Reviewers
Luciano Thomé e Castro, International Affiliated Professor at Purdue; Foudning Partner at Markestrat Group
Article
Marketing strategy implementation: Why is it so hard? by Neil Morgan, Ajay Menon, Bernard Jaworski and Guiseppe Musarra
Source
Morgan, N. A., Menon, A., Jaworski, B. J., & Musarra, G. (2025). Marketing strategy implementation: Why is it so hard? Journal of Business Research, Volume 190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115231
Summary
This review is inspired by the article “Marketing Strategy Implementation: Why is it so Hard?” by Morgan et al. (2025), published in the Journal of Business Research. It thoroughly discusses why marketing strategy implementation fails at staggering rates – exceeding 60–90%. These numbers strongly resonated with me as a marketing strategy professor and consultant. I have been asked many times over the last 20 years to help organizations across different sectors and geographies either decide what strategy to implement or how to implement an existing one.
I must confess, though, that another situation truly sparked my interest in this topic. It came from a tricky question I received during a large event with 90 agricultural cooperatives in Brazil. Someone in the audience asked, “What do you know that we don’t about what co-ops should do to be successful?” My honest response at the time emphasized the importance of empowering frontline employees to master customer service – especially when viewing cooperative members as customers.
However, upon reflecting, I realized the more realistic response. It would have been far too pretentious for anyone to assume they had a “silver bullet” solution that none of those 90 co-ops – some of the largest, best-equipped, and most powerful in Brazil – had considered.
The point I’m trying to make is this: companies often already know what they should do. Many leaders, consultants and employees have had a solid grasp of this for years. The true silver bullet isn’t in identifying what, but in mastering how, particularly overcoming the “why nots” that hold organizations back from implementing the strategy that could take them where they want to go. In that sense, Morgan et al. (2025) hit the nail on the head. While much research has been dedicated to marketing strategy design, far less has focused on implementation and its outcomes. Here are some of the insights they share.
Why does strategy implementation fail?
Morgan and colleagues explore why marketing strategy implementation often falls short and how to mitigate its causes. A key premise is that we must stop assuming that a good strategy will be implemented simply because it is “too good not to.” That belief is naive, especially considering the real-world complexities at play. The authors identify several key factors:
- Inherent Trade-offs
Implementation involves tough trade-offs – between creativity and alignment, effectiveness and efficiency, or program redesign versus resource use. These trade-offs must be clearly communicated and accepted. For instance, failing to abandon one market segment in favor of better targeting others can severely undermine desired positioning. - Multiple Inter-unit Interactions
Execution requires coordination across numerous internal and external units – many beyond marketing’s control. This can strain structure and organizational culture. Integrating product solutions may require breaking down silos and introducing new budgeting processes that the organization isn’t ready for. Internal resistance often arises even before external outcomes are visible. Significant time and effort must be devoted to removing roadblocks like these. - Dual Environmental Complexity
Organizations must navigate both internal constraints and unpredictable market responses. Change demands resilience and trust in the strategy – even when circumstances shift. Adapting without losing strategic direction is key. - Unknown Resource Requirements
Decision-makers often underestimate the resources needed until implementation is well underway. Lack of resources can hinder or delay execution. Leaders must realistically assess what’s available and integrate this into the strategy. It’s also crucial to evaluate the level of risk the company – and its culture – is willing to accept. Selling a strategy by downplaying its costs may help secure buy-in, but it often leads to larger problems down the road. - Hand-off Gaps
Strategy implementation involves many phases and stakeholders, creating ample opportunity for miscommunication and misalignment. Carefully planning the stages, responsibilities and actors involved in execution is essential for success.
What does this mean for food and agricultural business?
All of this means a great deal for agribusiness. Like any other industry, agribusiness is ripe with opportunities to revisit and redesign marketing strategies. Food consumers, retailers, farmers, ag dealers and input manufacturers are all navigating a dynamic landscape shaped by climate change, trade wars and geopolitical instability.
Overcoming the “why nots” requires challenging the status quo. Consider a few examples:
- Farmers have segmented into diverse groups, challenging suppliers who rely on blanket strategies.
- Digital agriculture and AI technologies are searching for ways to scale and monetize their potential system gains.
- Input manufacturers are rethinking their go-to-market approaches to deliver more integrated, customer-centric solutions.
In agribusiness, we witness both strategic wins and missed opportunities. Revisiting underlying assumptions – especially through the lens of implementation versus strategic design – can provide critical insights to accelerate the change organizations aspire to achieve.
