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The paradoxical marketer: Interpretations, illustrations, and implications

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  • Pedersen, Carsten Lund

Abstract

Marketers face many daily dilemmas and conflicting consumer pressures. As such, there is a need for marketers to become more paradoxical in how they consider their roles. In other words, they must be able to combine two seemingly opposite forces in their marketing efforts. In this article, I suggest that marketers are being drawn into four distinct paradoxical roles: (1) authentic illusionist, (2) conforming rebel, (3) empathetic technologist, and (4) artistic scientist. A failure to acknowledge these roles may be disadvantageous to businesses in a marketplace. However, by learning and enacting these paradoxical roles, marketers can create a competitive advantage for their organizations. While the concept of paradoxes has previously been described in the field of marketing, the present study is unique in that it provides four specific paradoxical roles for marketers and introduces the DUAL roadmap to help effectively manage them.

Suggested Citation

  • Pedersen, Carsten Lund, 2023. "The paradoxical marketer: Interpretations, illustrations, and implications," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 66(6), pages 765-776.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:66:y:2023:i:6:p:765-776
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2023.04.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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