“Marketing is overwhelmed by complexity; and marketers’ predisposition toward creativity only complicates their job, their companies’ operations, and their own lives even more.”

These iconoclastic words come from Randall Rothenberg, director of intellectual capital for Booz Allen Hamilton, who maintains that the solution to today’s marketing ills is not more creativity—it’s less. His theory is backed by research at Booz Allen that found only four broad concepts, copied over and over, accounted for 80% of the breakout businesses created between 1965 and 1995: power retailing, megabranding, focus/simplify/standardize, and the value chain bypass. With that in mind, Rothenberg suggests the following “truths” should guide marketers:

1) Imitation across industries is more efficient and effective than blue-sky creativity and innovation.
2) The energy isn’t in the idea; it’s in the execution.
3) You must create true believers before you can win new converts— the most powerful marketing ideas create and reinforce faith in yourself and in your colleagues.
4) It’s your context that counts—the big idea doesn’t have to be a brand-new idea. Find a great idea that works in your business and use it to galvanize your team, create faith, and build a great marketing department.

Strategy + Business eNews Sep 2005