I think the obstacle is the way that current accounting standards recognize marketing – as an expense when the cost is incurred.

I wonder if marketing is treated as a cost of goods sold instead and accepted by GAAP as a way of recognizing it – would that help change the way we look at marketing? Would it help marketers bake in business model thinking? Does the real break-through for marketing start in the accounting dept?

(I’m not an accountant but would be interesting to get their perspective).