Does Your Business Operation Align With Marketing?
A couple of months ago, we unpacked the topic of what authenticity really means, where we told our readers that “86% of consumers cite brand authenticity as a key factor when deciding what brands they like and support, according to Gitnux Marketing Data.” I really want to dig in on this concept of authenticity and unpack the importance of marketing alignment within your business operations.
To kick off the discussion, let’s answer a few questions:
- Are your business objectives clearly stated?
- Are you and your team currently working toward them?
- Have you reevaluated your progress (or lack thereof) recently?
- Are there open lines of communication with your marketing team?
Business is getting busier than ever for everyone. Every business is more taxed for time than ever before.
Across the board, businesses are facing hypercompetitive market environments. Often, these pressures result in silos and a do-er mentality that permeates and stands in the way of assessing objectives. Companies on this track often begin to act in silos, making it hard for brand messaging to amplify their messaging accurately.
So here are some of the must-haves businesses need to ensure their messaging lines up with their operations.
Four Must-Haves for Marketing Alignment
Dedicated budget.
Marketing budgets shouldn’t be treated like a one-off or extraneous initiative. Your marketing budget is an investment in the success of your business and should be baked into the high-level vision of your business. As a guideline, your marketing budget should be a percentage of revenue – depending on where you take your guidance, it is 6-10% or be as low as 2%.
Reserve a seat at the table for marketing.
(Because you can’t just throw money at it!) Savvy businesses view marketing departments or external marketing teams as their business partner when they are breaking down the silos of their business operations. Operations are an internal dynamic, and your marketing team is tasked with creating a bridge with your outside community, which is why they bring an entirely different perspective to your planning and strategy sessions.
Communication is key.
Open communication is essential to ensuring that your business objectives are in alignment with your marketing initiatives. Through open and consistent communication, your marketing team can translate and broadcast your organization’s higher goals – and, most importantly, contribute to its success.
Review your position regularly.
“You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” This quote, attributed to business thought leader Peter Drucker, sheds light on the fourth component of aligning your market with your business goals. Setting key performance metrics and then regularly reviewing them to see how you are trending against them is critical.
The benefits abound:
- Return on investment – Let’s face it, marketing is not cheap. If your expenditures in marketing are helping you achieve your business objectives, it becomes a win-win.
- Higher levels of productivity – When your employees are all working in sync, efficiently, and outside of the silo paradigm, productivity and innovation significantly increase – which is a bonus for your company’s culture!
- Room for growth – Your success will allow your business to lean into growth and diversification.
- Amplified brand messaging – When your marketing supports your business objectives, your brand gets stronger. Your customers start to understand where you are coming from and why.
Aligning your marketing with your business objectives is essential for achieving sustainable success in today’s competitive landscape. It serves as the compass to guide your marketing toward a clear destination. When your marketing strategy is in harmony with your business goals, every campaign, message and tactic becomes purposeful and contributes directly to your organization’s growth and profitability. This well-aligned marketing approach enhances brand consistency, fosters customer trust, and cultivates long-term success.
Jackie Awve Marketing & Design provides select clients in the commercial real estate industry with marketing, branding and communications strategies and services.
