Contextualising an Argument for Two Disciplines

Mornay Roberts-Lombard¹, Helen Goworek²
(1. Department of Marketing Management, University of Johannesburg, South Africa; 2. Nottingham-Trend University, UK)

Abstract: Managing design is an aspect of marketing’s activities, but relatively little is known about the connections between marketing and design. This paper examines the interconnected and uneasy relationship between design and marketing. Managing this tension is important for marketers, whose viewpoint of differentiation is a combination of design excellence and market execution. Creative designs that are innovative and clever, generate new interest in a saturated market. Products that are well designed, communicate a message of quality and value to a consumer. Leaflets, packaging, signage and logotypes provide visual cues to reinforce the values of the organisation to the customer. Promotional activities and advertising campaigns make consumers aware of new products and convey a message to the consumer about the product and/or service that is available. This paper therefore explores the convergence of design and marketing. A comparative study, integration of arguments and the case study approach are followed. The convergence of cultures represents an opportunity for marketing and design to build collaborative models for the development of products, services and brands. A contextual evaluation of this research, using a grounded theory approach, reveals that there is a convergence of design and marketing thinking reflecting a growing understanding of cultural factors and is driven by economic imperatives such as increased competition, growing virtual worlds and greater consumer demands.

Key words: design; marketing; integration; convergence; synergies

JEL codes: Y, Y8, Y80