One would think that in a marketplace that is being buffeted by the nastiest economic downturn in years and by a shift in customers’ attitudes from passive respondents to becoming active, empowered participants, that companies would step up their marketing, backed up by strong customer service. Yet there is unfortunately evidence to the contrary. And companies that fail to get the word out and do not deliver effective service risk failing, period.
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The most amazing statement I have heard in my career — and I am hearing it frequently these days is — we are waiting for sales to pick up so we can start marketing, wrote TMC Group Publisher Rich Tehrani in his blog. This is the equivalent of going to the fireplace and telling it you are waiting for it to produce heat before you put a log in. This is obviously lunacy… Marketing to your potential customers is what allows your sales to begin with. You can’t increase sales without increased PR and/or marketing.
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Alas a new report by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council reveals that a majority of senior marketers admit their companies are failing to take decisive, company-wide action to integrate customer voice and experience into key business and marketing processes.
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The study, Giving Customer Voice More Volume, reported that 56 percent of over 400 executives surveyed said their companies have no programs in place to track or propagate positive word of mouth among customers. In addition, only 30 percent said their companies rate highly in their ability handle and resolve customer problems or complaints. A surprising 59 percent of said their firms do not compensate employees or executives based on customer loyalty, satisfaction improvements or analytics.
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The report, sponsored by Satmetrix, also revealed that two-thirds of companies do not have ‘voice of customer programs in place…