One of the world’s leading academic authorities on marketing strategy and the author of more than 40 best selling marketing books, Professor Malcolm McDonald, is set to visit the Isle of Man in May to present a controversial marketing lecture to the Island’s business leaders.Professor McDonald will give an evening lecture, organised by the Isle of Man branch of The Chartered Institute of Marketing, the world’s leading professional body for marketers, in conjuntion with local marketing agency Home Strategic, on Thursday 20 May at the Manx Museum, Douglas.
Professor McDonald will address leaders of the business community from both the private and public sector with a controversial presentation that will examine the role of marketing as it is viewed from a boardroom perspective.
By citing a recent Deloitte report, Professor McDonald will propose that marketing as a discipline is at an all time low, caused by marketing's lack of accountability as a business function and its failure to understand the language and needs of those who are responsible to the shareholders i.e. the directors.
Having researched the role of marketing in the boardroom for eight years at Cranfield University School of Management, Professor McDonald will share with delegates the 10 most crucial questions he believes directors should be asking their senior marketing colleagues. More importantly, he will also share with delegates the answers they should be giving!
Professor McDonald said: “If they can't give coherent and justified answers to these questions, they should seriously consider whether they are in the right job!”
Currently Emeritus Professor at the Cranfield University School of Management, Professor McDonald has been a consultant to many major companies across the world. He is also Chairman of six companies and works with the operating boards of some of the world’s leading multinationals across all continents and has written over 40 books including the best-selling “Marketing Plans: How to prepare them, how to use them”.
The Institute’s local chair, Cathy Cowin is delighted to be welcoming back such an inspirational speaker to the Island. She said: “We are very privileged to have Professor McDonald with us again and I see this topic as a serious attempt on the part of the Institute to address the substantial gap that exists between the actual practice of marketing in the first decade of the 21st century and what is increasingly being demanded in boardrooms around the world.”
