Abstract:

This paper explores a sector of the economy believed to be at the threshold of a fascinating emergence. The sector is constituted of those institutions sponsoring ideas and social issues concepts in contrast to organizations purveying goods and services. As yet unnamed, one could assign to it an appellation such as the idea industry or more eloquently, the concept sector. The concept sector cuts across traditional boundaries of sector distinction because its members include profit-making, nonprofit, public organizations, as well as the hybrid "quasis." To test the hypothetical presence of the concept sector, a survey was conducted among institutions sponsoring a broad spectrum of ideas and social issues. The aim of the survey was to learn about the processes by which concepts were being disseminated, and to examine those processes from a marketing viewpoint.