Does marketing success lead to market success?

Is the practice of marketing bad for the economy and, therefore, bad for society? This article explores whether market success and marketing success are compatible. First, we examine the concept of “market success” in the context of the dynamic competition perspective of resource–advantage theory, and we argue that successful markets are characterized by competitive processes that lead to five specific outcomes. Second, we examine the nature of marketing, conceptualize it as a kind of firm process, and argue that “marketing success” occurs when organizations develop competences in that process. Third, we examine whether marketing success leads to the five specific outcomes of market success. Fourth, we examine the relationship between marketing success and public policy. Fifth, we show how our approach provides a framework for investigating marketing abuses.