How European Marketing Management Measures up to Take on the Future

Success in a changing Europe will require effective marketing. This article explores how companies in Germany, the United Kingdom (U.K.), and France measure up in relation to three global trends in marketing market-focused organization, interactive marketing, and the use of marketing metrics. This article draws on a series of recent studies by the authors to compare these aspects of marketing in Europe with the situation in the United States (U.S.) and Japan. We conclude that there is little if any sign of a distinctive European marketing culture or set of practices. Marketing does not vary dramatically between countries, and the differences within Europe are almost as great as those between European and non-European companies. In general, companies in Germany, Britain, and France seem to be reasonably well-placed in marketing capabilities and activities, although German firms tend to be above average, while French firms tend to be a bit below average in their use of interactive marketing.