Comments on Jessie Paul on No Money Marketing: When does marketing get a seat on the Board?

Some may feel squeamish about eating it, but rabbi...

2010-03-05T10:08:20.208+05:30

Some may feel squeamish about eating it, but rabbit has a fan base that grows as cooks discover how easy they are to raise — and how good the meat tastes.

nice blog... I think marketing also comes in hand...

2009-12-02T15:48:50.409+05:30

nice blog...

I think marketing also comes in handy when your core products start getting disgruntled by media, comes under the eye of the activists or when your brand is under fire. This doesnt mean your product is outdated..
we can recall the pepsi, coca cola, cadbury debacle..
these are the times when marketing takes the front seat.

Most of my experience has been B2B, so I can only ...

2009-09-16T22:12:44.432+05:30

Most of my experience has been B2B, so I can only comment on that arena.

The function of marketing is very broad; which, for this argument, is a huge detriment. If marketing was seen as “Product Management with P&L responsibility”, and all other marketing functions were responsible to the Product Managers, you would have a better argument for attaining that “seat”.

But I have never seen that scenario.

Additionally, for FMCG (as in probable commodity p...

2009-08-06T17:09:20.084+05:30

Additionally, for FMCG (as in probable commodity play), Marketing (CMO) shall secure a seat on the board when the innovation in marketing by itself becomes a significant portion of the product enabling "Experience Economy" for the company.

Paul: Wonder if it's causal - the company goes int...

2009-08-06T15:49:12.173+05:30

Paul: Wonder if it's causal - the company goes into decline BECAUSE marketing doesn't have a seat at the strategy table!

Sukumar: If we are talking of very customized solutions then, yes, the front-end person is basically marketing & innovation rolled into one. But if we are talking standardized offerings, then marketing should pull the customer in. Also, as social media makes it ever easier for customers to connect with producers, the need for the mid-layer to explain or craft solutions might reduce.

Reached your blog through twitter, nice post.... ...

2009-08-06T15:02:51.132+05:30

Reached your blog through twitter, nice post....

My take on this-

Marketing in Indian IT services is a lot less into product management. Invariably the offering of a IT service company is so customized and complex that the Product Management is almost ignored (as in not enough attention bestowed on it, as it should).

For marketing in any organization the baby is always the product and until the marketing takes ownership of it, it would not get its due place in the structure.

Jessie, Insightful and thought provoking post. I c...

2009-08-06T14:55:09.408+05:30

Jessie,
Insightful and thought provoking post. I can think of atleast 1 more parameter - how much effort is required by the company to make a sale?

To take your FMCG example, these are companies where the products are sold through channels and not directly by salespeople. In this kind of companies, marketing becomes crucial because it is only those companies that manage to create a sticky brand in the minds of the buyers will make the sale at the point of purchase.

Whereas, in IT services companies like yours or mine, the sales cycles are long, the sale is accomplished by an experienced sales team which works with the customer to sell the service. In these kinds of companies, marketing's role is more in getting the company to the buyer's table, but the actual sale is in the hands of the salespeople. [ i am using salespeople in the general. of course, we know that we have experienced consultants on the front end to make the sale].

If you agree with this parameter, it seems that it is going to be very difficult for marketing to get on the board of B2B companies which typically have long sales cycles.

Hope that helps.

I also saw your tweet. Marketing gets a seat on t...

2009-08-06T14:54:19.684+05:30

I also saw your tweet.

Marketing gets a seat on the board during any fast growth phase, and during a turnaround.

The founder may be the CMO but that still means marketing has a seat.

I'm with you and Peter Drucker "the business enterprise has two - and only two - basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs"

So when does marketing not get a seat on the board? Just before the firm enters decline.

http://twitter.com/paulzag

Apple Inc., is yet another good example for the la...

2009-08-05T23:07:37.188+05:30

Apple Inc., is yet another good example for the last two.

twitter.com/kdots