The New Formula: R + M = IR2

Let's face it. We are an industry that is built upon our metrics and best practices. We like to talk about winning strategies. We like to compare ourselves to benchmarks and indices. But what happens when the way "we've always done it" doesn't work anymore? What happens when the game changes? Guess what — all those "best practices" are maybe looking to a time that is not as relevant anymore. The metrics and benchmarks we use to measure our performance all of a sudden don't tell us if we are successful today — they just tell us where we are compared to yesterday.

This is uncomfortable. In fact, being uncomfortable is not something our industry enjoys.

We all know change happens, and we all know change is inevitable. The challenge is when change is perceived as voluntary. Across multiple blog posts, articles and conference sessions, the conversations around "relationship marketing" and "integrated marketing" often involve whether the juice is worth the squeeze. We've come through the recession, right? We've reset many of our metrics and benchmarks to align with the "new norm," right? Things are feeling better, right?

But — what if the new norm is a slippery slope? What if it's not a question of "juice and squeeze" but of "succeed or fail"? I'm not sure this change is really voluntary.

The concept of relationship marketing seems right to many of us — at least on paper. In fact, if you have worked in the commercial sector, you know that integrated relationship marketing is not a new idea, and for many CEOs and CMOs it is certainly not perceived as voluntary. With that said, our commercial partners will also be the first to say it is not easy, and for many of them changing the way things have been done in the past can be like moving a barge. For many, that change is still occurring. But, let's be clear: It's not voluntary. It is viewed as the only way to stay competitive, to keep their customers from defecting — it's necessary to succeed.