We live in an attention economy where everything is nano-paced. In a brave new martech world, we measure things because we can, not because we should. It can take our eye off the long game, which is hard to measure in comparison. Add to that shorter CMO tenures and bonuses based on immediate response and, well, you’ve got a melting pot where brands are being burnt.

Building brand devotion takes time. It needs love and effort, even more so when we tune out after 10 or so seconds – hec, make that three seconds on mobile. How do you build brands in a world where our attention span is less than that of a goldfish?

The age-old theories of brand equity, trust, the value of the ‘intangible asset’ on the balance sheet is garnering a revival through the likes of Byron Sharp, Peter Field and Les Binet, even McKinsey, all of whom reinforce that brands (and sustainable businesses) are built over time.

However, the problem - and why we need commentators like Mark Ritson to reinforce the message - is that marketers aren’t listening. And they’re failing to get the balance right between the short and the long. Some of the blame can be directed at agencies too – we need to push harder and help clients understand what they stand to lose when they focus too much on short-term gains.

CMOs and agencies that buy into long-termism will influence CEOs and their boards to give them the time and space to build equity and ultimately growth.