What is Total Marketing Orientation?

Narver and his colleagues argue that more advanced, high level innovation is possible if the focus is on customers’ latent needs. Narver calls this a proactive marketing orientation.

Companies such as 3M, Hewlett Packard, and Motorola have made a practice of researching latent needs through a “probe and learn” process.

Companies that practice both a reactive and a proactive marketing orientation are implementing a total market orientation and are likely to be the most successful.