Month: October 2010

The boardroom verdict

Lucy Handley

More marketers may be taking seats in the boardroom, but its members are still struggling to understand exactly what the discipline can do for a business. Board members at big brands tell Lucy Handley what they really think of marketing in an era where procurement and the finance director are king

Will the first round of consumer spending cuts be the deepest?

Richard Madden

HPI observes that consumers are becoming increasingly intolerant of a certain kind of advertising. In July, 56% of consumers agreed that ’spending money on expensive TV advertising is irresponsible in the current climate’. That’s up from 46% just six months previously. I’m sure this isn’t a reaction to all advertising. Indeed, I know from recent […]

The viewpoints

Marketing Week

Click here to read the cover feature: Grim view of marketers across the board Click here to read marketers respond to the accusations The commercial director and former marketing directorAccusation: Marketers failing to understand the bottom line I jokingly describe marketers as coming in one of two buckets. There are the ones who are brilliant […]

The marketers respond

Marketing Week

Click here to read the cover feature: Grim view of marketers across the boardClick here to read what other board directors really think of marketers Philip Price, head of brand marketing, P&O Cruises Most marketing departments are now leaner and wiser than they were two years ago. A contributing factor to this is the increased […]

Price isn’t the only promotion

Marketing Week

Your sales promotion feature (MW 21 October) says the Institute of Promotional Marketing believes “sales promotions provide short-term uplifts, but can be hugely damaging to brand values in the longer term.” I’m afraid this mis-states our position. It’s price promotions that we have an issue with, not sales promotions. Our belief, supported by solid evidence, […]

Consultancy firms in online

Marketing Week

Michael Nutley’s column on digital strategy (MW 7 October) highlights how the big consultancy firms are muscling into the online space. The problem with this is that, as a rule, management consultants typically don’t recruit former digital practitioners. As a result, they will often have serious issues in understanding the granularity and complexities of this […]

Paid opt-outs are no better

Marketing Week

While many organisations such as the Anti-Marketing Group may operate legitimately (news analysis, Data Strategy 14 October), what is disquieting is the fact they charge for the service. Furthermore, the lack of transparency about how they operate, the apparent absence of a rigorous complaint-handling process and no tangible proof of their effectiveness should all be […]

BOGOFs: There are alternatives

Beware the vapid price trap

Marketing Week

Your recent article ’Promo junkies become hooked on a quick fix’ (MW 21 October), points to the uncomfortable truth that many brands and retailers are having to face up to. The pursuit of the adrenalin shot that price-based promotions can give has left many with an image hangover, and a sense of their brand values […]

PR can take the lead

Marketing Week

Clearly, the rise of social media plays to PR agencies’ natural strength because we have always traded on dialogue and brand conversations.Yet Michael Nutley appears skeptical about PR agencies’ claims to a seat at the top table in the ’strategic space’ in digital marketing (MW 7 October). While he has a point, whoever told him […]