If you scroll through current marketing Twitter (X) or LinkedIn, you will see a surge of interest in a Kotler word coined in 1971: Demarketing.
In an era of supply chain crises, over-tourism, and sustainability mandates, growth for growth's sake is no longer the goal. In his seminal Harvard Business Review article (revived during the pandemic), Kotler defined demarketing as the art of discouraging customers in the short term to manage long-term demand. kotler
Real-world applications of Kotler’s demarketing today: If you scroll through current marketing Twitter (X)
Kotler saw this coming 50 years ago. While other gurus screamed "Capture market share," Kotler whispered, "Manage the demand." Today, that whisper is a roar. Kotler saw this coming 50 years ago
Kotler formalized the logic that you cannot market to everyone equally:
| Era | Focus | Key Work | |------|-------|-----------| | 1960s–70s | Managerial marketing, STP | Marketing Management (1967) | | 1980s | Competitive strategy, global marketing | Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations | | 1990s | Relationship marketing, customer retention | Marketing Places (with David Gertner) | | 2000s | Holistic marketing, brand equity | Marketing Insights from A to Z | | 2010s | Social media, digital marketing | Marketing 4.0 (with Hermawan Kartajaya) | | 2020s | Metaverse, generative AI, sustainability | Marketing 5.0 (2021) |