Former Glanbia Consumer Foods chief executive Colin Gordon has produced a new report with B&A director Ian McShane highlighting the shortcomings of accountability in Irish marketing and asks a series of probing questions. Gordon says a problem in defining what marketing means has seen media agencies and clients moving in opposing directions.
A serious disconnect exists which Gordon describes as “extraordinary”.
Media agencies tend to zone in on driving sales while the research for Gordon’s Engage Consulting found that companies are less inclined to do so. Marketers are more likely to focus on building brand awareness, tracking metrics like net promoter scores and developing marketing communications plans, particularly around social media.
“Marketing is one of those things that everyone thinks they know what it is, but no one’s able to define it,” Gordon said. “If you can’t agree on what you’re trying to do, then how do you have accountability?” There is not enough talk about transactions and the essential task in marketing to create demand and make selling easier.
Gordon refers to the groundbreaking Bulmer’s Cider ‘Nothing Added But Time’ campaign created by Young Advertising while he was marketing director at C&C’s Showerings. Studies showed that while consumers did not like the ad at the time, drinking the product made them feel good. It was a prime example of how marketing is more art than science.
Colin Gordon, Engage Consulting, is pictured above with Barry Dooley, chief executive, AAI
