Marketing Metaphors and Metamorphosis

In the early 21st century, marketing is 'under fire' as never before. Its nature and contribution to business performance are under serious scrutiny by practitioners and theorists. Surely metaphors are more widely known in literature? Do they apply in marketing?

Metaphors are widely used within marketing literature, yet are hardly ever identified as metaphorical in nature. This text aims to redress this omission. For example, such widely known topics as the marketing mix, globalization of markets, market segmentation, viral marketing, the product life cycle, and many others are in fact metaphors. Applied literally, as straightforward market management tools, they not only are hostage to fortune, but can seriously damage brand, product, and indeed company performance. Moreover, marketing itself may be a metaphor - apparently underlying or overarching many exchanges and relationships. Perhaps marketing is changing, or metamorphosising into something else, as yet undefined, but resonant with possibilities.