Title: A review of marketing for tramp shipping

Authors: Alexandros M. Goulielmos, Paraskevi Plomaritou

Addresses: Department of Maritime Studies, University of Piraeus, 80 Karaoli and Dimitriou St., Piraeus 18534, Greece. ' Department of Maritime Studies, University of Piraeus, 80 Karaoli and Dimitriou St., Piraeus 18534, Greece

Abstract: This paper tries to fill the gap in the literature dealing with tramp shipping marketing. After an extensive literature review for works during at least last 20 years, it begun with presenting the traditional marketing mix, transformed into shipping realm and adding paperless trade. Paper|s contribution however we consider to be the introduction into tramp shipping marketing of the non-linear marketing techniques like the phase space. We have worked out four case-studies trying to draw the trajectories in two circumstances of actual shipping companies| sales and revenues or profits, and to draw business suggestions for them. In our fourth case-study we submitted to the temptation to understand the business strategy of a leading Greek shipping company in the transportation of petroleum products. We have worked out a marketing framework/pigeon holes box and we tried to place company|s strategies and actions into that. All went to place but something was lacking and this was Porter|s ideas.

Keywords: tramp shipping; nonlinear marketing; marketing mix; case-studies; phase space; sales; revenue; profits; business strategy; Greece; petroleum products transportation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2009.024492

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2009 Vol.1 No.2, pp.119 - 155

Published online: 07 Apr 2009 *

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