So, at the start of the new financial year I was left with an unrealistic target of about 15% over. And now, it’s the end of the first quarter and my Brand is 15% behind plan. I have to go in and explain to the management team why my Brand is behind plan.
The gross unfairness of it all, is that I have to be seen to be supporting my boss; I can’t be seen to go in and say I didn’t agree with that target (and that, actually, this result proves I was right in the first place!).
Oh no – I will have to spend hours doing some analysis to say that competitor activity or trends, the weather, the Iraqi war, the vibe of the thing prove that there is certainly a valid reason why we have not hit target and that there is a good reason why we will make it up later in the year (bullshit, bullshit...).
And then next month, my marketing budget will be cut because my Brand is not achieving plan, making it even harder to hit the target that would never be hit in the first place!
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