Flock Marketing Operations Roundtable
On the 17th November Flock had the pleasure of hosting Marketers from the consulting, automotive and FMCG sector at our round table lunch in Covent Garden
We spend most of our working lives inside our own organisations so when the opportunity surfaces to gather and be able to speak cross-category, it is always a treat. Despite differences within each sector, we always find similarities in the challenges and rewards that the marketing community faces.
For a transformation consultancy like ours, whose purpose is to improve the lives of marketers, it’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of that dialogue. The insight and knowledge that we gain from such occasions are what we use to fine-tune and best advise our clients on their individual transformation journeys.
As we head into what is going to be a challenging 2023, here are some of the key topics and concerns we covered during the conversations…
Small but Mighty
Central operations teams are often very lean and spread thinly. They are the glue that binds the organisation, their support is frequently required at any given time by partners all over the world. Compared to the set-up and support a marketing function might have, anybody in a global operations role can be prepared to be VERY busy, especially as organisational design has become so crucial. They must be able to build good relationships internally and affect change. Their ability to do this is nothing short of impressive. One relationship we did speak about in need of frequent communication and improvement, is that of marketing and procurement. More cohesion, fewer silos in 2023.
Fiscal Responsibility
Whilst affecting change will be governed by the relationships, it is hard to make an impact without control of budgets. And whilst most companies know they want to gather and use consumer data to drive decision-making, their appetite for the capital investment required is quite different. It is vital that businesses don’t think short term and allocate the right amount of budget to set up the infrastructure to gather actionable data. Procurement needs to bang the drum for these structural investments, which is no mean feat with the current level of budget cuts. Tools investment can’t be a short-term fix for the latest shiny new object but needs to be planned and implemented carefully to ensure the best bang for your buck.
All On the Same Page
Earlier we mentioned organisational design. In order to affect change here it’s vital to understand the culture of the organisation. This is where procurement teams can play an essential role, by building effective processes and impacting how the business improves. Agile marketing processes can only be built where the rest of the organisation allows for them, since prioritising initiatives is a key challenge but potentially a successful area.
We hope that you find these insights useful and if you are struggling with any of the areas mentioned please fill out the contact form below, and we’ll be in touch.