the distinct entrepreneurial marketing process and mix resulting from the entrepreneurs’ decision-making process.

Using the critical incident technique, the study analyzes 146 marketing decisions made by entrepreneurs. The resulting marketing activities are aligned in a process and compared with the mainstream managerial marketing process.

The results provide the basis for an entrepreneurial marketing framework with four phases: product creation – product–market fit – market expansion – refocus. An entrepreneurial marketing mix is also proposed, consisting of productisement, people and proof of value.

While the managerial marketing process is well established, the entrepreneurial marketing process remains largely uncharted. The framework provided contributes to identifying the main marketing concerns and understanding how the marketing process is implemented by entrepreneurs in the earlier phases of the firm. Practical suggestions are offered regarding the marketing operations of the new firms and the critical marketing aspects to consider.

This paper aims to investigate how consumption linked with life transitions can differ in its potential to bring about ongoing liminality. By examining how consumers can draw on overlapping systems of resources, different ways in which consumers negotiate ongoing liminality following the transition to motherhood are identified.

The authors conducted an interpretive, exploratory study using in-depth phenomenological interviews with 23 South Asian mothers living in the UK. The sample consisted of mothers at different stages of motherhood.

Following life transitions, consumers may encounter liminal hotspots at the intersection of overlapping systems of resources. The findings examine two liminal hotspots with differing potential to produce ongoing liminality. The study shows how consumers navigate these liminal hotspots in different ways, by accepting, rejecting and amalgamating the resources at hand.

The research sample could have been more diverse; future research could examine liminal hotspots relating to different minority groups and life transitions.

Marketers need to examine the different ways in which consumers draw on different systems of resources following life transitions. The paper includes implications for how marketers segment, target and market to ethnic minority consumers.

Due to increasingly fluid social conditions, there are likely to be growing numbers of consumers who experience ongoing liminality following life transitions. A preliminary framework is presented outlining different ways that consumers negotiate ongoing liminality by drawing on overlapping systems of resources, broadening the understanding of the role that marketplace resources play beyond life transitions.

Reports on research which uses secondary information and an extensive telephone survey to consider whether existing approaches to segmenting installers (garages) reflect current customer needs and buying patterns. Examines alternative ways of segmenting the market, along with ramifications for applying segmentation in industrial markets. Manufacturers of car parts are concerned that customer needs are satisfactorily met through the variety of UK installer types. In this, as in other industries, market segmentation is seen as important to ensure that customers receive an appropriate mix of product and service benefits.

Target marketing is a key decision area for all businesses. Market size, growth rates, competitive forces, customer fit and profitability are just a few of the criteria which can be used by businesses assessing the attractiveness of their target markets. Yet despite the wealth of variables available to managers and the development of a range of decision tools to help them, research indicates that many businesses continue to assess target markets on the basis of short‐term profitability measures. This paper examines the wide range of approaches which have been proposed in the literature for identifying market attractiveness and questions how these fit with managerial practice, utilising the findings from cases and two studies of The Times 1000 UK companies’ target market approaches. The studies’ findings indicate that the literature’s formal, multi‐criteria tools for assessing market attractiveness are not necessarily reflected in the simplistic view adopted by many marketing professionals and brand managers. The paper concludes by offering a research agenda to help define future work in this area.

Most marketing managers are now convinced about the benefits that businesses gain from marketing planning. In the UK, research indicates that the majority of businesses are involved in some kind of planning activity. In Portugal, where the marketing function is less well established, marketing planning is not so developed. Presents the results of a comparative study which examines the level and nature of marketing activity in Portuguese and UK firms and considers the impact upon marketing planning activity. The study is based on a sample of firms drawn from the top 1,000 businesses (by turnover) in the UK and Portugal. Illustrates stark contrasts in the characteristics of marketing planning in each country, although there are signs of increasing marketing and planning activity in Portugal.

Within the intensely competitive environment in which they operate, builders and developers are required to offer property packages which satisfy diverse customer needs and wants. The standard practice of these operators has been to offer portfolios of products to portfolios of customers, rather than to target specific products at certain segments. Uses customer preference data to establish whether market segmentation can help to fine tune this broad approach. Raises specific questions about how the portfolios might be designed more effectively and what the implications might be for the industry.

The purpose of the editorial is to accompany this special issue on “Social marketing: social change”.

The editorial presents three invited reflections by Philip Kotler, Michael Polonsky and Gerard Hastings. It also discusses the articles in this special issue.

Overall, the contributed papers demonstrate that there are many layers to social marketing.

The articles featured in this special issue help to advance social marketing theory as well as offer valuable implications and recommendations for managers, practitioners and policymakers.