Introducing: The Politics of Marketing
The politics of marketing is not political marketing. Working for many years in the marketing and advertising industries, I’ve become keenly aware of how certain roles within organizations need to be politically savvy in order to get ahead.
Don’t get me wrong, organizational politics are prevalent in all roles and companies. I’d argue, however, that no role needs to be politically savvy more than marketing. Folks in human resources are high on the list as well; as a former colleague, friend, and VP at a large marketing agency recently shared, “HR doesn’t get any respect.”
What do I mean when I say Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and Marketing Directors need to be “politically savvy?”
On a day-to-day basis, folks in these roles have to walk the line between being:
Brilliant strategists; as long as you “stay in your lane.”
Skilled relationship builders; but not salesy.
Data savvy; but not so savvy that you step on the toes of the CTO or CIO.
Business and fiscally minded; again, mind the toes.
Organizational educators; but not know-it-alls.
An ally to other C-suite roles while advocating for marketing
And when companies find themselves in a downturn, marketing teams and budgets are cut more frequently and more dramatically than any other team. As one CEO stated in a McKinsey article, “Under pressure, marketing gets cut first because it is hard to justify.”
I (along with other Marketing Directors and CMOs) can feel the impact of that statement more than I’d like to admit.
I’ve had to cut media budgets down so far that I question whether or not it’s even worthwhile to stay in-market. I’ve had to lay off countless amazingly-talented people. I’ve been laid off. I’ve presented data proving the value of the marketing to the bottom line only to have its validity questioned and credit given to the sales team all because folks don’t understand how marketing works.
Why is marketing seen as something that is “nice to have” and not a critical component of business operations and success?
That is what I’m hoping to explore at The Politics of Marketing.
Thank you for joining me.
