The dangers of death‐wish marketing

Abstract

Marketing practices are generally unhealthy. Reports of marketing success are wildly and widely exaggerated. Indeed, marketing efforts and practices rarely succeed if one defines success as demonstrating a reasonable return on investment. For example, 16,000 new package goods were introduced into American supermarkets and pharmacies last year, and 80 percent failed. Research suggests similar failure rates for new movies; financial products and services; and consumer durables, including automobiles, appliances and consumer electronics. One CEO of a major company admitted last year: “We would have made more money if we had taken everything we spent creating and introducing new products in the last ten years and put it into certificates of deposit.”

Citation

Clancy, K.J. (1992), "The dangers of death‐wish marketing", Planning Review, Vol. 20 No. 5, pp. 53-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb054383