What role do you see marketing playing in the future success of your company?

This was a question the Marketing Society posed to 50 CEOs of some of the world's most successful businesses.

The book The Future of Marketing is a collection of their answers. CEOs from industries such as fast moving consumer goods (fmcg), telecoms, fashion and retail; the insights come from companies such as HJ Heinz, Friends of the Earth and Google. AG Lafley of P&G, Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, Richard Branson of Virgin, Charles Dunstone of Carphone Warehouse and Sir Terry Leahy of Tesco are just some of the inspirational thought leaders featured in the book which includes Sir Martin Sorrell the CEO of WPP, Grey's parent company.

Take a peak through the book here.


This book would make a great coffee table book for brain storming rooms. It is a tad dated at this point as it was released in 2009 but the insights from the 50 CEO's will remain valuable. The critical message for marketers is to always remember that the consumer is king. With the advancement of social media, they continue to gain more and more power and a companies success will continue to be hinged on the reputation that is created and fostered.

‘Customers now have access to multiple channels, empowering them with knowledge and allowing them to exercise unprecedented levels of choice about how and with whom they do business’ says Vittorio Colao of Vodafone.