I wish this was a joke. It’s not. This is what it’s like in the world of marketing agencies right now.

This is all that Shift Communications, Todd Defren had in response to this video.

I have to agree with him. There continues to be a disproportionate amount of emphasis put on deliverables and cutting costs, and not enough focus on goals, desired results and where to add value.

We need to refocus our business.

Marketing, when executed right, isn’t an expense. Marketing becomes an expense when it is poorly executed. And poorly executed marketing efforts often start with emphasis on the wrong things.

I’m not at all saying budget shouldn’t be included in your marketing plans. What I’m saying is that no matter what the current economic state of affairs looks like, we should always lead with the right foot, keeping goals at the forefront of the planning process.

This is good advice for both agencies and clients alike.

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This is something agencies have struggled with for a long time. How can we get away from this focus on deliverables and costs?