Marketing textbooks often portray the chief marketer as the master of the 4Ps (product, price, place and promotion), controlling all levers of the marketing mix. However, recent research suggests that few companies give marketing a Growth Champion role with line authority over virtually all marketing decisions. For most of today’s organisations, marketing’s role is narrower, focusing primarily on communications (as MarCom Leaders) or even just providing support to other functions (Service Providers). This raises a critical question: How can marketing drive growth and champion the consumer when it doesn’t control all 4Ps? Using insights from in-depth interviews with 16 senior marketing executives from consumer goods and electronics companies, we take a closer look at this challenge and identify four key themes that show how marketers can excel when direct authority is limited. Together, these Marketing textbooks often portray the chief marketer as the master of the 4Ps (product, price, place and promotion), controlling all levers of the marketing mix. However, recent research suggests that few companies give marketing a Growth Champion role with line authority over virtually all marketing decisions. For most of today’s organisations, marketing’s role is narrower, focusing primarily on communications (as MarCom Leaders) or even just providing support to other functions (Service Providers). This raises a critical question: How can marketing drive growth and champion the consumer when it doesn’t control all 4Ps? Using insights from in-depth interviews with 16 senior marketing executives from consumer goods and electronics companies, we take a closer look at this challenge and identify four key themes that show how marketers can excel when direct authority is limited. Together, these insights provide a playbook for turning organisational constraints into opportunities for strategic influence, cross-functional partnership and real business impact.

Frank: You are deeply involved in your family business, the Nolet Distillery. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your current position?Carolus III: Our family business is 334 years old, based in the Netherlands, and we have three generations still involved every day, from my grandfather, dad, uncle and to myself.I'm the first in my family born in the U.S. and the first to earn an undergraduate degree -in marketing from the University of Notre Dame.Historically, we've been in the spirits business, but recently I led the

Abstract The nature of influencers’ relationships with their followers is attractive to brands. However, consumers’ positive feelings for their favorite influencers are not cast in stone. If influencers become more secretive and less responsive, relationships can quickly sour and fandom can turn into hostile anti-fan behaviors and harm the brands they endorse. Therefore, when selecting influencers, brands should look beyond follower count, as the benefits of a larger follower base may not outweigh the risks posed by disgruntled anti-fans. To ensure the success of influencer campaigns, brands should assess the risks associated with influencer–follower relationships. Brands could assess the influencer’s responsiveness to their fan base and their ratio of commercial to organic content as well as monitor anti-fan activity surrounding the influencer on leading gossip forums. A thorough screening can help brand managers avoid influencer marketing partnerships likely to lead to high levels of negative sentiment or threats of brand boycotts.

Abstract Augmented reality (AR) is gaining recognition among executives as a powerful marketing tool. Unlike virtual reality, AR integrates virtual content into the real world, providing consumers with interactive experiences. AR applications like IKEA Place and Dulux Visualizer allow users to visualize furniture or paint colors in their homes, while AR games like Pokémon Go generate new revenue streams. The increasing availability of AR capabilities in smartphones and the creation of efficient developer tools have contributed to ist breakthrough. AR offers various levels of local presence, ranging from simple overlays to highly immersive mixed-reality experiences. The potential of AR extends beyond virtual reality, as it can create a new form of integrated three-dimensional Internet. AR marketing can enhance brand evaluations and emotional consumer-brand relationships, particularly through inspiration and closeness. Companies should consider AR as a tool for branding, as it has shown positive effects on brand attitudes, product evaluations, purchase intentions and word-of-mouth. Managers are encouraged to experiment with AR to understand ist potential and stay competitive in the evolving digital landscape.

Abstract Brand communication is entering a new era. Immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) ) and virtual reality (VR) enable memorable experiences along the entire customer journey as the combination of real and virtual elements creates innovative forms of consumer-brand interaction. Read in our interview how to implement successful immersive campaigns that people care about and share on social media. Julian Weiss, co-founder and CEO of Hamburg-based agency headraft, expects many more XR (extended reality) applications as “retailing will increasingly become an experience space.” He sees their greatest potential in a symbiosis of real and virtual elements.