In news that has been taking the marketing community by storm, most marketers from across different companies and industries feel their marketing goals are not fully aligned with their company’s overall business objectives according to a new report by Walker Sands.
According to the report, marketers are more focused now than in the past, on business objectives, but there is an increasing disconnect felt as only a limited number of them initiate planning processes by identifying what their desired business outcomes are. This misalignment could lead to wasted resources, ineffective campaigns, and hinder achieving business growth.
The Outcome-based Marketing: The Case for a Perspective-Shift in B2B Marketing report, which surveyed a representative sample of marketing professionals across industries, found:
- 74% of C-suite executives believe marketing teams fail to comprehend the business results anticipated from their operations.
- 58% of marketing decision-makers said they have difficulties comprehending the specific expectations set by C-suite.
- 86% of C-suite executives were concerned about their marketing teams’ capacity to demonstrate the measurable impact of marketing operations on company success.
Consequently, this misalignment between marketing efforts and business objectives can have numerous negative consequences:
- Lost resources: Marketing campaigns that do not target the proper audience or provide the anticipated outcomes can result in lost funds and missed opportunities.
- Ineffective campaigns: Marketing efforts may fail to resonate with their intended demographic or fulfill their objectives, reducing brand exposure and lead generation.
- Dissatisfaction and disconnect: Misalignment can cause dissatisfaction and uncertainty among marketing teams and C-suite executives, limiting collaboration and communication.
Experts identify essential measures marketing teams can take to close the gap and ensure their efforts are aligned with business objectives:
- Clear communication: Set quantifiable marketing goals that are clearly related to the broader business objectives. Open and constant communication between marketing teams and C-suite executives is essential.
- Data-driven decision-making: Use data and analytics to assess the performance of marketing efforts and demonstrate their influence on business indicators such as revenue, customer acquisition, and brand recognition.
- Focus on customer value: Align marketing activities with the customer journey, ensuring that campaigns engage with the intended audience and provide value at each touchpoint.
Addressing the mismatch between marketing goals and company objectives is critical for achieving long-term development and success. Marketing teams can ensure their efforts are aligned with the entire company strategy and contribute significantly to attaining the targeted objectives by focusing on clear communication, data-driven decision-making, and a customer-centric approach.