A Marketing Consultant Battles an Academic

Source: The Marcus Perspective

Marketing expert Bruce Marcus says about academics: “With obvious exceptions, they are astigmatic observers of processes they rarely understand, except on an abstract theoretical level. And again, with exceptions, they have rarely had bottom line responsibility.” And some of these people are engaged by CPA firms as consultants.

A recent article in Advertising Age says chief marketing officers have no impact on revenue. Marcus says it is not true. The study was done by academics, and this condemns the study from the start. Marcus says the study did not consider marketing’s effect on direct sales, and does not distinguish between products and services. He also says Professor Philip Kotler does not understand the distinction between products and services.

Here is the opening paragraph of Marcus’s review of MARKETING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, by Kotler as well as Thomas Hayes and Paul N. Bloom: “The difficulty I face in writing this review is that the authors acknowledge ‘the ideas offered by…Bruce Marcus’ – and I must disavow any contribution they perceive I may have made. This disclaimer is necessary because I think this book so substantially misunderstands its subject as to be virtually useless to any professional, or professional marketer, and I don’t want my name associated with it.”

Click here for a “gloves off” debate between Marcus and Kotler, about Kotler’s book as well as the differences between product and services marketing. We have rarely seen such a candid, vituperative exchange couched in courteous language.

From The Marcus Perspective, a contrarian’s view of professional services marketing and management, August 2, 2007. For the complete article click here, then select the August 2007 archive to read the article Academia Strikes Again and Misses.