Archive

Archive for February, 2010

Is Marketing the Next Finance?

28.02.2010 No comments

Rory Sutherland at Ted Talks helps me understand the value and cost of customer loyalty

I recently discovered Rory Sutherland from one of my favorite podcasts: Ted Talks.  After rapidly devouring all the YouRoryAtTEDtaksTube videos and blogs on this Olgilvy “Ad Man”, I found myself stuck on one of his minor theses: “Is marketing the new finance?” (quoted from Guy Phillipson).  He argues that every new corporate initiative in the last ten years has created the all-important spreadsheet analysis that carefully laid out shareholder value, including an analysis of the perception of the company by the financial community.  How about using the same care in analyzing how the customers feel about the company and its products?   From Rory’s perspective, business is simple: Find something that customers want to buy and then remove the barriers that keep them from buying it.   I think he is on to something.   He proposed that this current financial emphasis should be replaced by a real solid marketing emphasis. Read more…