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Why and when to hire a marketing project manager?

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Flock_MarketingProjectManagementServices

Marketing projects like product launches, major new campaigns (especially global or international campaigns) or brand repositioning are now highly complicated enterprises.

Often they require the seamless management and integration of lots of internal stakeholders, multiple departments, markets and, of course, lots of agencies.

Often, the success of the marketing project in these major marketing campaigns relies at least as much on the marketing project management as it does the ideas; we’ve all seen great ideas not win in the market because of poor execution.

So, given the importance of marketing project management who should take control?

Well of course the natural answer is the marketing leader (client). However, if they lead the project management do they have enough time to think, to really push the creative boundaries, or are they just farming e-mails, swapping files, hopping on conference calls etc.?

If you a marketing leader does your day look like this?

Flock_MarketingProjectManagementTimeSpent

If the chart seems familiar it may be time to hire an independent marketing project manager to make things seamlessly effective and efficient. Your day may change to look more like this:

Flock_MarketingProjectManagementPieChart

You reduce the ‘grunt’ work of administration and it is replaced with high value strategic thinking time.

But are there other advantages (beyond easing the burden of administration) of hiring an independent marketing project manager?

Yes, the fact it is their sole job to deliver the project on time, on budget and seamlessly integrated drives things forward. Also, the fact that they are neutral, objective and unbiased by market, department, channel or agency means they add a lot of objective advice too.

So, what will a great marketing project manager do?

  1. Establish and maintain roles and responsibilities
  2. Work out the best project communication plan – possibly using technology such as Workfront, Huddle, Basecamp etc.
  3. Manage budgets, KPI’s and set up management reporting
  4. Set up and manage the project plan
  5. Help manage marketing stakeholders
  6. Integrate all marketing components
  7. Do a marketing project risk analysis and develop strategies to mitigate risk
  8. React and manage the inevitable ‘curve balls’ that will come to your project
  9. Manage project ‘wash up’ meetings so that best practice marketing project management becomes engrained in your organisation
  10. Help manage you and give sage advice and wisdom borne of great experience

At Flock we have managed Global campaigns with fifty markets, nine brands, sixteen global agencies, and one hundred and forty six local agencies – there were two hundred and forty nine stakeholders that were managed by an internal CRM system. Simply put, we know how to manage complex marketing projects.

Do give us a call if you’d like to know more.  

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