Are we there yet?

Its budget time again.

The same conversations ensue,"what we really want do is fix all our marketing problems with less spend than last year and win consumers in a shorter time frame than our competitors,because they have got more budget than us, we know you can do it because you're more creative."

Its budget time again.

What is the first element that any marketing team need to understand more than anything else...., where are you today, like now?

Its ok because John's wife buys lots of bread, always shops in JJB or waitrose and Tina in accounts wouldn't have a week go by without her innocent smoothie fix or comparing the fat content in every own brand biscuit in Tesco's, before using facebook while reading Red.

Actually its not ok.

To be measured properly I want to know where you are now so we can get you to where you want to be. The best ideas in the world fail on budget , bad implementation and planning or the wrong strategy to achieve the objective.

Creative marketing is all about being able to generate the right path for a brand to follow, the speed of the return, cash, will be delivered back to brands only if they get their communication strategy in a straight line. Understanding brand positioning followed by all your agencies at the table to develop an over arching strategy that has one clear communication message, now thats creative.

As far as measurement is concerned good marketeers and agencies should have a defined time frame that each element of the mix will bring a return back to the business in cash and equity.

Understanding the power and function of creative for brand marketing teams would help us seperate daily or short term cash flow issues and real platforms to grow long term equity which the Marketing and Finance guru's can enjoy together.