The Future of Marketing 

To mark our 50th anniversary, we asked the CEO’s of 50 world-class organisations to contribute to our new book, The Future of Marketing, produced in association with Accenture – and it makes fascinating reading for today’s ambitious marketer.

To people who work in marketing, its contribution to the growth and success of business is clear. However, marketing is not without its detractors, especially when times are tough. We asked the CEOs of 50 companies to answer one question: What role will marketing play in the future success of your business?

CEOs including Tesco’s Terry Leahy, Unilever’s Paul Polman, Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson and Camelot’s Diane Thompson are amongst the distinguished contributors lending us their wisdom and insight gained from the cutting edge of business. Despite their different viewpoints from the top, several common themes emerged and not one of them suggested that marketers should sit on the sidelines watching their organisations grow. Far from it - the opportunities for marketers to lead from the front was highlighted by many CEOs. According to Mark Hunter, CEO of Molson Coors, it is more of an obligation than an opportunity - and marketing, “needs to accept the opportunity to be the commercial heartbeat, breathing oxygen and energy into the business and ensuring that it is shaping the world of possibilities and the performance ambition…anything less is to fall short of the leadership obligation it has.”

There is also strong agreement amongst business leaders that the internet has empowered consumers and will continue to have a huge impact for years to come. As Google’s Nikesh Arora notes, “Thanks to the web, consumers today are more empowered and better informed, enabling them to become more discerning shoppers and to demand more from their relationships with brands.” While Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer points out that, “…today we’re witnessing the transition from analogue to almost entirely digital. Soon, all content will exist in digital form. While this change will transform every industry, the impact on advertising will be particularly dramatic.” Our contributors also agree that the increased power of the consumer means the marketer of the future must be increasingly smart and tech-savvy when it comes to convincing consumers to trust in their brand proposition. As Vodafone’s Vittorio Colao warns, “We are witnessing the arrival of the first generation of marketers to have spent their lives online, and older generations will survive only if they’re curious enough to embrace this new world.”

To the detractors of marketing, this book could be the antidote. With CEOs of visionary organisations such as H J Heinz, Friends of the Earth and Marks & Spencer all emphasising the importance of marketing to the achievements of their organisations, this book is a testament to how vital strong brands are to success – especially in turbulent times. Use the insights to your advantage.

The Future of Marketing is available from The Marketing Society for  £29.99 and from selected retailers.