Fear of Marketing. Did we get your attention? Is it a new Quentin Tarantino movie or a new anxiety disorder published in Psychology Today?
The answer: Fear of Marketing is neither breaking news nor a summer blockbuster. Think of it as a slow burn. A “fight or flight response executives in technology-driven companies experience with marketing. Primal? Yes. Overstated? No.
In a November 29, 2007 article, BusinessWeek ran the headline and the story about the short-shelf life of the CMO, the Chief Marketing Officer. They cited the fact that the average CMO holds their position an average of 26 months. Other statistics from the CMO Advisory Council cite anywhere from 18-28 months, depending upon the survey. From my two roles as a CMO for Akamai Technologies and Mindjet I can verify the tenure is on the shorter side of the stat. The revolving door of marketing leadership in technology companies is a result of an innate, Darwinist approach to understanding, accepting and empowering the role and function of marketing.
The fear and the result of that visceral reaction to marketing creates high turnover, high costs and lost market momentum, costing investors and shareholders billions of wasted spend. The problem is so real and prolific that my business partner, Michael Bloom, and I have launched a new business, Cinterim, and a new business model to offer an alternative to CEOs, Venture Capitalists and investors/shareholders that have both fear but more loathing for marketing.
The issues senior executives face, including the most senior marketing leader, is many. One of the most glaring dysfunctions is the lack of dialogue between senior leadership and its board to analyze and address why marketers and their teams “appear” to fall short. This core conflict and “head in the sand” approach exist in light of the CEO’s never-ending quest for great marketing and an organizational distaste for being market-driven. It is this very real tension and duplicitous dynamic that has provided the foundation for this blog and the book we are writing; Fear of Marketing: Why the companies that connect people are disconnected.
We’d like to hear from you. Are you a senior marketer? Are you on the hot seat, perpetually? Are you a CEO wondering why marketing is failing yet again? Tell us your story. Facing the Fear of Marketing is our first step.
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1 comment:
This is a book I'll be waiting for.
BUT, I'm curious about the title. You practically bury the word "of". At first glance it says "Fear Marketing" which is an entirely different strategy than "Fear Of Marketing". It's a less than honest title that smacks of the old line - SEX - now that I've got your attention. This sort of approach is exactly why marketing is so much snake oil to the general public.
What are you afraid 'of'?
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