An article in a recent issue of Advertising Age quotes Glenn Murphy, CEO of Gap Inc. as saying he was “disappointed” with marketing efforts for Old Navy, the company’s largest brand.
Later on in the article, Groupon’s CEO was quoted as saying, “…you can’t rely on anyone else to control and maintain your own brand.” This comment was in reference to the Tibetan ads that ran during the most recent Superbowl and the notion that he had placed too much trust in the agency who created the ads.
Never mind that the oft lauded “Agency of the Year,” CP&B is the creative force behind both campaigns, because several other agencies were named in the article as the reason for the lackluster performance of their marketing efforts. And, guess who’s pointing the finger? In most cases, it’s the CMO. Anwd for good reason.
The CMO is in charge of making sure that money spent on marketing yields a return of some sort. And when s/he hires an agency to create advertising, s/he do so on the notion that there will be a return on the investment. Quite often, however, such is not the case. So, when an ad campaign fails to deliver results, who is ultimately responsible? The CMO or the agency?
It’s both and at the same time neither. Because a company’s success doesn’t rest on the shoulders of the marketer. Rather, it’s the CEO who is ultimately responsible.
When it comes to advertising, there are three main things it can accomplish:
- Raise Awareness
- Generate Interest
- Encourage Trial
Meanwhile, there are two things advertising cannot accomplish, especially if the customer experience and word of mouth regarding the thing being advertised are predominately negative:
- Make up for a poor customer experience
- Make a lack-luster product or service better
Unfortunately, these two items are beyond the control of any CMO or the agency they trust to create effective advertising solutions. They are the responsibility of the head of the company.
As leaders, it is important that to be certain we are leading our companies in the right direction. Because if we’re off, everyone will feel it, from upper management to the agencies they hire to the front lines where brand meets customer.
