Is Short-termism Undermining Your Brand Equity?

Short-termism in marketing has resurfaced, fueled by big data, analytics, digital, AI, and labels such as demand marketing. Looking back at the 1980s, a short-termism decade, that era provided permission for “sales now” programs that failed to deliver growth. That approach contributed to profit erosion, turned customers’ priority to prices, encouraged ill-advised extensions, damaged brands and profits, and led to the emergence of brand equity. To avoid a repeat, CMOs need to convince others that brand equity is critical to the business strategy. To succeed, demand and brand marketing need to be partners, creating and exploiting their synergies.

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Publication Details

Journal
California Management Review
Published
2026-04-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/00081256261434968
Primary Topic
Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Is Short-termism Undermining Your Brand Equity?

David Aaker
California Management Review
Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing
article

Is Short-termism Undermining Your Brand Equity?

David Aaker
article en

Abstract

Short-termism in marketing has resurfaced, fueled by big data, analytics, digital, AI, and labels such as demand marketing. Looking back at the 1980s, a short-termism decade, that era provided permission for “sales now” programs that failed to deliver growth. That approach contributed to profit erosion, turned customers’ priority to prices, encouraged ill-advised extensions, damaged brands and profits, and led to the emergence of brand equity. To avoid a repeat, CMOs need to convince others that brand equity is critical to the business strategy. To succeed, demand and brand marketing need to be partners, creating and exploiting their synergies.

California Management Review
Berkeley College (US), University of California, Berkeley (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing
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