Viewpoint: service marketing research priorities

Purpose This paper aims to emphasize two key research priorities central to the domain of service marketing. Design/methodology/approach Reflections based on conceptual analysis of the current level of knowledge of service as an offering and of the nature of service marketing in the literature. Findings It is observed that research into marketing and into service as an object of marketing, or as an offering, has been neglected for two decades and more. It is also shown that to restore its credibility, marketing needs to be reinvented. Furthermore, the point is made that if a proper understanding of service as an object of, for example, innovation, design, branding and development is lacking, or even only implicitly present, valid research into those and other important topics is at risk. Research limitations/implications This paper discusses two neglected topics within the domain of service research. Other important areas of future research are not covered. However, the paper offers directions for service marketing research fundamental to the development of the discipline. Originality/value In earlier discussions of service and service marketing research priorities, the observation that service and marketing are neglected topics that need to be studied and further developed has not been made. The paper emphasizes that service marketing research also needs to return to its roots and suggests possible directions for future research.