From 'Make It Pretty' to 'Make It Profitable': Redefining Marketing's Role

The Marketing Muddle: A Reality Check

It’s not just supply chain – in many industries, marketing departments have become the catch-all for a diverse array of responsibilities. Here’s a snapshot of the top time and budget culprits: 

1. Internal Communications: Crafting employee newsletters and managing digital signage

2. Event Planning: Organizing everything from company picnics to industry conferences

3. Employee Recognition: Designing and distributing service awards

4. Safety Communications: Creating impactful safety messaging and visuals

5. Facilities Management: Overseeing office aesthetics and branding

6. Fleet Design: Developing visual strategies for vehicle branding

7. Merchandise Management: Curating and managing branded promotional items

8. IT Tasks: Administering CRM systems and other marketing technologies

9. Video Production: Producing content from onboarding videos to executive communications

Each of these tasks plays a crucial role in the overall functioning and culture of an organization. However, when housed within the marketing department, they can divert focus and resources from core marketing objectives. It’s like asking a star quarterback to also be the team’s nutritionist, equipment manager, and social media coordinator – they might be capable, but it’s not the best use of their specialized skills.

The Cost of Misalignment: More Than Just Missed Opportunities

This misalignment isn’t just a nuisance; it’s a growth killer. ZoomInfo put together a whole list of stats that illustrate what can happen when B2B companies align sales and marketing operations

Here are the most impressive:

• Organizations with tightly aligned sales and marketing functions enjoy 36% higher customer retention rates (source).

• Aligning sales and marketing also leads to 38% higher sales win rates (source).

• Sales and marketing alignment can help your company become 67% better at closing deals (source).

• Aligning both departments can help generate 209% more revenue from marketing (source).

• B2B organizations with tightly aligned sales and marketing operations achieve 24% faster three-year revenue growth and 27% faster three-year profit growth (source).

• Companies with strong sales and marketing alignment achieve a 20% annual growth rate (source).

Are you on board yet?

Misalignment doesn’t just create inefficiencies—it often prevents marketing from ever gaining traction. This misalignment manifests in several ways:

1. Marketing effectiveness never materializes. With the team’s focus diluted across a hodgepodge of unrelated tasks, strategic marketing initiatives rarely get off the ground.

2. ROI remains a foreign concept. Resources are scattered across activities that don’t directly contribute to marketing goals, making it impossible to measure, let alone improve, return on investment.

3. Innovation is a pipe dream. When a team’s time and creative energy are consumed by administrative tasks, there’s no room for strategic thinking or market-leading ideas.

4. Talent stagnates. Skilled marketers, hired for their expertise in driving growth, find themselves mired in tasks outside their wheelhouse. Over time, their skills atrophy and their passion wanes.

5. The vicious cycle continues. As marketing fails to demonstrate value, it’s increasingly viewed as a cost center rather than a strategic asset, further diminishing its role and resources.

6. Marketing becomes the “make it pretty” department. Instead of driving strategy and growth, the marketing team is reduced to a last-minute design service, constantly fielding requests to “make it pretty” for presentations and reports.

This isn’t just a case of marketing underperforming—it’s a scenario where marketing never gets the chance to prove its worth, perpetuating the cycle of undervaluation and missed opportunities. 

Realignment: The Path to Marketing Nirvana

Ready to break free from the shackles of misaligned priorities? Here’s a roadmap that needs to be driven by leadership:

1. Define Clear Objectives: What does success look like for your organization? Align your marketing goals with overarching business objectives. If increasing market share by 5% is the goal, your marketing activities should directly contribute to that.

2. Conduct a Marketing Audit: Shine a light on where your time and money are really going. You might be surprised – I’ve definitely seen teams who spend more than half their time on internal employee engagement initiatives. 

3. Commit to Delegating Non-Core Tasks: That safety video? Hand it over to HR. As for CRM management – well, that could be a blog post all on its own! But here’s the quick version: Sales leaders and upper management should set expectations, IT needs to manage the tech, and marketing should use it as a tool to drive strategy and campaigns. (And don’t get me started on who’s responsible for data quality – that’s a hot potato no one wants to catch. My vote? A dedicated data steward role, but I digress.)

4. Establish Cross-Functional Collaboration: Create clear channels for marketing to provide input on brand consistency without taking on the entire workload.

5. Implement Regular Priority Reviews: The business landscape shifts faster than desert sands. Regular check-ins ensure your marketing priorities remain aligned with business goals.

Leadership: The Linchpin of Change

As a leader, you’re not just a decision-maker; you’re a change catalyst. Here’s how to lead the charge:

• Set Clear Expectations: Communicate the new direction with clarity and purpose. Your team can’t hit a target they can’t see.

• Allocate Resources Effectively: Put your money where your mouth is. Invest in tools and training that support your core marketing functions.

• Foster a Culture of Focus: Celebrate wins that align with your core objectives. Did your team’s targeted campaign increase leads by 15%? Pop the champagne!

• Support Professional Development: Invest in your team’s growth in areas that drive business results. An online social media certification might be nice, but an in-person course in marketing analytics could be game-changing.

Overcoming the “But We’ve Always Done It This Way” Syndrome

Change is hard. You’ll face resistance. Here’s how to tackle it:

• Communicate the ‘Why’: Share the vision of a focused, high-impact marketing team. Paint a picture of the growth and innovation that await.

• Start Small: Begin with low-hanging fruit. Show quick wins to build momentum and buy-in.

• Provide Support: Offer training and resources to departments taking on new responsibilities. Remember, this is a team effort.

• Celebrate Progress: Recognize and reward steps in the right direction, no matter how small.

The Future of Marketing: Focused, Aligned, Unstoppable

Imagine a marketing team laser-focused on driving growth, innovating customer experiences, and positioning your company as an industry leader. No more getting bogged down in planning the office birthday calendar or managing the company intranet.

This isn’t just a pipe dream. I’ve seen companies transform their marketing from a reactive, catch-all department to a proactive, strategic powerhouse. And  by reclaiming your focus, you’re not just changing your department – you’re positioning your entire organization for unprecedented growth.

Join the Conversation at the TMSA Executive Summit

If you’re as passionate about this issue as I am, I have exciting news. I’ll be participating in Spark Change Lab tackling this exact challenge at the upcoming TMSA Executive Summit. 

This live event will bring together industry experts and involve the audience in creating actionable solutions for securing marketing’s rightful seat at the table. It’s a unique opportunity to collaborate with peers, share insights, and develop strategies that can transform the role of marketing in our industry.

Don’t miss this chance to be part of the change. Visit https://www.tmsatoday.org/2024-tmsa-executive-summit to learn more.