Marketers are out of touch

The recent State of Marketing survey, conducted by Brand Leadership and Markinor, clearly shows that most people fulfilling a marketing function in South Africa are simply out of touch with the key drivers of shareholder value.

By Thebe Ikalafeng

28 Mar 2007

It’s no surprise therefore, albeit extremely concerning, that most marketers are left out in the cold when it comes to board-level discussions on company strategy.

The profession appears to be in crisis given the serious ‘disconnect of insomnias’, which describes the differences in the issues that keep marketers and consumers awake at night. These include yawning disparities in expectations and delivery with regards to customer focus, innovation and human servicing.

Furthermore, just half of those surveyed reported satisfaction with the extent of their influence in revenue generation, business strategy, customer relationship management strategy and the brand.

Another enormous concern is the lack of qualified marketers. According to the survey, it’s not uncommon to find a financial director or receptionist fulfilling a marketing function, and more than 35% of the respondents expressed frustration with not having enough qualified personnel.

A further 90% said they would change jobs to have greater influence on company strategy, while an alarming 47% could not even name any marketer whom they believed to have ‘contributed to the success of their organisation.’

It’s time to sort out the profession and help marketers win back the respect they deserve from their peers.

About the author

Thebe Ikalafeng is the award-winning founder of Brand Leadership, founder of forum www.leadingbrands.org, a non-executive director of Mercantile Bank Holdings and Foodcorp, and a member of the Vega School of Brand Communications governing body. Thebe has advised many of southern Africa’s leading brands, and taught, inter alia, at Wits University and UNISA School of Business Leadership, on positioning, branding, identity and related matters.