Insights on Marketing:

The Ten Commandments for the Modern Marketer [PDF]
By Scott Davis

Recession, the rise of digital, and the emphasis on media neutrality are just some developments making new demands on marketers and changing marketing’s role in the company structure. In this Marketing Week article featuring Scott Davis, they discuss the ten best ideas for embracing this change and steering your brand for the future. (Marketing Week, October 15, 2009)

Ad Trends Signal Shift To Media Quality
By Fred Geyer

Recent advertising spending data has lessons that should make large and small advertisers distinctly uncomfortable, and beg the question: Do they understand their spending well enough to ensure they've shifted to the best vehicles for their business? (Marketing Daily, October 8, 2009)

Aggressive Recession Marketing: When Does It Make Sense? [PDF]
By David Aaker

In his inaugural column for Marketing News, David Aaker discusses when it pays to market aggressively during tough times. (Marketing News, August 30, 2009)

Shifting to a Customer-centric Focus [PDF]
By Scott Davis

Successful companies get it: they report to the customer. But how do you effect a shift away from an out-dated operational focus to one that truly puts the customer front and center? Scott Davis explains that it doesn’t require a re-organization so much as a mind-set shift (plus visionary leadership). (Moving Ahead (American Management Association), October 2009)

Why Marketing Does a Terrible Job of Marketing Itself
By Scott Davis

Scott Davis blogs about concepts from his latest book, The Shift, and discusses the shifts marketers must undergo to become Visionary Marketers. (Bullish On Books (CNBC), October 6, 2009)

Pressure Makes Diamonds - Driving & Measuring Marketing Impact
By Michael Dunn

The pressure on marketers increases in a downturn. Michael Dunn provides insights on what needs to be done to drive superior marketing investments. Doing analytical homework before starting a marketing campaign, talking the same internal language, and understanding relevant customer segments, are a few. It sounds like basic marketing, but is still a struggle for many marketers. *Please note this article is in German. (Handelszeitung, September 9, 2009)

Are Sponsorships the Black Hole in Your Marketing Mix? [PDF]
By Chiaki Nishino and Fred Geyer

This article outlines how marketers can escape the “black hole” of sponsorships and achieve immediate and sustainable results by combining impact analysis with a well-structured, strategic approach to sponsorship selection and management. (September 2009)

What do CFOs have that CMOs don’t?
By Francisco Pinedo and Scott Davis

We have to admit: as marketers we can be good at many things; but marketing ourselves is not one of them. Time and time again in the race to occupy the CEO seat, CFOs win. CFOs are increasingly becoming the CEO’s right hand, and we are watching the CMOs struggle to get a seat at the table. (utalkmarketing.com, August 2009)

Spanning Silos: Q&A with David Aaker [PDF]
By David Aaker

David Aaker sits down with Brillant Results to discuss concepts from his book, Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative.  (Brillant Results, August 2009)

Business Matters Video Podcast: Scott Davis [Webcast]
By Scott Davis

This 10-minute video podcast features an interview from the BMA Annual Conference with Scott Davis, author of The Shift: The Transformation of Today’s Marketers into Tomorrow’s Growth Drivers. (BMA, August 19, 2009)

Interview: Scott Davis on "The Shift" [Podcast]
By Scott Davis

Scott is interviewed by Brian Roger of The Customer Collective about concepts from "The Shift." (The Customer Collective, August 18, 2009)

Livewithjay.com podcast with Scott Davis [Podcast]
By Scott Davis

In this podcast, Scott discusses "The Shift," and his passion about the new role he would like to see chief marketers assume in today’s business landscape. (LivewithJay.com, July 22, 2009)

The Advertising Show: Focus on Marketing Accountability [Podcast]
By Michael Dunn

In this one-hour interview, Michael Dunn discusses concepts from his latest book, "The Marketing Accountability Imperative," and challenges the traditional thinking behind marketing accountability. (The Advertising Show, June 26, 2009)

Back to the Future [PDF]
By Roland Bernhard and Tobias Ammann

This article suggests a way forward for the Swiss financial market center and its international banks. It argues that while loosening the secrecy law will take away one USP and cause uncertainty among clients, it will be beneficial in the mid term. The opportunity lies in a key pillar of Swiss banking: integrity. By aligning business practices and behaviour to the desired brand identities, the Swiss banking brands are likely to recover and regain strength by delivering a relevant promise in a credible way. *Please note this article is in German. (Persönlich, May 2009)

A Memo to the CEO: Marketing Matters
By Michael Dunn

Michael Dunn recently spoke to Consulting about The Marketing Accountability Imperative. This interview reviews the book's tools, metrics, and anecdotes designed to help marketers navigate through this new landscape by proving ROI and communicating their mission and results more effectively with the executives in the corner offices.  (Consulting, June 2, 2009)

An Interview with Michael Dunn, author of The Marketing Accountability Imperative [Podcast]
By Michael Dunn

In this StrategyDriven podcast, Michael explores the challenges and solutions to creating alignment between an organization’s strategic and marketing plans and accountability to achieving predetermined marketing results. (StrategyDriven, May 14, 2009)

The Shift: The Transformation of Today’s Marketers Into Tomorrow’s Growth Leaders
By Scott Davis

Scott Davis' latest book outlines the five shifts marketers must undertake to fundamentally shift the role of marketing and help drive both the growth agenda and bottom-line results.

Michael Dunn discusses "The Marketing Accountability Imperative" [Podcast]
By Michael Dunn

In this Jossey-Bass sponsored podcast, Michael answers questions and outlines key concepts from his book. (Jossey-Bass podcast, March 2009)

Making Marketing Smarter Amidst the Cuts  [Webcast]
By Fred Geyer

In this economy, budget cuts may well be necessary to survive. In this Aquent-sponsored AMA webcast, Fred Geyer outlines how businesses can use their existing intelligence to address five tough questions and rigorously guide how best to reduce and reallocate their budgets in difficult times. (American Marketing Association webcast, March 19, 2009)

Waste not/want not - Helping Marketers Meet the Accountability Imperative [Webcast]
By Michael Dunn

This 60-minute webinar features Prophet Chairman and CEO, Michael Dunn, presenting concepts from his new book, The Marketing Accountability Imperative. (March 26, 2009)

Making Marketing Smarter Amidst the Cuts
By Michael Dunn

Michael Dunn blogs about concepts from his latest book, "The Marketing Accountability Imperative," and discusses five tough questions in guiding how best to reduce and reallocate budgets. (Jossey-Bass on Leadership, March 23, 2009)

The Marketing Accountability Imperative: Driving Superior Returns on Marketing Investments
By Michael Dunn

Michael Dunn's latest book helps marketing managers and CMOs make better marketing spending decisions and better evaluate the success or failure of these decisions.

Achieving Accountable Marketing: Six Critical Value Levers Must Be Pulled
By Michael Dunn

Accountable marketing performance is an achievable goal. By focusing on, and unlocking the power of the six critical value levers, the marketing organization will prove out its value to the business as a whole as the creative yet rational source of future growth. (Brandchannel, April 13, 2009)

Marketing and the Need to Span Silos [Podcast]
By David Aaker

David Aaker is interviewed on the The Engaging Brand blog, discussing key themes for "Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative." (The Engaging Brand Blog, November 2008)

Making Marketing Smarter Amidst the Cuts [PDF]
By Chiaki Nishino and Fred Geyer

The troubled economy is forcing corporate leaders to re-evaluate their spending plans across the board and marketing is not exempt. In fact, marketing is often first in line for cuts as corporate leaders attempt to identify immediate cost reductions that may take longer to achieve in other areas. (December 2008)

Tools for Profit [PDF]
By Michael Dunn and Roland Bernhard

This article outlines how CMOs can make better marketing spend decisions and evaluate the success or failure of their decisions. They argue that marketing effectiveness can be improved by following six key levers. *Please note, this article is in German. (Absatzwirtschaft, November 2008)

“Cart Before the Horse” Marketing? Neigh! [PDF]
By Fred Geyer

For all the great marketers and great marketing, we still see too many instances of what I call “cart before the horse” marketing. The cart, of course, is marketing tactics, while the horse is the need to meet critical customer needs. The result is strategies and initiatives that falter before the finish line.

David Aaker presents Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative [Webcast]
By David Aaker

In September, 2008, Prophet proudly sponsored the first-of-its-kind European CMO Summit, themed “The Future of Marketing.” In this video, David Aaker discusses his upcoming book, Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative.

Why our Automakers are Eating Competitors' Dust [PDF]
By Andrew Pierce

The U.S. automotive industry presents yet another cautionary tale of how myopic thinking can decimate, if not destroy, brand equity and financial performance, leaving an iconic sector of American business choking in competitors’ dust. (Marketing News, October 1, 2008)

Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative
By David Aaker

David Aaker’s latest book discusses the prominence of silos within organizations and the disruption it causes to marketing efforts and overall company survival. He argues it’s up to Chief Marketing Officers to break down silo walls to foster cooperation and synergy.

The Marketing Mix [PDF]
By Joseph Gelman

Joseph Gelman argues that the concept of bank branches is still alive, despite claims to the contrary. Banks should therefore take advantage of this situation to transmit the essence of their brand to clients at all points of interaction, particularly in light of the current cash crisis. (Strategic Marketing, July/August 2008)

Tough Times Increase Pressure To Meet the Marketing Effectiveness Imperative [PDF]
By Chiaki Nishino and Jay Milliken

Jay Milliken and Chiaki Nishino expose the notion of marketing effectiveness in times of recession, placing particular emphasis on Test and Learn.

Marketing Effectiveness in a Recession [PDF]
By Joseph Gelman

Joseph Gelman exposes the notion of Marketing Effectiveness in times of recession, placing particular emphasis on Test and Learn. *Please note, this article is in Spanish. (La Gaceta de los Negocios, July 18, 2008)

The Advertising Show: Focus on Marketing Effectiveness and Innovation [Podcast]
By Andrew Pierce

Andrew Pierce, Senior Partner, talks about innovation and marketing effectiveness in this segment from The Advertising Show. (The Advertising Show, June 6, 2008)

‘Quantilitative’ Research & Beyond: New Platforms for Customer Insights [PDF]
By Andrew Pierce

Web 2.0 is doing a lot more than simply facilitating exciting new ways to establish a brand’s relevance with customers. On the marketing science side, it’s driving an equally exciting morphing of methodologies and the ways we use them. In short, we’re seeing a redefinition of the capabilities in the traditional analytics toolbox. (Marketing News, March 1, 2008)

Test and Learn: Prove Relevance [PDF]
By Andrew Pierce

This article discusses the test-and-learn approach to marketing investment and how it helps build marketing credibility while providing a platform for continuous optimization of the overall marketing mix. (Marketing News, 12/15/2007)

Turning Green Into Gold [PDF]
By Andrew Pierce

In this article, Andrew argues that the question for most companies is not if they will take action to make their brands environmentally friendly, but when and the extent to which they will do so. He then discusses what it takes to successfully make green work as a business and brand builder. (Marketing News, October 1, 2007)

The CMO Challenge: Exiting the Comfort Zone [PDF]
By Michael Dunn

In this article, Michael Dunn argues that in order to be effective, marketers need to up their game, take on the new media, and be prepared to be adventurous, extending their influence over many of the critical business growth drivers. (Argent, September 2007)

Don't Be Afraid to Plunge Into Emerging Media [PDF]
By Scott Davis

Color today’s marketers dazed and confused. It’s an understandable reaction to an environment that has become almost impossibly complex, making it difficult for them to figure out where to start (or much less how to go about) meeting management’s escalating demands for demonstrable returns. (AdAge, July 23, 2007)

Prophet's State of Marketing Study: "The Effectiveness Imperative" [PDF]
By Prophet

Marketers continue to face an uphill battle when it comes to creating an effective marketing organization that demonstrably drives the business. Increasingly, senior management looks to marketing to enable, if not drive, short- and long-term business growth. Yet marketers typically don’t see themselves at the wheel for this particular journey. This gap is one of the highlights of our 2006/2007 State of Marketing Survey.

The Seven Surmountable Hurdles to Marketing Effectiveness [PDF]
By Andrew Pierce

One of the most pressing challenges marketers face today is finding the balance between the art and science of marketing to create strategies and programs that meet measurable business objectives. It’s called marketing effectiveness, and achieving it is doable – once some surmountable barriers are overcome. (MarketingProfs, April 17, 2007)

Only The Strongest CMOs Will Survive [PDF]
By Scott Davis

In this article, Scott discusses the challenges being faced by Senior Marketers and four key mandates they should address on the path toward becoming empowered CMOs. (Advertising Age, January 2007)

How to Get an Ethical Advantage [PDF]
By Prophet

In this article, we discuss three strategies to help companies integrate corporate social responsibility with brand-building efforts. (Brand Strategy, December 2006/January 2007)

Evaluating Marketing Mix Tradeoffs: A Case Study of UnitedHealthcare [Webcast]
By Andrew Pierce

This webcast features Andy Pierce, Senior Partner, and Chris Gibson, CMO of UnitedHealthcare. The seminar discusses Prophet's work with UnitedHealthcare in assessing the effectiveness of their marketing communications efforts and identifying the link between spending on brand building, brand awareness, and member enrollment. (MarketingProfs, October 2006)

Power Switch [PDF]
By Michael Dunn

In many of today's leading organizations, marketing is front and center in driving solid business performance - based on a heightened understanding of and responsiveness to the customer.  Leading the charge are empowered chief marketing officers, who have developed a more expansive influence, range of responsibilities, and view of marketing's capabilities in the broader business scheme. (Marketing Management, September/October 2006)

CEOs, Expand Your Definition of "CMO" [PDF]
By Scott Davis

A recent survey of marketing executives found only 30% want to be a chief marketing officer. Small wonder, then, that CMO longevity is what it is: exceedingly short. How to make the CMO's job more attractive and, perhaps, stretch the tenure out? Read on. (Point, September 2006)

New Challenges to Marketing's Mandates [PDF]
By Scott Davis

In this article, Scott discusses the need for marketers to take a broader view of their role if they are to contribute successfully to business growth.  This includes thoughts around owning the customer experience, successfully using new technologies, and blending business, brand, and marketing strategies. (Admap, June 2006)

Don't Burn Your Brand Equity [PDF]
By Prophet

Brand equity is part of the purchase price of a company.  Prior to, or shortly after senior executives buy a company or merge two or more existing companies, they must decide which brands to keep and which ones to dissolve. Using examples from UBS and BP, this article highlights key questions on brand strategy and how to answer them successfully. *Please note this PDF is in German. (Finance, July 2006)

Align Management as Basis for Change [PDF]
By Scott Davis

It is important to create a brand-centric culture that's open to and encourages change, where management is aligned on everyone's role in fostering that environment, and where the basis for moving forward is a shared vision of and commitment to the best of what the brand stands for. (Point, May 2006)

The Role of Marketing and Brand in Driving Growth [PDF]
By Scott Davis

Citing results from our State of Marketing survey, this webcast given by Scott Davis looks at the definition of growth within organizations and highlights inconsistencies in the way it is defined by chief executive officers, chief marketing officers, and other executives. Learn techniques you can use to identify opportunities for brand-driven and marketing-driven growth, and find out how to align your organization by creating synergies between business, brand, and marketing strategies. Finally, we provide a summary of findings and best practices that can help your organization close the growth gap. (Microsoft Executive Circle, April 2006)

Interesting Bedfellows - Why a Teaming of HR and Marketing Makes Sense
By Jeff Smith

Companies are increasingly realizing that for brand and business strategies to be aligned, the brand can no longer be driven solely by the activities of the marketing department. Delivering against the promises of a brand strategy requires every level of the organization to live the brand. (AMAnet.org, April 2006)

Sidestep the Message as Medium Trap [PDF]
By Scott Davis

Technology has made it possible, through advanced research and information gathering techniques, to forge a deeper understanding of what matters most to customers. (Point, April 2006)

Marketers Challenged to Respond to the Changing Nature of Brand Building [PDF]
By Scott Davis

Better-informed consumers are changing the nature of the customer-brand relationship as well as the nature of branding building. As the importance of non-marketing touchpoints such as customer service and the actual in-store experience continues to increase, marketing is challenged to step beyond its traditional role to prove its value in generating business growth. (JAR, January 2006)

Marketers, Heal Thyselves: Rx to Help the CMO Lifespan [PDF]
By Scott Davis

Marketers aiming to better position themselves and the marketing function to add real value to the organization have their work cut out for them. A new year makes the timing right to recap three of the most critical prescriptions for change. (Point, December 2005)

How Marketing Can Support the Innovation Imperative [PDF]
By Mike Leiser

Innovation is a major hot button with businesses these days, given its critical role in driving organic business growth. As one survey of 940 senior managers found, all considered growing revenues through innovation as critical to success. Yet more than half were unhappy with their innovation investment returns. (Admap, November 2005)

CMO News Roundup Featuring David Aaker [Podcast]
By David Aaker

In this podcast hosted by CMO magazine, David A. Aaker, Vice Chairman of Prophet, Tom Simons, President of Partners & Simons, and Lulu Raghavan, Senior Brand Strategist at Landor Associates talk about marketing in tough economic times, the push for influence in print, and the selling of the U.S. Army. (CMO Magazine, October 13, 2005)

Mining Customer Data: Leveraging Customer Insights for Brand-Driven Growth [PDF]
By Andrew Pierce

In this second webcast of a three-part series ("Using Brands to Drive Growth") originally presented to members of the American Marketing Association, Andrew Pierce discusses the different forms (and benefits) of segmentation designed to answer different questions for marketers (Which consumers do I target? vs. Which consumers can I reach?). Segmentation methods are getting more sophisticated — it is vital that marketers use the right methods for the right reasons. To listen to the audio version, play the on-demand webcast.
(American Marketing Association, October 2005)

Chief Marketing Officer: Strategy Dynamo or Creative Dreamer? [PDF]
By Prophet

An organization's senior-most marketing executives can position themselves to better serve as the missing link in the executive team — between marketing's capabilities and corporate growth. (CEO, September 2005)

Innovation: Moving Marketing's Capabilities, Insights Front and Center [PDF]
By Scott Davis

There is a growing need for businesses, and particularly their marketing leadership, to look differently at what constitutes innovation, and create a culture that fosters and rewards it. (Point, September 2005)

The United Nations in Crisis: Negative Perceptions Call for Savvy Marketing to Rebuild its Brand [PDF]
By Prophet

The UN is in a brand crisis. The damage to its reputation is significant, but if the organization is committed to making some significant changes, it's not too late to change course and correct it's tainted image. (Brandchannel.com, August 2005)

Going Against Merging Goliaths Not So Gargantuan a Challenge [PDF]
By Scott Davis

With the recent increase in merger and acquisition activity, this article discusses how marketers in non-merging companies should use this time to reevaluate their strategies to gain competitive advantage. (Point, April 2005)

Marketing Investment Planning - B2B Catches Up [PDF]
By Prophet

From financial services to pharma to energy, B2B companies are embracing marketing. With intense competitive pressures, they have to identify sources of profitable growth, promise a better solution to customers, and ensure efficient and effective delivery on that promise. (Market Leader, Spring 2005)

A Marriage Overdue: Marketing Meets Technology [PDF]
By Scott Davis

No marketing imperative today can be met without without the capabilities and insights of the provided by the organization's technologists. Marketing and IT need to bridge operational gaps to create a less executional and more strategic partnership. (Point, March 2005)

How CMOs Can Earn a Seat at the Strategy Table [PDF]
By Scott Davis

With all the talk of the emerging role of the star CMO as a high-level strategic thinker, this article discusses what separates strategic CMOs from tactical CMOs, long-time CMOs to short-timers, and what gets the CMO a seat at the strategy table. (Point/Advertising Age, November 2004)

Achieving Marketing ROI in Our Lifetime [PDF]
By Prophet

A point of view on the importance of understanding what drives the financial aspects of a business in order to measure marketing ROI. (2005 Handbook of Business Strategy, October 2004)

Make Your Mark [PDF]
By Jeff Smith

Given the ever increasing scrutiny of marketing spending, this article discusses various approaches for measuring effectiveness of sponsorships. (The Marketer, October 2004)

Struggling To Find a Voice [PDF]
By Prophet

A discussion of the key observations form a survey of Financial Services Forum members on value and its role in marketing strategy. (Argent, August 2004)

Three Strategies for Integrating CSR with Brand Marketing [PDF]
By Prophet

Increasingly, companies are putting a public face on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity. The authors describe three different approaches for incorporating CSR activities with marketing activities. (Market Leader, Summer 2004)

Brand Metrics: Gauging and Linking Brand with Business Performance [PDF]
By Prophet

A discussion of the essential components of a brand metrics program, how it can and should be linked to business performance, and how one technology company used brand metrics to help it adjust its brand and business strategy. (Brand Management, May 2004)

Beyond Advertising [PDF]
By Prophet

a perspective on reaching your customers in unique ways. (National Hotel Executive, January 2003)