Why marketers must replace ROI with long-term brand investment

Sean Hargrave

Marketing and advertising are always at the front of the line for budget cuts, but if their true worth for building strong brands was recognised that money could be better protected.

Marketing’s Achilles heel is that it is far too easily viewed as a cost, rather than an investment. This means when financial restraint is called for, it can be one of the first budgets to be cut, because it has an immediate impact.

To put marketing in a better position the whole industry needs to work on showing the C-suite that it is an investment in the health of a brand, and so cutting budget is not without repercussions. Marketers must show that, just as with cutting any other stream of investment, reducing their budget will have an impact for...

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