The Chartered Institute of Marketing Canon of Knowledge series

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the world's largest professional body for marketing, commissioned Keith Boyfield to write a series of studies demonstrating the uses of marketing in promoting international competitiveness.

This original research was commissioned as part of the CIM's Canons of Knowledge initiative, which aims to cover every major aspect of marketing, and, in the process, create an encyclopaedia of knowledge, tools and information.

The first study in this series examined the rapid transformation of UK utilities markets, highlighting the advent of the multi-utility concept, whereby statutory state-owned monopolies have developed into global companies operating in a wide range of liberalised markets.

The study was based on in-depth interviews with the senior management of three utilities - Centrica, PowerGen and ScottishPower. In drawing together the themes of the research, the study warned that UK utilities were becoming increasingly vulnerable to takeover by overseas companies. The most obvious threat came from French and German monopolies, whose own domestic markets continue to be shielded from new entry.

Utility Week devoted its lead editorial to the report and commented:

"More food for thought on the future of the multi-utility comes this week from economist Keith Boyfield in his report the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Transformation in the Utilities Market."

The Impact of No Frills Carriers on the European Airline Market

The second volume in the series focused on the impact of no frills carriers on the European scheduled airline market, a study made all the more topical by the rapid changes within the airline sector following the World Trade Center atrocity on 11 September.

The study was based on interviews with the management of no frills carriers and mainstream national flag carriers. Research for the report also involved interviewing industry experts and City analysts.

The report demonstrates how no frills carriers have successfully identified a new market for scheduled airline services, following liberalisation in 1997. In entering and developing the no frills segment of the market, new entrants such as Ryanair and easyJet have employed highly skilful and innovative marketing to develop an attractive product never previously available.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of 11 September the study explained how no frills carriers had adopted a successful marketing response, attracting more passengers while traditional national flag carriers struggled to avert bankruptcy . The report sets out recommendations to reform the EU airline market, so that supply met demand for air travel.

As a curtain raiser to publication of the report, Keith Boyfield was asked to contribute a feature article to the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal , explaining the "secret behind the success of the low-price, low-cost airline model".

"Keith Boyfield's work was instrumental in supporting CIM's key objective of building a body of work to support the marketing profession. He has contributed to the growing body of evidence that marketing is critical to competitiveness. In particular, his work on Utilities and Low Cost Airlines has shown the important link between marketing and effective deregulation." John Stubbs, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.