The dawn of Lean marketing

Lean systems is a well-established methodology for reducing waste, increasing efficiency and increasing the professionalism of the people employed. In this paper, the author argues that marketing is poised to move from implementing individual systems such as DAM or marketing segmentation towards managing the whole of marketing along Lean principles. He believes that the growing number of successful case studies, plus pressures created by increases in Below The Line marketing, demands for regulatory compliance as well as the demands on CMOs to deliver better reporting are major driving forces. Surveys show that significant numbers of companies intend to make this move by the end of 2007, while at the same time the leading marketing systems vendors are announcing products which now are directed at total marketing.