The people dimension in modern international marketing: Neglected but crucial

International marketing has performed extremely well during the second half of the twentieth century. During this period, the role, skills, and performance of marketing professionals have changed. This article examines these dramatic changes. We examine the changing role of marketing professionals in four distinct periods: 1945–1964, 1965–1984, 1985–2004, and 2005 forward. These periods are labeled as ages of coincidence, confluence, commingling, and creative conflicted collaboration. The role, skills, and performances of marketing professionals are analyzed as they emerged and changed. The article posits that as globalization continues as an unstoppable movement, the roles of marketing professionals are likely to emerge as a changing strategic tool. We carefully analyze professionals as one of the critical “Ps” of the marketing mix and examine their role in ever‐successful international marketing and its relationship to globalization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.