There can be little doubt about the profound impact that the Internet has had on all aspects of business over the past decade. Indeed, it is now widely accepted that we have entered a new and even more revolutionary phase in the development of the Net as a global marketing and communications platform; a phase characterised by information ‘pull’ rather than ‘push’, user-generated content, openness, sharing, collaboration, interaction, communities, and social networking. New generation Web-based communities and hosted applications are beginning to have a major impact on customer behaviour across a diverse range of industries. These new applications represent a fundamental change in the way people use the Internet, their online expectations, and experiences.

From a marketing perspective, the most distinctive feature is not the technology involved but rather the growth of a new global culture – a ‘Net generation’ culture based on decentralised authority rather than hierarchy and control, online socialising and collaboration, user-generated and distributed content, open communications, peer-to-peer sharing, and global participation. Success in this new online environment, characterised by people and network empowerment, requires new ‘mindsets’ and innovative approaches to marketing, customer, and network relationships.

This book makes a valuable contribution to the field by examining recent and future developments in online marketing, including the revolutionary impact of new media. Chapters cover a wide range of topics, including: information exchange on bulletin board systems and in online consumer portals; Web 2.0 and ‘New-Wave Globals’; online tribal marketing; co-creation; industry impact; privacy issues; online advertising effectiveness; and practitioner prognostics for the future of online marketing.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Marketing Management.