Do you make these mistakes in marketing? Part 12 [ ] Letting your agency do your thinking for you. When all you hold in your hand is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Ad agencies are not capable of giving strategic advice about anything other than advertising. I’ve seen it time and again. They are consulted about a brand issue or marketing issue, and the solution is always a 30 second commercial.

[ ] Not capturing your corporate knowledge. Most organizations let their intellectual property walk out the door every night. Sometimes it doesn’t come back. Particularly if you are an ideas-based organization, you need to do the boring bits of recording projects and their results and building a corporate masterfile. Or you are like a leaky bucket.

[ ] Failing to turn over your marketing minds. It is not good for an organisation to allow the marketing director’s seat to be occupied by the same person for too long. I recently came across a case where the same guy had been in the job for 17 years. It’s not good for him – he is so busy defending the status quo (looking backwards) that he can’t move forward – and it’s obviously not good for the organization.  ¶ 10:29 AM