The world's favourite fan of Procurement

(even though he has his own Procurement team!).

Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, believes that boardrooms are beginning to wake up to the value of marketing despite the pressure of procurement.


He says: “I do worry about the role and value of marketing inside companies and inside the board room but I really think that the balance of power is shifting.”

Sir Martin made reference to the Deutsche Bank study of the value of advertising and promotion by 30 companies that demonstrated, over a 15 year period, those who had invested in brands saw an average rise in sales of 30% and in unleveraged profits of 50%.

He said that advertisers wanted three things: efficiency, effectiveness and liquidity (I agree) and added “Ever since Lehman’s collapse clients and ourselves have been worried about liquidity…my view is that this is too short term.”