Marketing is too important to be left to marketing people

For only this one quote David Packard must receive the Nobel Prize in Economics, or, at least, forever must be in Management Hall of Fame. Forever. Period.

Too often General Managers are too busy with shareholders, unions, various meetings, production issues. Too little time General Managers are spending with marketing. Too much time for production problems, too little time for marketing opportunities.

I am always telling that General Manager has only two responsibilities: Marketing and to hire appropriate people for all other tasks.

Just two. Not any more.

You can’t delegate strategy

General Manager must be the head of marketing strategy, responsible of conducting all marketing tactics into one direction. It’s like the conductor of symphonic orchestra. He doesn’t care of every player or every instrument. He cares of sound of the entire orchestra.

This is exactly what a good strategist – and General Manager must be a good strategist – must do.

All issues are a lot easer, if you have a good strategy.

And strategy is too important to be left to marketing people.

You can’t delegate marketing research

If you are too busy with meetings, unions, production, you are lacking time to go out to the battlefield and to see the situation yourself.

Do you remember Sam Walton, the founder of Wall-Mart, who always counted on his own impressions directly from his stores? He routinely travelled to every store, speaking with all his employees. But not because he loved to speak. No. He loved to have direct, uncensored information about what is happening in his stores.

A good strategist never loses touch from the front lines – from places, where his products are selling. From the front lines, where battle with competition are taking place. From the front lines, where money are flowing.

Marketing research is too important to be left to marketing people. Marketing research is too important to be left to marketing research company.

Because good marketing is based on good marketing research.

You can’t delegate marketing

Today’s market battle is not the battle of products. It’s not the battle of unionisation or other union issues. It’s not the battle of committee meetings.

Today’s market battle is the battle of marketing, the battle of marketing strategies.

In todays business environment the winner is not the better product, not the better committee, not the better union, not the better meetings capabilities.

In today’s business environment the winner is the better perception of a product – the consequence of a better marketing strategy and the execution of this strategy.

If you are a General of an army, do you take care of transport, food, leaving planning and executing of the battle for your lieutenants?

So, why so often in businesses we see General Managers, CEOs delegating marketing function to lieutenants in marketing department?

Marketing is too important to be left to marketing people

After all, this is the quote, every General Manager must hang on a wall over his desk.

It is so true and so important, that for only this one quote David Packard must receive the Nobel Prize in Economics and forever must be in the Management Hall of Fame.

And every General Manager must act according to this rule. Or his company will be in trouble sooner or later.

Tags: David Packard, Nobel Prize, Economics, Management Hall of Fame, Marketing, General Manager, marketing strategy, Marketing research