Can Cambridge companies grow by using the power of marketing? Most CEOs and Managing Directors don’t think so. This Special Report, published in association with Cambridge News, explains the reasons why – and what to do about it.
Marketing (and I include sales and branding in its activities) has been failing miserably for many years.
And company growth has suffered as a result.
That’s why I’ve published this Special Report, in association with Cambridge News, for CEOs and Managing Directors of businesses large and small in Cambridge.
Banished from the boardroom some time ago, marketing and its two co-saboteurs – Sales (the Adversary) and Branding (the Babbler) – has been reduced to what many commentators describe scornfully as ‘the colouring-in people’ and even worse, ‘the t-shirt printing department.’
How? Why? The answers are well documented.
Instead of the Marketing Department being seen in its correct role – a profit centre, achieving more sales and delivering shareholder value – it is deemed only as an expensive cost centre.
Its budget requirements continue to rise, yet no-one in the Marketing Department can explain just how much incremental business the sales and marketing budget will generate.
‘Today, many CEOs, Managing Directors and other board members view marketing as nothing more than a social media and brochure department.
It totally lacks commercial credibility and is therefore basically redundant when it comes to contributing anything meaningful to strategic business plans.’
That’s why CEOs, Managing Directors and other board members view marketing as nothing more than a social media and brochure department, totally lacking commercial credibility. And therefore basically redundant in terms of contributing anything meaningful to strategic business plans.
The failure of marketing strategy to show any kind of ROI on its activities is a crisis that requires urgent attention if many businesses in Cambridge are to survive – and thrive – in 2018.
Unfortunately, in marketing’s present condition, that won’t happen until a significant number of changes are made to marketing’s strategic and operational understanding.
I’ve covered these in my Special Report and highlight four critical issues that need addressing. I don’t pull any punches, and I’m in no doubt that marketers, sales people and brand managers will dislike me for what I’m stating.
But my goal is truly beneficent: a crusade to help marketing to retain its rightful position as a true board contributor. However, that comes with conditions.
Marketing needs to change. It needs to free itself from the hype and start talking in a way the boardroom understands – including ROI language.
‘According to recent studies, 77% of CEOs believe CMOs keep talking about brand, brand values, brand equity and other similar parameters that their top management team has great difficulties linking back to results that really matter: revenue, sales, EBIT or even market valuation. What a shocking situation.’
Sales need to up its game, get with the 21st century and start working with – not against – the marketing department.
And branding needs to boot out the babble and start talking sense about what a brand truly is.
The message to marketing is: Change as you must, or remain as the hundred-to-one outsider with little hope of connecting – or even communicating – with the board on issues of strategic importance and value.
I hope you find the Special Report interesting and informative.
It may show your sales, marketing and branding strategy as being in the 20% that is actually giving you a positive return on your investment. In which case, congratulations are definitely in order.
Or it could be part of the marketing misery that has lost its way and doesn’t know where the road back to the boardroom is located.
Download your pdf copy (around 3MB) by clicking on the link or the image and choosing ‘Save link as…’, ‘Save Link…’ or whatever option your browser gives you.
Special Report download link. >>
Also: << Download this article I wrote for Cambridge Business (now Cambridge) magazine.
Go to main Brand Doctor site >>
