On the agenda…

Speak to enough marketers and it won’t be long until one mentions the role of marketing is to be the voice of the customer in the business. Neglect the customer and it can only lead to poor business outcomes.

One brand that learnt that the hard way earlier this year was audio company Sonos, which rushed the launch of its redesigned app in May to tie-in with its first foray into the headphone category. It didn’t go well. The new app was beset with problems, from missing features to a cavalcade of bugs and glitches. Customers were furious and Sonos, a brand up until that point known for its quality, high-end products, immediately went on the defensive.

Products were delayed. Staff were laid off. Multiple grovelling apologies and promises of fixes were made in an effort to stem the damage to the brand’s reputation. To say it was a tough start to life for incoming CMO Jordan Saxemard, who joined the business in June after a near three-year stint at Dyson, would be an understatement.