Many marketing managers in organizations will not fully admit it, but deep down they will agree that marketing management in business organizations is one of the loneliest roles in corporate management.
It is the only role in management where the output itself is exposed and visible to everyone. Furthermore, everyone has an opinion on the quality of the work and what needs to be done: CFOs pore over Excel spreadsheets, legal counsels check every word in every contract and letter, trade personnel conduct exhausting negotiations with suppliers and customers, and everyone has the time, motivation, and desire to examine the marketing work, ranging from a large, flashy television and digital campaign to a local flyer.
The answer to the question "why?" is self-evident. This is one of the most glamorous roles. Working with advertising agencies, public relations, influencer agents, studios, and promotional products – everything looks fun, happy, colorful, and vibrant. Few understand that beneath the surface this is exceptionally grueling work that combines reviewing reports, taking risks, shifting budgets, production considerations, choosing messaging, management and board approvals, endless briefs, and synthesizing campaigns. All of this takes place within an Israeli reality where we do not know when or in what condition we will wake up, and above all – in what status we will finish the day and go to bed.
Beyond all this, there is the endless struggle that takes place almost every day inside marketing departments, with suppliers, with employees, and above all – with the CEO and management over the question of the brand and what is more important: Its image or sales reports? Broadly speaking, this is the "show me the money NOW" syndrome.
The brand does not live thanks to the transaction that occurred today
Due to a lack of understanding by other managers in the organization, the prevailing assumption is that the entire advertising budget, especially in the digital era, is supposed to be invested in sales and show rapid, consistent, and clear growth: I invested a shekel, I earned five. All in all, it makes sense – it is very easy to fall in love with numbers, to check the amount of leads, clicks, sales, ROI, ROAS, and other English acronyms. Everyone is happy, the numbers are rising, the month was good.
And this is precisely where the danger lies. Sales, with all due respect (and there is a lot of respect), cannot exist without long-term branding activity over the years, under a clear strategy and one that connects us all to the brand, its values, and the world in which it lives.
Many good people have said this before, and it is almost too convenient and easy to fall into the cliché of the "global (and local) advertising budget of Coca-Cola or Adidas." But in reality, they are doing something right by continuing to support marketing, advertising, and communication activities that touch only on brand image. As evidence, the brands are successful and desirable, customers and consumers are excited by activities and launches, and sales follow accordingly.
We must remember that the brand does not live thanks to the transaction that occurred today. Its lifecycle began long before entering the store or website. Its image is actually the stable ground upon which the sale takes place.
When a brand has a strong, clear, familiar, and positive image, we do not start from zero. Our customer already knows the name, holds a solid opinion about it, and even arrives with a certain measure of trust. In such a state, the marketing is already doing some of the work before the sale has even begun.
Conversely, a brand that concentrates only on the "buy now" tactic, and places all its bets on promotions, discounts, and immediate sales, may discover that it succeeds in selling, but – and this is a big "but" – fails to generate value.
The downward path is clear, known, and painful
We must remember not to fall into the trap: There is a sales achievement, but there is also a brand asset. If we do not invest in building the brand and its image, sales will succeed for a certain period, but over time (and this time is short) we will feel a decline, and another one, and we will launch another promotion, and grant another benefit, until we sell at a loss. From there, the path downward is clear, known, and painful.
In a crazy country like Israel, where reality-altering events can occur every day, advertisers do not have much patience for long-term moves. But it is important to remember that we do not choose only image or only sales; rather, we build a mix with a logical and correct ratio between the two. Do not give up. It will pay off for you in the end. For you, for your professional prestige, and of course – for the organization as well.
Sharon Shapira is the owner of a strategy and marketing agency