From Good to Great

Where are the marketers' pain points? That was the central question for Canon when the technology provider turned to the renowned market research company CIM in London. As part of the transformation of the technology group into a more and more service-based company, Canon set up the Consultancy Services business unit in 2010. In future, this unit will provide C-level management consultancy services and thus compensate for the loss of the printing and copying business in the long term. The commission for the study is not entirely altruistic, but the results are as interesting as they are surprising for all marketers.

The qualitative part of the study consists of 25 in-depth interviews conducted in April of this year with international managers from the fields of marketing, brand and communication management. They include brands such as AON, BMW, BP, Siemens, Vodafone and Zurich. The project team summarized the statements of the key contributors in seven topic areas. These already reveal the pain points mentioned at the beginning: "Strength does not protect against malfunction", "Cost control has become a way of life", "Technology is not the answer, but part of it", "Problem solving and value creation require a holistic approach", "The changing digital landscape harbors risks and opportunities", "Measurability is important, but difficult to implement", "Best practice: highly valued, but hardly used".

High Swiss participation

Based on these insights, an online questionnaire was developed, which forms the quantitative part of the survey. Between June and July, around 200 high-level marketers answered the sometimes challenging questions. "Around 20 companies from Switzerland took part in the study, which is a large proportion in Europe," says Daniel Brüngger, Consultancy Services Manager at Canon Switzerland. "Doing more, with less" developed into a veritable mantra over the course of the study. This is the central question across all areas of marketing: how can I generate greater efficiency with less investment? Even if, as Daniel Brüngger himself admits, we already suspected where the pain points were, the qualitative analysis is still surprising. One example: Only just 10 percent of all organizations surveyed stated that they also regularly measure the impact of various communication channels within a campaign. While the success of traditional advertising cannot be optimally tracked with today's tools, the responses via social media are easy to retrieve. "People will invest more and more in the measurability of marketing measures," Brüngger is convinced.

Finance versus marketing

Another result of the study: less than 10 percent of organizations confirmed a collaboration between marketing and finance. In other words: Anyone who has the head of finance as an enemy has a constant sword of Damocles hanging over their budget. And another figure that makes you sit up and take notice: Only just 15 percent of those surveyed present their marketing efficiency to top management. Overall, the study reveals potential for improvement in many areas. According to Brüngger, this is at a high level. Accordingly, the aim is to complete a transformation from "good to great". This also includes dealing with technology. Brüngger: "Marketing is becoming more and more technological." It therefore makes sense for marketers to familiarize themselves with the possibilities in this area and for technology providers to know what companies want and need. "The best example is Steve Jobs. He managed to merge marketing and technology," says Daniel Brüngger. However, the study results are only part of the story. This is why Canon also recruits a panel of experts to discuss the findings of the study with the participants from different perspectives at the presentation of the results in the various countries. Brüngger calls this round the "so-what session": What do the results mean for the marketers present and their companies? For the Swiss presentation on November 2 (see box), the Consultancy Manager was able to secure the following panel speakers: Stéphane Bloch, Vice President Chocolat Camille Bloch SA and founder and owner of the EthiQ agency, Peter Felser, BSW President and Chairman of the Board Spillmann/ Felser/Leo Burnett, Erich Papke, Managing Director BMW (Schweiz) AG, Sandro C. Principe, Head of Strategic Marketing and Business Development Swiss Post Solutions, Thomas Schwetje, Head of Marketing/Services, Coop Switzerland, and Martin Wetzel, Head of Marketing and Communication, Schindler AG. Says Brüngger: "Peter Felser represents the entire creative and agency side, while Thomas Schwetje, as head of one of Switzerland's largest marketing budgets, can take on the perspective of a high spender. Erich Papke, for his part, has a different perspective, as he has to take into account corporate guidelines from Munich and implement them in Switzerland with local agencies. Sandro Principe, on the other hand, represents a business sector that develops new marketing solutions in the printed sector, while Thomas Wetzel represents a Swiss group that is primarily active abroad. And Stéphane Bloch not only represents a traditional Swiss company, but also an agency that is committed to sustainability in marketing." The 90-page study will be available in mid-November. It will then also provide a country-specific view of the results. Simone Fankhauser Managing Director and Head of Strategy/Consulting.