Abstract
This review is based on the book ‘Marketing 6.0: The Future is Immersive’ by Philip Kotler, Hermawan Kartajaya and Iwan Setiawan (Kotler et al., 2024). This book represents the fourth publication in their popular Marketing X.0 series which began with Marketing 3.0 (Kotler et al., 2010) followed by Marketing 4.0 (Kotler et al., 2017) and Marketing 5.0 (Kotler et al., 2021). The authors of this book series are renowned experts in their respective academic and industry fields, namely, the S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor (Emeritus) of International Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Philip Kotler, the founder and chairman of M Corp Hermawan Kartajaya and the Chief Executive Officer of Marketeers Iwan Setiawan.
The book consists of three main parts: (1) an introduction to Marketing 6.0 comprising chapters 1 to 4; (2) a discussion of the enablers and environment of Marketing 6.0 in chapters 5 to 7; and (3) the experience offered by Marketing 6.0 in chapters 8 to 10. In Chapter 1, the authors establish the main theme of Marketing 6.0 which is for businesses today to deliver immersive customer experiences in both the offline and online worlds using the concept of metamarketing. The three layers of metamarketing, namely, the five technological enablers, the two distinct environments and the three customer-facing experiences of metamarketing are introduced in the beginning chapter. Chapter 2 describes Young Generation Z and Generation Alpha as the key consumer markets in Marketing 6.0 which managers need to focus on. These two generations are described as having lifestyles which are uniquely plugged into both the offline and online worlds. Chapter 3 proceeds to explain the five key components influencing trends in metamarketing. These are content, social media, e-commerce, artificial intelligence (AI) and wearable devices. Chapter 4 discusses the merits of physical and digital touchpoints for different contexts and ways to effectively merge them to optimize the customer’s experience. Chapter 5 explains how the five tech enablers of Marketing 6.0 – the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, spatial computing, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and blockchain – can work together to create new immersive environments. Chapters 6 and 7 continue the discussion by elaborating on these environments and focussing on immersive experiences in real life and the future of social media platforms. In the final section of the book, Chapter 8 explains the multisensory experiences offered by Marketing 6.0, while chapters 9 and 10 conclude with discussions on spatial and metaverse marketing.
One of the primary contributions of the book is in the clear organization of its key ideas. This is captured in the framework introduced in Chapter 1. After explaining why metamarketing will be important and who are the key markets driving metamarketing, the framework is elaborated in Chapter 5 and subsequent chapters by providing a holistic overview of how metamarketing will work, where and when metamarketing will occur and what are the key elements involved in metamarketing. In the first layer of the framework, rather than merely focussing on each technology and its distinctiveness, the authors clearly illustrate the five technologies and how they can be integrated into the marketing environment for consumers. The logic of integration is clear and allows the reader to have a more holistic understanding of the role of each technology in delivering the new immersive customer experiences as proposed in the book. The second layer of the framework explains the spectrum of environments that can be offered to consumers in Marketing 6.0. This environment ranges from digitally augmented realities or extended realities to full virtual worlds or metaverse. The third layer focuses on three key experiences that define Marketing 6.0 which are multisensory, spatial and metaverse in nature. Thus, by framing the elements of metamarketing using these three layers, readers are able to grasp the technologies that drive the new environments, what these new environments look like and what customers would experience in these new environments. This can be especially useful to managers who require a quick but firm understanding of the new marketing environment in order to make strategic decisions that can benefit their key markets.
Another benefit of this book is that it effectively explains to the reader the concept of the new immersive marketing landscape that fuses both offline and online elements at a deeper level. This hybrid theme and the interchangeable online–offline realities in the new marketing environment are framed in several ways throughout the book. For instance, Chapter 1 contrasts metamarketing with omnichannel marketing by highlighting that metamarketing goes beyond integration by offering the customer digital experiences in offline realities and vice versa. Chapter 2 continues the theme of online–offline fusion by introducing the term ‘phygital’ to describe the characteristics of Gen Z and Gen Alpha which seek both physical and digital worlds. Chapter 3 describes wearables that blend or simulate physical realities in digital forms, while Chapter 5 discusses how mixed reality (MR) allow digital elements to interact more with physical spaces as compared to AR. Chapter 6 stresses the duality relationship in reverse by highlighting why the younger generation also looks for IRL or ‘in real life’ experiences in addition to those offered on URL websites. This emphasis on the continued relevance of the offline environment, due to the unique consumer benefits offered in offline interactions as well as the ability of digital devices today to effectively embed themselves in the physical context, is also a welcomed shift from discussions which solely focus on the superiority of the digital space. Interestingly, one of the most illustrative examples of the new hybrid marketing landscape is featured in Chapter 8 which talks about engaging the five senses in both the offline and digital worlds. This also highlights the importance of managers working together in cross-functional teams to deliver such integrated customer touchpoints.
Summary of key themes in the marketing X.0 book series.
A reason for the lack of paradigm leaps in this book stems from the short periods in which new Marketing X.0 publications are released. Readers of the Marketing X.0 series expect fresh ideas and perspectives with every subsequent publication as this is a key value proposition of the book series itself. However, compared to the duration gap of 7 years between Marketing 3.0 in 2010 and Marketing 4.0 in 2017 which translates to significant shifts in the marketing environment, the shorter publication periods of 3 to 4 years between Marketing 4.0, Marketing 5.0 and Marketing 6.0 offer little time for significant updates in writing with regards to new technologies and radically different value propositions. Indeed, Marketing 6.0 is a more nuanced discussion of Marketing 5.0, in which there is a better understanding of how the enabling technologies first introduced in Marketing 5.0 can work together and are now more advanced, with updated examples such as ChatGPT and DALL-E for AI. By the book’s own admission, the metaverse itself may be more refined only by the year 2040. Thus, as the enabling technologies still maturing, it is reasonable to foresee that a future Marketing 7.0 publication written 3 years from today would mention more advanced versions of the same types of technologies with no new innovations for businesses to adopt.
On another note, given the potent mix of academic-industry experts as its authorship team, there are several missed opportunities for the book to further serve as a potential bridge between industry and academia by explicitly highlighting key academic insights. For instance, the focus on customer well-being as a goal of marketing was first brought to the forefront as a central theme in Marketing 3.0 in 2010. Shifting the focus of the outcomes of marketing from traditional bottom-line measures towards areas of customer well-being has been one of the agendas in a research stream called transformative service research (Anderson and Ostrom, 2015). Accordingly, while Marketing 6.0 does discuss issues of consumer well-being but with less limelight, the book could still reacquaint readers with the transformative service research agenda and explain, with the latest academic research insights, how enabling technologies can contribute to the customer’s well-being (Field et al., 2021). Another key academic insight which has transformed the traditional product-centred lens of marketing thought is the service-dominant (S-D) logic which argues that services, not products, are the fundamental units of exchange in all businesses (Vargo and Lusch, 2016). This S-D logic could be introduced to the wider public by weaving this discussion when addressing the increasing importance of the creator economy and service experiences in the digital age (Barrett et al., 2015). In summary, while the book frames its own perspectives of breakthroughs in marketing strategy and management, and is admittedly not meant for an academic audience, the team of authors should consider injecting more breakthroughs in marketing academia in future Marketing X.0 publications. This would help to support their narratives while further informing and enriching discussions for marketers and the general audience.
Despite his scholarly authoritativeness in marketing, Kotler and his works are not without critics (Sharp, 2010). However, Marketing 6.0 remains a useful contribution to the Marketing X.0 series as it captures the imagination of a wide audience with the latest marketing insights by providing useful snapshots and shining the spotlight on new central marketing themes that can advance marketing practice. The book manages to inform the reader of the plethora of technological improvements and explains them using rich examples from the industry. To this, the book continues to serve its central value proposition of conveniently and effectively updating readers on what’s going on in the world of marketing, what has changed, what we can expect in the future and how marketers can better prepare for these new headwinds. Given the increasing dynamism in marketing, the multitude of practices and recommendations offered in the book and the level of synthesis in carving the various frameworks attest to the authors’ expertise and ability to keep track of the pulse of marketing. A future Marketing 7.0 edition with more impactful paradigm leaps in content, shaped by significant technological innovation and supported by state-of-the-art marketing research, will be a welcomed update for marketing professionals, university students and all readers.