Overview of your subject area

Why is marketing important?
Marketing is important in building customer relationships as well as creating product awareness. Without an effective marketing strategy you stand to not gain customers or lose customers which equates to revenue loss and no growth. For a company to grow, marketing is the vehicle.
(Wiki Answers)

What is the most controversial issues are currently in marketing area?
Food and Beverage Marketing to Children and Youth

How marketing will develop over the next few years?
1-Global advertising expenditure will increase during the next few years
2- Jump in “New Media” Spending Expected Over the Next few Years
3- E-marketing increase sharply in next few years

Useful websites and books about marketing?

Website:
Web Resources for Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations

Books
International Marketing
1. Kotabe and Helson (2000) Global Marketing Management, Wiley.

2. Hollensen, S (2004) Global Marketing; Prentice Hall Europe.

Marketing Strategy

Indicative:
Bourgeois, L.J. III (1984) Strategic Management and Determinism, Academy of Management Review, Vol.9,No.4, pp.586-596.
Combe, I. A. (1999) Multiple Strategy Paradigms: An Integrational Framework, Journal of Marketing Management, 15, pp.341-359.
Marketing Communications
Key Text

de Pelsmacker, P., Geuens, M.& Van den Bergh, J., Marketing Communications, 2nd ed., Pearson, 2003
Brand Equity
The required book is:
Aaker, D Building Strong Brands, (see BSB on reading schedule) On order from Blackwell's Holloway Road.
Buyer Behaviour
1. Peter,J. and Olson,J. (2002) Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Strategy; 6th Ed., McGraw Hill.

2. Schiffman, L.G. and Kanuk,L.L. (2004) Consumer Bahaviour, International Edition, Prentice Hall 8th Ed.