Montpellier Business School's research department established the first European Entrepreneurial Marketing Summit in France, on May 12 and 13, 2011. Sascha Kraus, a researcher at the University of Liechtenstein, describes the importance of this science.

Why did you agree to participate in this seminar?

Montpellier Business School's research is highly regarded, hence its AACSB accreditation, the highest level of accreditation in the world. I've known Dr. Katherine Gundolf [co-organizer of the seminar and associate professor at Montpellier Business School] and Frank Lasch [director of Montpellier Business School Research] for several years. They're very good researchers, and we even wrote an article together four years ago. We plan to collaborate on other projects, including the preparation of a special issue of The International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing. For my part, I work on the interrelationships between marketing and entrepreneurship, which is a growing field. When Dr. Gundolf told me about the organization of this seminar, I saw an opportunity to present my academic work and to exchange ideas.

What is entrepreneurial marketing?

Entrepreneurial marketing studies the marketing concepts tailored to the specific characteristics of SMEs. The science of marketing has been neglected. Start-ups, VSEs and family businesses all have their own characteristics. We're looking for innovative ways to use marketing by asking, How can marketing be entrepreneurial?

Do you have any examples?

An SME might advertise, but it would not use television advertising. That requires the budget of a large business. SMEs can, on the other hand, use emails, which are quite manageable, cheaper and will reach many people. We are also interested in the issue of brands: How can an SME create its own brand?

What are the major areas of research?

Mainly, which direction entrepreneurial marketing should take. For example, a major issue is how to relate to customers. Should we listen to all customer requests?

Comments on the Seminar

Dr. Katherine Gundolf, co-organizer of the seminar and associate professor at Montpellier Business School: "I'm very happy. We had the attendance of big names in the field and about 30 participants from 12 different countries (England, the U.S., Sweden, Spain). The discipline has existed for a long time, but currently there are many viewpoints with more and more researchers working in the field. Next year, we'll hold the seminar at another school or university."

Dr. Annabelle Jaouen, co-organizer of the seminar and associate professor at Montpellier Business School: "We wanted something innovative to position ourselves in a growing field of research."


Topics Covered

“A Conceptualization of the Meaning and Operation of a Language for Marketing in Context,” J. Deacon.
“Some Ideas Around Writing a New Book on Entrepreneurial Marketing,” B. Bjerke and C. Hultman.
“Entrepreneurship, Education and Entrepreneurial Marketing in Ethiopia: Doing it the Hard Way,” D. Stokes and S. Whaley.
“The Impact of Market Orientation on Family Firm Performance,” H. Frank et al.
“Indigenous and Nonindigenous Entrepreneurs: The Significance of Business and Social Contexts,” R. Jones and Z. Sethna.
“Marketing Warfare in the 2010s: The 3D Approach,” P. Van der Meer.
“How Do SMEs Bond to Their Retailers Through Value Creation”, M. Lindman.
“Entrepreneurship and Social Media Marketing: Evidence From French Small Business,” W. Nakara et al.
“Market Orientation of Young Versus Established SMEs Through Times of Economic Crisis: A Structural Equations Model,” T. Gruber-Muecke and K.M. Hofer.
“Public Sculpture Themed Projects as Entrepreneurial Marketing,” J. Day and J.C. Day.
“Entrepreneurial Pricing: Characteristics and Implications of Pricing in SMEs and Start-Ups,” F. Siems and S. Kraus.
“Clarifying Entrepreneurial Orientation and Market Orientation Dimensions for International SMEs,” C. Arpa and S. Tiernan.

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