If it’s so difficult to allocate a better value to customers in Prospective, this is because of the constant factor of complexity. As expressed in my former article “ A Metaphorical Way Of Understanding Customer Relationship [5] “, where I was using the Chaos and Quantum mechanics metaphor, the amazing complexity and elusiveness of today’s Consumers cannot be captured with standard market research and data analysis (aka CRM) tools at our disposal. Determinism and rationalism are at the heart of such tools, which prove highly ineffectual.
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Prospective is geared towards the long term (10, 15, 20 years and more), the global vision. With prospective, what matters most is not the result but how one got there in the first place. With Prospective, besides, maps know no boundaries,
Marketing Management is mostly short-term orientated (either very short term or up to 5 years at the most, depending on how far into strategy we are looking). At the end of the day, Marketing management efficiency is measured by bottom-line results.
Potential Behaviours When Handling Future Situations
- Passivity: no planned scenarios, mostly tactics but no strategy, aim is to maintain status quo and avoid looking reality in the face,
- Re-activity: no planned scenarios, adaptive strategy, respond only when external threats are perceived,
- Pre-activity: exploratory scenarios, pre-emptive strategy, prepare business for expected changes,
- Pro-activity: scenarios by anticipation, implement changes.
