Browsing by Author "Vassinen, Antti"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

The Concept of Strategic Marketing in Marketing Discourse - a Bibliometric Study
(2006) Vassinen, Antti
Helsinki University of Technology | Master's thesis
In management discourse, strategic marketing is found everywhere. Yet, one will rarely come across two identical definitions. There is a distinct need for a clarification. A shared terminology would serve many purposes in clarifying the scientific discourse, not to mention usage in business. To this end, the thesis attempts to map the phenomena referred to by "strategic marketing". Secondly, the thesis reflects on the various understandings of strategic marketing it1 discourse, in contrast to a specific understanding and definition of strategic marketing as the key driver in any value-creating process. The purpose of this thesis is to serve as a preliminary literature study to a wider joint research project by the Helsinki School of Economics and the Swedish School of Economics it1 Helsinki, by the name of StratMark. The aim of the study is to investigate the origins of the present understandings of "strategic marketing", taking advantage of bibliometric methodology. The research aims to answer the following questions: (1) What are the antecedents that have contributed to the present state of the discourse on "strategic marketing"? (2) What roles, organizational activities, processes and levels of decision-malting are attributed to "strategic marketing" in literature? (3) What antecedents might prove useful starting points for framing further research within the StratMark project? A population of 423 articles related to strategic marketing, published in 37 journals between 1986 and 2005 comprised the base set of data. All articles were classified according to relevancy, and a series of descriptive, citation and co-citation analyses performed on the articles and their citation data. The study achieved the objective of setting directions for further research and enabling linkages to be made to other components in the StratMark research project. Suggestions for improvements and further research, both within the scope of this study and the wider research project context, were suggested.
Configurational explanation of marketing outcomes : a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis approach
(2012) Vassinen, Antti
School of Business | Doctoral dissertation (monograph)
As marketing, as a function and a process, is required to explain itself with more transparency, new tools and comprehensive analysis processes must be created and adopted, so that marketing performance and its determinants can systematically be understood and developed. In this dissertation, I present fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (‘FS/QCA’; Ragin, 2000; Fiss, 2008; Rihoux and Ragin, 2009; and others) as a novel approach to assessing marketing performance. My key argument is that the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis research approach and methodology can be used to explain marketing outcomes as results of configurations of causal conditions in specific contexts, yielding managerially relevant knowledge that would otherwise be difficult to access and interpret. The broad aim of this dissertation is to supplement the range of marketing management support systems, modeling approaches, and marketing performance assessment systems to provide better knowledge-driven decision support. The analytical premises of FS/QCA and its applications in fields of study related to marketing position it as a candidate to overcome some key challenges faced in marketing performance analysis: dealing with causal complexity, heterogeneity, asymmetry, configurationality, contextuality, and qualitative meaning. To draw together the research approach, the methodology, and the marketing performance management perspective, I specify a synthetic research process, configurational explanation of marketing outcomes (‘CEMO’), comprising the theoretical and empirical steps required for analysis. I demonstrate how the configurational explanation process was successfully carried out in two empirical contexts to generate results that are valid, reliable, and contribute knowledge that is directly relevant within the chosen context. The key contribution of this study is intended to be methodological: a specification of an analysis process for accessing a new type of contextually relevant knowledge about causal mechanisms that shape marketing performance. New knowledge accessible with CEMO provides opportunities for staging more effective marketing actions and, ultimately, an opportunity for better marketing performance.
Exploring challenges in data-driven marketing decision-making: Adoption and utilisation of marketing mix modelling (MMM) in Finland
(2024) Nappus, Agnes
School of Business | Master's thesis
Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) is a key tool for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing activities and optimising resource allocation based on data. However, in Finland, marketing executives face significant challenges in adopting the model and implementing the results in their strategic decision-making. The context of this research is the increasing need for data-driven decision-making in marketing, which is often hindered by technological and organisational barriers. The aim of this thesis is to identify and explore the concrete challenges involved in adopting and utilising the MMM technique. Additionally, it investigates how these challenges affect data-driven decision-making and broader marketing strategies. The study employs a qualitative approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with senior marketing executives and a comprehensive review of existing literature on MMM and related marketing concepts. This research builds upon the Integrative Framework of the Factors that Determine the Success of Marketing Management Support Systems, as introduced by Wierenga et al. (1999), and incorporates theoretical perspectives from marketing decision-making scholars such as Van Bruggen, Wierenga, and Kahneman. The findings reveal that the primary obstacles to MMM adoption and utilisation include a lack of in-house expertise, unsupportive organisational cultures, and insufficient management support. Additionally, high implementation costs and the complexity of the model act as significant barriers, limiting its broader adoption. These challenges prevent marketing teams from fully harnessing MMM to make data-driven decisions, often leading to suboptimal marketing expenditure and inefficiencies. Moreover, the research highlights a tension between short-term Return on Investment (ROI) goals and long-term brand-building strategies, with MMM frequently emphasising the former at the expense of more strategic marketing efforts. Addressing these issues requires better organisational alignment, enhanced data literacy, and continuous training for marketing professionals. The implications of this study suggest the need for advancements in MMM tools, more robust support for marketing teams, and further exploration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to enhance MMM's effectiveness. These findings contribute to understanding MMM adoption in Finland and provide practical recommendations for improving data-driven marketing decision-making.
Exploring the potential impact of wellness influencers’ health communication on shaping user health perceptions
(2024) Salonen, Selina
School of Business | Master's thesis
The concept of wellness is gaining popularity and how we search for health information has significantly changed in recent years, social media emerging as one of the main tools stay informed. The primary communicators are health influencers whose content has previously been claimed to perpetuate body image issues and disordered health habits, contributing to raised concerns about user-safety. My thesis aims to examine how health is communicated on social media and evaluate its potential impact on health perceptions by employing the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and conducting a content analysis of a random sample of wellness influencer content from Instagram. My findings suggest wellness influencers actively produce content that employs SCT strategies and, thus, are highly likely to shape perceptions and impact adoption of specific health behaviors. Moreover, influencer content could be contributing to a wider cultural shift towards holistic health, putting forth a more positive wellness agenda that intertwines physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Improving market orientation through competitive intelligence - a case study
(2009) Metsäniemi, Mika
Helsinki University of Technology | Master's thesis
This study attempts to explore the connection between the constructs of competitive intelligence and market orientation. The goal is to describe the dimensions of both and explore how they are related to each other. The methods used in this study consist of a literature review and a case analysis of three companies that employ a competitive intelligence solution by a common supplier. The market sensing capability of these companies is analyzed, the role of competitive intelligence in this capability evaluated and finally the implications for market orientation are contemplated. Three different approaches to intelligence emerge from the cases. The first one is close to an ignorance of the external environment, a strategy with virtually no intelligence. The second strategy represents a fragmented intelligence approach, in which intelligence is gathered and generated in several different places and processes in the organization. The third strategy is a central intelligence system based on competitive intelligence. The different strategies are largely dictated by the environment in which these companies operate; the more competitive the market, the greater the need for organized intelligence. Consequently, there are also different needs for market orientation, and each strategy has its own implications for the adoption of market orientation. It is deducted that the central competitive intelligence strategy is most supportive for a market orientation, although a fragmented strategy is found to have support as well. The strategies found out through the case analyses serve as a motivation for future research on intelligence strategies, as well as more comprehensive quantitative analyses on the link between competitive intelligence and market orientation.
Time-series Model for Forecasting the Sales of a Functional Dairy Product
(2013-11-20) Von Schantz, Anton
Perustieteiden korkeakoulu | Bachelor's thesis