Do not build a marketing department. Build a marketing function. This is why… A marketing department responds to external demands from the entire company and tries to unlock value. I’ve seen it all… L&D, HR, junior sales consultants, and countless sales managers dictate what marketing does. These are not experts in marketing but they influence the marketing strategy, decide the tactics and leave it to marketing to implement. This process has too many people with little experience in marketing contributing to benefit personal agendas. This is always slow, ineffective and lacks long-term consistency. A marketing function has defined capabilities and asks demands of the company to unlock value. This way of working positions you as the marketing expert with the responsibility of delivering sales outcomes. It is deployed at speed, you only answer to the sales strategy and is built for consistency. Be an expert marketing function within your recruitment or exec search business. Build marketing processes that are repeatable, scalable and empower the sales strategy. Quick Tip: If you have an incoherent crappy to-do list, you're a department If you have a precise capabilities list that sales plugs into, you're a function
Well put Rob. I remember the days where leadership's desire was for marketing to be an 'internal marketing agency'. Don't do this. As you said, you become the order takers of everyone who wishes they had a free marketing agency on hand.
So true. Marketing personnel leave Marketing departments also. Important the Marketing Function can be handed over and operate as seamlessly / autonomously as possible. I trust you, family and business all well Rob.
Very helpful
Senior Lecturer and Course Leader Marketing Management
4 个月Love this - as a Course Leader I'm constantly looking at the skills / quality conundrum for my students. What skills do they need to get their first role but to build in capability to enable them to thrive in this changing environment and these are the qualities - critical thinking, creativity, problem solving and relationship building. Being a brilliant marketer is fab but if you cant work in a team or bring people along on your vision...that way lies trouble. #marketingmanagement