We have looked at innovation a number of times, but in the cover story of this issue John Kearon takes a heretical approach – arguing that marketing science itself and the centralisation of marketing expertise in large organisations may be at the

The dilemma for service providers in countries with defined hierarchical norms is fascinating.

For me, one of the most important books to be published all year will be Obliquity by John Kay, the economist and Financial Times writer. I am sticking my neck out here since at the time of writing, it has not yet been released.

There is little doubt that marketers tend to be trend conscious. It's even fair to say they tend to be trend driven. But the question remains, what role should trends play in the creation of a brand or marketing strategy?

The world of business is fast realising that creativity is too valuable to be left to the creatives.

It's 10am on a sunny Sunday morning and for once the Avenue des Champs-Elysées is quiet.

I recently spoke to a group of students studying art and design who were considering a career in advertising.

The Mars bar, Pret a Manger, Apple iPod, Google, X Factor, Dyson. All of these brands represent famous success stories that stand out from the crowd in very competitive marketplaces.

In 1973, British households were spellbound by a TV ad from Cadbury's. It featured a family of aliens, the Smash Martians, who laughed at the thought of Earth people preparing their own mashed potatoes rather than using convenience food Smash.

In this edited interview with the founder of Starbucks, from the Marketing Society's recent event, Colin Cameron talks to Howard