Around a third (33%) of senior marketers only get an estimated one hour or less to present to their company’s board each year, according to an eye-opening new survey.
Conducted by PR agency Bottle, the research also reveals worrying disparities in the airtime accorded to each sex, with 22% of men accorded over an hour per quarter as opposed to only 16% of women. One in ten (11%) female marketers even reported getting ‘no facetime’ at all.
The boardroom frustrations experienced by marketers don’t stop there however, with over a quarter (27%) saying that they have been interrupted by a C-suite member during a presentation, and 24% adding that their time had even been cut short.
A staggering 37% of respondent indicated that had dealt with board members who seemed ‘distracted’, some chatting among themselves (24%) and even taking a phone call (18%) during the presentation.
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Even more ire-inducing is the fact that as many as one in ten (10%) have had to face yawns whilst presenting, with a further 6% experiencing eye-rolls. Close to a fifth (18%) reported facing blank stares from board members.
Most of these issues are rooted in the perception that the discipline is ‘fluffy’, with close to 60% of marketers worried that the sector isn’t taken seriously at board level, whilst over a third (36%) believe their results aren’t considered important.
“Marketers have long dealt with a perception issue at board level but, in recent years, digital tools have helped a growing industry prove ROI. The reality remains that two-thirds (67%) believe the only metric a board really wants to know is sales growth, according to our survey. Marketing and PR contributes so much more to long term commercial success, so it’s a shame that indicators like brand health and audience engagement aren’t given the airtime they deserve,” Bottle MD and co-owner, Natasha Hill said.
“That said, we’re encouraged that reach continues to be a popular, well-understood KPI. Part of the problem is scientific – the human brain is designed to compare, not count, so it struggles to comprehend big numbers. We interact with small figures all the time, but anything beyond that becomes abstract.
