Skip to content

Professor Brian Smith

Staff photo

Visiting Research Fellow

Staff profile

See below for Professor Brian Smith's:

Biography

Professor Brian D Smith joined the Open University Business School in 2007, as a visiting research fellow, after completing his PhD, and several years subsequent research, at Cranfield School of Management. He is also Adjunct Professor at SDA Bocconi in Milan.

Brian's research interests are in the way firms create and implement strategy practice. His published work covers two areas; firstly, how firms make strategic planning work in the real world and secondly how they make sense of the market environment to create market insight. His current research programme is exploring what prevents firms from implementing their strategic decisions effectively. For more information on both his past and present research, please email Brian.

Brian has published over 200 papers, books and articles in both the academic and practitioner press, all of which can be seen at www.pragmedic.com. His first three major books ('Making Marketing Happen', 'Marketing Due Diligence' with Keith Ward and Malcolm McDonald and ‘Creating Market Insight, with Paul Raspin have now been joined by ‘The Future of Pharma’. He is also the editor of the Journal of Medical Marketing, the leading peer-reviewed journal in its field.

In addition to creating and disseminating knowledge about strategy making and implementation, Brian works with many leading companies to transfer that knowledge. Most of his work is in pharmaceutical and medical technology markets, a sector in which he worked for 20 years prior to his current role.

Publications

Journal papers
Smith, B  (2009)  'Myth, reality and requirements in pharmaceutical key account management', Journal of Medical Marketing, vol. 9, issue 2, pp. 89-95.
Smith, B  (2007)  'Excellence in medical marketing: origins, definition and precursors', Journal of Medical Marketing, vol. 7, issue 1, pp. 25-32.
Wilson, HN, Clark, M, Smith, B  (2007)  'Justifying CRM projects in a business-to-business context: the potential of a Benefits Dependency Network', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 36, issue 1, pp. 770-783.
Smith, B, Wilson, HN, Clark, M  (2006)  'Creating and using customer insight: 12 rules of best practice', Journal of Medical Marketing, vol. 6, issue 2, pp. 135-139.
Smith, B, Awopetu, B  (2006)  'Mind-set and market segmentation in the pharmaceutical industry: an assessment of practice in the UK', Journal of Pharmaceutical Marketing & Management, vol. 17, issue 03/04/10, pp. 101-116.
Smith, B  (2003)  'The effectiveness of marketing strategy making processes: a critical literature review and a research agenda', Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, vol. 11, issue 3, pp. 273-290.
Smith, B  (2003)  'An empirical investigation of marketing strategy quality in medical markets', International Journal of Medical Marketing, vol. 3, issue 2, pp. 153-162.
Smith, B  (2003)  'Making marketing happen: how great medical companies make strategic marketing planning work for them', International Journal of Medical Marketing, vol. 4, issue 2, pp. 129-142.
Smith, B  (2003)  'Success and failure in marketing strategy making: results of an empirical study across medical markets', International Journal of Medical Marketing, vol. 3, issue 4, pp. 287-315.
Rowland, K, Smith, B  (2001)  'Achieving a market led culture: a case study', International Journal of Medical Marketing, vol. 1, issue 3, pp. 215-223.
Smith, B  (2000)  'Lessons for CEOs from the consolidation of the medical device and diagnostic industries', International Journal of Medical Marketing, vol. 1, issue 2, pp. 148-160.
Books
Smith, B, Raspin, P  (2008)  'Creating Market Insight: how firms create value from market understanding', Chichester, John Wiley & Sons.
Smith, B  (2005)  'Making Marketing Happen: how great companies make strategic planning work', Oxford, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.
McDonald, MHB, Ward, K, Smith, B  (2005)  'Marketing Due Diligence: reconnecting strategy to share price', Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann.
Book chapters
Smith, B, McDonald, MHB, Ward, K  (2010)  'Marketing Due Diligence - Contemporary Strategies for Merger and Acquisition Success', Gleich, R, Kierans, G and Hasselbach, T (eds) Value in Due Diligence, Surrey, England, Gower.
Reports
Smith, B, Clark, M, Wilson, H  (2006)  'From Data to Dividends: Why are Some Firms Better than Others at Turning Information into Value?', Cranfield University Customer Management Research Forum.
Smith, B  (2006)  'Guarding the Brand', Economist Intelligence Unit, London.
Clark, M, McDonald, MHB, Smith, B  (2004)  'Understanding the Devil: uncovering the detail of how effective CRM is implemented', Cranfield, Cranfield School of Management.
Smith, B  (1999)  'Successful Marketing Strategies for Medical Devices and Diagnostics', 1st ed. Richmond, PJB Publications.
Other
Smith, B  (2009)  'Breaking habits', issue 08/04/10, Blog forOpenLearn.
Smith, B  (2009)  'Caged companies', issue 11/09/10, Blog for Open2.net article.
Smith, B  (2009)  'Inside the modern salesforce', issue 12/10/10, Blog for the BBC's The Bottom Line.
Smith, B  (2009)  'A matter of definition', issue 09/02/10, Blog for the BBC's The Money Programme.
Smith, B  (2009)  'Spot the difference: Why do some companies thrive while others flail?', issue 31/07/10, Blog for OpenLearn.
Smith, B  (2008)  'Calculated risk', issue 03/06/10, Blog for the BBC's The Money Programme.
Smith, B  (2008)  'Forewarned is Forearmed', issue 21/04/10, Blog for the BBC's The Money Programme.
Smith, B  (2008)  'Marrying companies', issue 25/07/10, Blog for the BBC's The Money Programme.
Smith, B  (2008)  'The synergy mirage', issue 15/12/10, Blog for the BBC's The Money Programme.
Smith, B  (2007)  'Changing cultures', issue 06/12/10, Blog for OpenLearn.