Early in my marketing career, I kept running into the same paradox: the marketing campaigns that actually moved the needle led with emotion, yet most clients insisted on leading with facts—bullet points, technical specs, rational arguments.
From all my years in research and consulting, I think I’ve learned a thing or two about marketing worth sharing. Enduring fundamentals, mostly yet often overlooked. So, this year, I’m sharing some for your consideration. I hope they’re helpful. This week’s thought: It’s all about targeting, not segmentation.
There is some reporting that Beyond Meat, the meat-alternative parent of Beyond Burgers and more, is headed for Chapter 11. Apparently, the brand’s last quarter was an even bigger disappointment than previous quarters.
A recent study by McKinsey & Company documents the continuing decline in the influence of the marketing function and the growing frustration of CEOs with the contribution of marketing. Much of this frustration stems from marketers’ inability to clearly explain how marketing activities contribute to the firm’s financial performance and the continued use of metrics like brand awareness and brand equity as evidence of performance. There is, of course, nothing wrong with measures of brand health,...
The goal of any business is enduring, profitable growth. All three are critical. Profitable growth that is not enduring is short-term. There is no future. Enduring growth that is not profitable is a losing game. Again, this is a short-term situation. Growth that is neither profitable nor enduring is also a sign of short-sightedness and potential brand failure. Based on its recent reporting, where is Spotify headed?
