Is Marketing Dead?

Originally posted on RBM Blog

I really enjoyed reading “Is Marketing Dead?” and always love provocative titles that grab marketer’s attention.

My take is that marketing isn’t dead; quite frankly, it is the exact opposite. It is changing every day and never has been more vibrant.  What has died is the old school approach to sales and marketing. The top down, broadcast control, churn and burn model is crumbling all around us. And most companies are simply not structured to take advantage of this disruption.

Marketing is now the driving force behind a company’s business strategy. It can no longer be siloed in a department. And this means that brand has never been more important. Companies have lost control of dictating brands, but that has created a tremendous opportunity for brand to be co-created by employees and customers.

The future of marketing is simple to me. It is about being built for change. The best examples of this type of thinking are technology companies who have embraced agile software development and lean start-up approaches. That is why I say RBM is an agency that acts like a tech start-up.