The perfect marketing team: Myth or reality?

In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, finding the perfect organisational structure is like trying to spot a chameleon within a constantly shifting kaleidoscope – it's a dynamic challenge that requires adaptation to the surrounding environment.

While a one-size-fits-all doesn't exist, I do believe there are essential factors that can steer the development of a strong marketing team. These considerations are pivotal in shaping an organisation that can thrive amidst the complexities of the marketing world.

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AI is your ally

I’m going to start with AI. As you all know, I’m hugely passionate about AI and the positive impact it can have as your ally in marketing. It’s clearly revolutionising marketing teams for the better. AI is pivotal in streamlining mundane, repetitive tasks, and improving efficiencies – so, as marketers, we can focus our skills and resources in areas where we can bring most value and create the most impact. AI is also necessitating new roles, and specialists, able to harness data analytics and machine learning to predict trends and personalise customer experiences.

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Gartner released its CMO Leadership Vision earlier this year, highlighting the importance of CMOs in building AI-enabled marketing teams. While I don’t wholeheartedly believe that 22% of CMOs will replace staff with AI this year, I do believe this shift towards AI-driven marketing requires a structural flexibility that allows for the integration of technology experts with traditional marketing roles. This also relies on teams being willing to embrace and experiment (with guidance) to unlock the true possibilities of AI. Those who don’t will, unfortunately, be left behind.

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Global versus regional

The global versus regional divide is another critical factor. While regional teams are instrumental in driving the sales pipeline with their local insights and customer relationships, global teams must provide scalable content that resonates across diverse markets. The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of the value should come from 20% of the effort; applying the rule to content strategy means focusing on the creation of impactful content that can be adapted by regional teams to fit local needs.

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Having the right teams in place across both parts of the marketing organisation is critical. Global teams must empower regional marketing teams – those who truly understand their local market – to build on the brand, adapt content to engage effectively with audiences, and ensure on ongoing cultural relevance.

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A connected strategy, regardless of role

Central to these considerations is the need for a connected marketing strategy. Regardless of how a marketing organisation is structured and the remit of individual roles and responsibilities, there must be one clear vision that aligns with overarching business and marketing objectives. All teams, whether they are digital disruptors, content creators, or AI-focused, whether based globally or regionally, are then enabled to work towards a common goal and contribute to the company's success.

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Balancing perfection with reality

It’s clear that there isn’t an optimal team structure as such. But it is vital to have an open-minded and adaptable team to meet the needs of an ever-changing landscape, from learning new skills such as AI, to hiring in new talent to support evolving demand. It’s also fair to say that, as marketers, we often strive for perfection – it tends to be in our nature. But the moment we hit our euphoria moment, and believe we’ve landed on the right team structure, change will be afoot again. We therefore need to accept that good enough is enough – we don’t need to worry about having all the right pieces of the puzzle together; we need instead to focus on having the right flexibility and agility in place.

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This agility-led team structure goes hand in hand with my thoughts above – the incorporation of AI, the balance between global and regional efforts, and a central strategy. These elements come together to foster a flexible, yet aligned, approach that adapts to market changes – and drives growth.