Marketing Myopia

Adrian Barrera

Marketing 210

September 3, 2015

Marketing Myopia

        “Marketing Myopia” is a well written article about business from the author Theodore Levitt. Levitt, is a lecturer in Harvard Business School teaching business administration. The article, won the McKinsey Award in 1960.  Marketing Myopia is an article that discusses that businesses will perform better in the long run if the company focuses the needs of the consumer.

In the beginning of the article, Levitt summarizes that the growth of industries have been declining not because the market has stopped but the failure of management. Most business fail not in circumstances of derailing from the railroad, but the executives derailing themselves away from the importance of management and not focusing on the customers. For example, Hollywood has disappeared by not knowing the correct position Hollywood is in the market. Hollywood defines themselves as a “movie-business” which is incorrect. Movies are only limited to a certain audience, where as TV business is higher demand. The TV business a much more bigger business than the movie business, because all people watch TV. Hollywood missed their mark by not being customer orientated and analyzing the customers.

Furthermore, Levitt discusses railroads again to compare the situation in other businesses. Levitt states that railroad is meant for transportation, and not to lose focus the growth. Many business lose the mentality of growth or in other words “managerial imaginativeness”.  Further in article, Levitt discusses that “there is no such thing as a growth industry” meaning that the companies only capitalize on growth opportunities and growing industries decay. At times when the market expands the manufacturer drifts away from thinking very hard. A problem will result in thinking, but when there is an absence of a problem will result an absence of thinking. It is a complicated way of thinking, however if the manufacture stops thinking of expanding and stop thinking imaginatively the growth will not last. For example, if a company is suffering in sales stop pricing items high, lower the sales to increase sales. The goal of marketing is to listen to customer, and if performed well the sales will increase. Levitt’s article is very intriguing with a twist in his writing with utilizing the railroad as a guide throughout the article.