Areas Quote by Theodore Levitt
“The oil industry is a stunning example of how science, technology, and mass production can divert an entire group of companies from their main task. ... No oil company gets as excited about the customers in its own backyard as about the oil in the Sahara Desert. ... But the truth is, it seems to me, that the industry begins with the needs of the customer for its products. From that primal position its definition moves steadily back stream to areas of progressively lesser importance until it finally comes to rest at the search for oil.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Marketing Management, 1960
The industry shifts focus from serving customers to chasing resources, reversing true purpose.
In simple terms: Companies prioritize product over customer needs.
Key Takeaway
Refocus on customer needs first.
Themes
marketing
industry
customer focus
resource allocation
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
business
strategic
When to use this quote
- product development
- sales strategy
- corporate planning
- resource management
Key Concepts
Strategic alignment
value chain
customer centricity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can firms balance customer needs with resource acquisition?
- What mechanisms keep companies customer‑centric?
A Different Perspective
The quote may oversimplify complex market dynamics.
![“I'm glad I wrote the book to show what I found out about the [ Standard Oil Company]. I'm glad many people read my book and found out the truth.” quote by John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af4/john-d-rockefeller-3693_book_i-m-glad-i-wrote-the-book-to-show-what-i_2014614.jpg)
![“Speaking about our largest oil company Rosneft, and I recalled in the beginning that almost 20 percent of it [19.7] belongs to BP. Who's company is that? British Petroleum, isn't it? I suppose that is not bad. I have to tell that British Petroleum's capitalization is significantly related to the…” quote by Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fea/vladimir-putin-261_british_speaking-about-our-largest-oil-company-r_1652269.jpg)
![“I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or a survey and Legal Services Corporation board when President [Jimmy ]Carter appointed me and trying to get lawyers for poor people. I have worked in these…” quote by Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6c7/hillary-clinton-51_action_i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-th_9078.jpg)
