Marketing as warfare, revisited

Purpose – This paper aims to encourage thinking beyond the limits of obsolete and superficial “warfare marketing” by exploring potentially useful lessons from modern military intelligence and strategy for marketing intelligence and planning. Design/methodology/approach – Key contemporary trends and approaches to strategy are identified in the literature, and used as the basis for discussion of the possibility of productive knowledge transfer between the two fields. Findings – Comparisons of the conventional (linear, rationalistic, analytical) planning approach with unconventional modern approaches (flexible, technological, voluntary and context‐based) suggest some advanced implications for the planning of marketing strategy. Practical implications – The rethinking of some underlying strategic assumptions is suggested, and the implications discussed within each of the four areas of a proposed framework: marketing doctrine and structures, intelligence and effectiveness, soft resources, and the process of strategic planning. Originality/value – Presents a more balanced and up to date view of the parallels between strategy and planning in the modern military context and in contemporary marketing practice, with particular respect to the complementary roles of intelligence/technology and human/societal aspects.