In-depth commentary on creating sustainable growth.

2009 State of Marketing Study: The Shift [PDF]
By Prophet

Our 2009 study, conducted in partnership with the Association of National Advertisers, aimed to understand how marketers are shifting their roles from supporting business growth to being in the driver's seat and leading the growth agenda. Elevating marketing to a higher level requires both mindset and cultural shifts that start with, but are by no means limited to, marketing leadership. Our study uncovered that while marketers from all walks and at all levels understand the need to effect such shifts, they’re further away from its realization than they think. (November 2009)

Reputation Winners and Losers: Highlights from Prophet’s First Annual U.S. Reputation Study [PDF]
By Aneysha Pearce

Does your company have a strong reputation? If it happens to be one of the 130 companies included in Prophet’s U.S. study, you will now be able to find out. (November 2009)

The Importance of Brand Equity in Creating Firm Value [PDF]
By Roger Sinclair

Brand valuation has emerged from its introductory phase and is now on a steep growth slope.  This whitepaper focuses on the financial heart of brand valuation: isolation of the portion of “super profits” generated by the brand. It is argued that the brand is central to a firm’s ability to earn these profits and that it exerts an influence on the resources and capabilities that are directly responsible for a firm’s success. No other intangible has the same linear link between the market which is the source of a company’s revenues, and the wealth the company creates for its shareholders. (2002)

The Reputation Challenge: Building Corporate Reputation to Drive Business Performance [PDF]
By Aneysha Pearce

Corporate reputation must be built. It must be supported and managed. And, it must be an authentic reflection of the business — its culture, value system, and behaviors. Businesses that expect to experience the kinds of success achieved by best-practice organizations will understand that truth. And they will create and live the kind of meaningful purpose that will allow them, too, to more effectively reap the benefits of a strong reputation.

2008 Best Practices Study: The Making of World-Class Innovators [PDF]
By Prophet

Despite its promise as a primary source of organic business growth, capitalizing on innovation’s potential is an elusive goal for many businesses. Our 2008 Best Practices Study, developed in collaboration with Play, reveals how “model” innovators do it — with approaches that point the way toward better innovation success for others.

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.

Prophet's State of Marketing Survey [PDF]
By Prophet

Marketing's role in driving growth is threatened by the chasm between its need to influence the customer experience and its ability to do so. Leveraging the internal relationships necessary to impact the customer experience that drives business growth is a huge obstacle, with many marketers claiming no role whatsoever in shaping key customer touchpoints. This gap is one of the highlights of the new 2005 State of Marketing Survey sponsored by Prophet and conducted by IDG Research. (Summer 2005)

The Innovator's Prescription: The Relevance of Brand Relevance [PDF]
By David Aaker

A perspective on the importance of maintaining relevance with customers and strategies to help companies achieve that goal. (Strategy+Business, June 2004)

Brand Assimilation: Aligning Your Employees Around Your Brand [PDF]
By Prophet

Employees can make or break a customer's experience with your brand. Taking a strategic approach to brand assimilation will ensure that that your brand-building efforts create deep and lasting relationships with customers. (January 2002)

Operationalizing the Brand: 2002 Best Practices Study [PDF]
By Prophet

Prophet conducted a study among 90 global corporations to explore best practices in branding today. The study found that only a small majority (53%) has a long-term brand strategy in place, and of that number only 40% are "very" satisfied with it. (January 2002)

Brand-Customer Relationship: The Face of Your Business Strategy [PDF]
By Prophet

The days of brand building defined simply by awareness and driven by marketing alone are over. Prophet believes that brand is the essential underpinning to a holistic business strategy, requiring that the brand be managed at the highest levels within the organization. (January 2001)

The Brand Relationship Spectrum: The Key to the Brand Architecture Challenge
By David Aaker and Erich Joachimsthaler

This white paper introduces a powerful brand architecture tool, the "brand relationship spectrum" and addresses how companies can manage a portfolio of brand assets. (California Management Review, January 2000)