Welcome the power of marketing Transformation issue Marketing has the power to transform organisations and results. Indeed, in some of the biggest transformations of business success, marketing plays – and must play – a pivotal role. That’s not always easy, however. We’ve all heard the quote, often attributed to Einstein, that ‘insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’. If you’ve visited CIM’s Moor Hall, you’ll have seen that quote on the wall. It’s a good reminder of how marketing should operate – and of the difference it can create. Of course, marketers often contend that there are many good reasons why repeating a course of action occurs, and why changing tack is difficult. Here are a few reasons that marketers will instantly recognise: lack of budget; lack of time; lack of resources; lack of buy-in across the organisation; lack of willpower to see it through. The trick is not to recognise that there is a problem, but to identify how possible solutions can be implemented. If you need more budget to transform the impact your marketing makes, how do you get it? If you need time, how do you find it? How do you create a strategy that supports your ideas – so that the plan you’ve backed doesn’t fall at the first hurdle? How do you get colleagues, and your customers, on side? If you want to gain different results, then marketing must be the clear voice of sanity that drives change. Understanding where marketing’s positive power lies is the first step to making it happen. Martin Bewick October 2018 See more at our Content Hub Follow us onTwitter Email us your suggestions for Catalyst cim.co.uk/exchange Contributors Alex Blyth writes about business for UK national newspapers such as The Times and The Guardian, as well as dozens of trade and business titles. He has written three bestselling books, and offers writing and training services to several of the UK’s leading companies. Cinta Vidal has been drawing since she was a child. She studied at Escola Massana in Barcelona and, at 16, began working as an apprentice, learning scenography and the backdrop trade. Cinta has gradually been heading into the world of painting as a freelancer. Her work features on our cover. Catherine Turner is a freelance journalist and editor, based in the UK. She specialises in media, marketing, advertising and digital industries, and has contributed to titles including Campaign, The Drum and Marketing Week, where she was also previously features editor. Andy Pemberton is director of Furthr, a leading UK data visualisation agency. Clients include the RNLI, the UN, Cisco, Saatchi & Saatchi, the European Commission and the Home Office. He regularly delivers Guardian masterclasses and writes a column for Campaign. He creates Catalyst’s infographic features.