49.7
54.8
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The strategic nature of my role has increased over the past 12 months
%
52
Head of marketing and communications, Foursquare
Michele Morelli
Strategy might look different at each stage of growth.
Director of marketing M3ter
Kelly Singsank
There really is no true customer funnel anymore. I think of it more like a dark tunnel, where leads move back and forth between sales and marketing. As a result, marketing is viewed to be a lot more strategic now, a lot more crucial to the organisation.
2. Maintaining strategic momentum
The role of marketing is becoming more strategic across all levels of seniority, as marketers see the impact of their work and their ability to influence change increase.
Marketing is being greater appreciated for its strategic value within B2B businesses. This is true for more than half (52%) of the total sample, rising to 54.5% of CMOs and marketing directors. This shift is even being felt among junior colleagues, with 52.6% of junior managers, executives and assistants saying their strategic ability has received greater recognition over the past 12 months.
Almost half (47.8%) of marketers also feel like their work is having a bigger impact on the organisation, while over a third have seen their influence increase.
Despite their growing impact and influence, marketers don’t feel much more secure in their role as a result. Less than a fifth (12.9%) of the sample report feeling greater job security than a year prior, suggesting growing appreciation of their strategic prowess is not translating into a sense of safety.
Furthermore, almost half (46%) say that despite marketing’s strategic impact it has become less of a priority from an investment perspective over the past year, while more than a third (35.3%) say marketing is not being given as much respect as a means to drive growth.
• As customer journeys evolve, the sales cycle becomes more complex and the traditional B2B playbook is found wanting, marketers are increasingly being called upon to offer their strategic expertise. In many cases, marketers have also taken on more of a strategic role amid the emergence of new tech and the growing use of gen AI.
47.8
%
34.8
%
The impact of my work within the organisation has increased over the past year
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My ability to influence change in my organisation has increased over the past year
Lessons
%
Marketing has a greater strategic role than before
%
Marketing is more influential than before
%
Marketing is better appreciated by my organisation
• This recognition as a strategic partner is helping marketers ramp up their impact, engaging in conversations around the direction of the business from the get-go.
• However, being valued for strategic impact does not necessarily mean financial backing or job security. Marketers are still under pressure to prove their worth and educate the business about the time it takes for long-term investments to pay off. As ever, having the right metrics to hand to make the business case is essential and prove the difference marketing makes to the bottom line.
Marketers on being more strategic