مقاله انگلیسی رایگان در مورد حساب های بازاریابی – الزویر ۲۰۱۸

Marketing actions frequently create long-term value yet this is often not recorded in financial accounts. The same records are typically used for internal reporting limiting both recognition of the value created by marketing, and accountability for the misuse of market-based assets. Creating comprehensive “marketing accounts” can mitigate the problems caused by financial accounting’s omission of market-based assets. We explain current accounting practice, outline the idea of marketing accounts, and contrast this with current accounting practice. Marketing accounts capture the value of market-based assets, applying accounting’s matching concept as consistently as possible to treat marketing as an investment where appropriate. These accounts are based upon expected value, and are feasible within accounting rules given they aim only to aid management, not investor, decision making. Marketing accounts vary between, but not within, firms, and are comprehensive and regular. Finally, they are controlled by marketers with assumptions and models recorded and approved by the chief marketing officer.

Marketing Accountability and Market-Based Assets

Rust, Ambler, Carpenter, Kumar, and Srivastava (2004) called for more marketing accountability, a call echoed by the Marketing Science Institute (MSI, 2015) and Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB, 2015). We suggest that systematically recording the assets created by marketing investments is a prerequisite of such accountability. Central to our discussion is the idea that marketing is often an investment creating the market-based assets described by Srivastava, Shervani, & Fahey (1998). Srivastava defines market-based assets as intangible assets which “arise from the commingling of the firm with entities in its external environment” (Srivastava, 2016). The term market-based asset captures relational and intellectual assets that are not easy to value or separate from other firm assets yet, critically for this research, aid shareholder value in a clearly defined way (Agarwal & Rao, 1996; Chu & Keh, 2006; Mizik & Jacobson, 2009). The archetypical market-based asset is brand equity, but such assets also include knowledge-based assets and customer equity. Such assets matter in both consumer and business to business markets (Nenonen & Storbacka, 2014, 2016). Before outlining our idea in detail, we must first define certain key terms. The marketers we refer to are managers charged with making decisions that impact investments related to marketing (e.g., in customer relationships, brands, or service quality). Internal reports are financial reports used by managers within the firm. Management accountants usually produce such internal reports, including performance against budget. External reports, e.g., financial accounts, are those created for external users, such as investors and creditors, and are compiled by financial accountants. These reports include a balance sheet, upon which is recorded a firm’s assets.