Marketing communication: principles and practice

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CASE STUDY 5
LISTENING AND RESPONDING
In 1996 Shell International began extensively auditing the views of stakeholders: customers,
employees, other companies, governments, non-government groups, and all those affected
by their operations and products. Managers as decision-makers have a role to play in helping
to ensure that the legitimate aspirations of all the stakeholders involved – government,

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WHAT DO YOU THINK?
1 Who are the main stakeholders for your place of study? Try to rank them
in order of importance. What criteria did you use?
2 Do you believe that Benetton’s unique advertising approach (see chapter
four) adds value to its brand image and sales performance?
3 To what extent has the network management approach helped Benetton
to prosper in difficult trading conditions in Europe? What have been the
gains for stakeholders?
4 How can marketers ensure that their decisions and actions do not
adversely impact upon stakeholders?
5 Societal marketing was the first step to relationship-oriented marketing,
according to Ken Peattie (1992). Do you accept this point of view, or
was relationship marketing the precursor to societal marketing?
6 The essential nature of marketing is the organized response to consumer
and buyer needs and wants. How must marketing communication
management practices change in a stakeholder perspective?
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communities, business and others – are recognized and addressed in a balanced, fair manner
for the long-term benefit of all. 
In 1999 – a corporate communication campaign was launched to start up a dialogue with
their stakeholders about the critical economic (commercial), ethical (social responsibility),
and environmental (sustainable development) issues of the business. This dialogue had
become necessary because of changing expectations. In the past, Shell companies had 
met society’s expectations and had an excellent reputation. But greater scepticism and
questioning were now raising concerns about Shell’s work and values, and how managers
were discharging their responsibility to society – in return for a societal ‘licence to operate’.
Greater engagement through dialogue was necessary to deal responsibly with the
knowledge gap that had developed between their values and those that their various
stakeholders believed they held and managed by.
The approach to engagement through dialogue was designed to operate on the basis 
of direct and personal contact (relationship), reaching out among stakeholders to seek 
and value others’ views, transparency and openness through performance reporting, and
verification by independent experts and other ways to ensure independent assurance.
Active communicating about the issues and the corporation’s point of view has been
progressive over the past two years. The stakeholder forums have produced intensive
discussion and debate between staff and stakeholder representatives. The corporate website
was redesigned and relaunched in late 1998 to include publications, statements, news, and
e-mail. The ‘Profits & Principles’ global television advertising campaign began in the spring
of 1999 to stimulate debate and comment.
Up to the time of writing in early 2001, the programme has revealed a positive shift in
stakeholder views, and the corporation have demonstrated that they are committed to be
better at communicating by listening and responding.
(See www.shell.com)

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7 The entire marketing system (i.e. the organized deployment of the
marketing concept in the overall business process) involves various forms
of communication among a number of people. Apply a stakeholder
framework to review the marketing system of a company with which
you are familiar, from a communication perspective. List implications
for managers.
8 To what extent are corporations focusing their objectives and decisions
on social added value? What evidence can you find?
9 Why should marketing managers consider stakeholders?
10 How does stakeholder management relate to relationship marketing and
integrated marketing communication?