How to Innovate in Marketing (Collection), 2/e

5. The “C” Word

Up to this point, I have made a few references to the “C” word, Culture, but I have not yet explained why it’s so important. During the more than 20 years that I have developed marketing and business strategies, I’ve noticed something quite interesting: A company could develop the best kick-butt strategy to win in the market—and still fail to realize the potential of what was possible. What kept a company from achieving what it was clearly capable of? Some people might say “execution,” but if you dig deeper, you have to ask, “What keeps a business from executing?”

The answer is culture. A company that has no soul, no sense of purpose, no passion for serving customers, and no desire to foster happiness and trust among employees ...