European marketing environment

Marketing by its very nature, is an outward- looking discipline. As the interface between the organisation and the outside world, it has to balance internal capabilities and resources with the opportunities offered externally. Although the definition and understanding of the customer´s needs and wants are at the heart of the marketing philosophy, there are many factors influencing how those customer needs evolve, and affecting or constraining the organisation´s ability to meet those needs in a competitive environment. Thus in order to reach an adequate understanding of the customer´s future needs and to develop marketing mixes that will satisfy the customer, the marketer has to be able to analyse the external environment and clarify which influences and their implications are most important.
This WORK? will dissect the external environment and look closely at the variety of factors and influences that help to shape the direction of marketing thinking. First, it clarifies the nature of the external environment, underlining why it needs to be understood, and what opportunities that understanding offers to the marketer.
Although the environment consists of a wide variety of factors and influences, it is possible to group them under four broad headings: sociocultural, technological, economic and competitive, and political and legal influences. Each will be examined in turn, discussing the various issues they cover and their implications for marketing decision- making.
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