The whole way GM handles marketing would be fascinating in an academic way if it weren’t for the fact that you, me, and everyone else who pays taxes is going to suffer because of it.
If you want to weep over your own dollars, just read the AdAge interview with Mike Jackson, former GM VP of marketing and advertising talking about the internal culture and the way GM treats its agencies as vendors, not partners, and the countless levels of approval it puts work through.
Even sadder is that I’ve had relationships just like that with clients far smaller than
Mike Jackson, former GM vp
GM. It’s a sickness that manages to propagate itself generation after generation. Where does it come from? I mean, is this stuff taught in business school?
On the other hand, the clients we continue to seek out and work with are capable of a wholly different kind of relationship, one based on common purpose, collaborative problem solving, and a belief that creativity has a place in the conference room, as well as the board room.
I suppose you can grossly divide the business world, no matter which industries or disciplines we’re talking about, into two kinds of people: those driven by fear, and those driven by aspiration.
Thank heavens there are just enough of the latter to make this business incredibly satisfying – most of the time.
As for GM’s chances of changing its ways, read the comments under the article for some far more informed opinions than mine. It doesn’t look good, though – for them or us.
- Doug
Not taught in B-school, Doug. At least not the one I attended. I believe simply a matter of fear, as you stated. But not just fear of failure. Fear of success as well. Maintaining the status quo used to be a sure-fire way to job security. Not anymore!