From TLP

Tim Ambler

Department of Marketing, London Business School, UK

Tim provided a stimulating and energizing day for our top European team - provocative and challenging and managed with great aplomb

Chris Searle, Executive Director, Bacardi UK

The organization that knows how to gain and keep customer preference will keep making money. So how does an organization secure customer preference? Does top management truly understand and cherish the sources of cash flow? Innovation is key to increasing the business from existing customers and gaining the loyalty of new ones. How can these things be measured? How can any company really measure the effectiveness of its marketing performance? For most companies, brand equity is easily their most valuable asset: how can it be measured and managed? Tim Ambler tackles these contentious issues in his work at London Business School, where he teaches Global Marketing and Doing Business in Greater China.

As author, educator and speaker, Tim shares the insights of over 30 years frontline experience in the business world and a successful academic career through his research at London Business School where he is Grand Metropolitan Senior Fellow.

His areas of expertise include:

• brand equity
• measuring marketing performance (marketing metrics)
• how advertising works
• measuring the effectiveness of advertising
• international marketing
• doing business in Greater China

Prior to his academic career, Ambler spent many years at IDV (International Distillers and Vintners) in the UK and held various senior marketing posts including Marketing Director, where he was responsible for significant brands such as Smirnoff Vodka and Bailey's Irish Cream. More recently he held overall international marketing responsibility for IDV and worked extensively in the USA, Canada, Africa and emerging markets.

Tim offers an understanding of how the international marketer adds value to the organization. The new realisation is that international business is more biological than mechanical. Rational analysis is important but passion, vitality and commitment make the difference between success and failure. He considers marketing and doing business around the world from the perspective of the international manager negotiating in the modern cross-cultural business environment.

Tim's most recent research involves the metrics of marketing. Few company boards routinely review their overall marketing performance, its effectiveness, how it is integrated within company strategy and competitor analysis and how its evaluation can increase organizational learning and, so, shareholder value. The research also shows, interestingly, that those companies with leading edge review processes are also among the least satisfied with them.

Publications include two books: Marketing from Advertising to Zen and The Silk Road to International Marketing: Profit and passion in Global Business (Financial Times Pitman, 1997 and forthcoming in 1999 respectively, the latter is with Chris Styles). The outcome of the thirty month Marketing Metrics research project will be reported as a book due to be published in May 2000.