Unlock success with multidisciplinary marketing teams

By Helena Mah, Drop of Milk, Management and Business Consultant. Traditional marketing approaches are no longer enough in today’s ever-changing environment. To thrive in the modern marketing landscape, professionals must develop diverse skill sets and prioritise collaboration.

By building multidisciplinary teams, organisations can boost their marketing performance and contribute to business success. Here are top learnings:

1. Customer Centricity: Understanding customer needs and behaviors at a micro-segment level is crucial for effective marketing. This data-driven approach should inform every marketing campaign and decision.

2. Full-Funnel Marketing: Campaigns targeting brand awareness, consideration, and purchase should work collaboratively and complementarily, rather than as separate and distinct efforts. A holistic approach to the customer journey is key.

3. Agile Operating Model: Fast-moving, cross-functional teams that continuously learn and optimize their practices should inform decision-making across the marketing organisation. Agile methodologies can drive efficiency and effectiveness.

4. Omnichannel Excellence: In today’s digital age, having granular knowledge about various platforms, apps, and channels is critical for effective marketing planning. This should inform messaging, audience targeting, and product choices from the outset.

5. Measurement: Testing and measurement should be integrated into every campaign and channel, allowing for immediate optimizations and long-term impact assessment. Data-driven decision-making is essential for success.

6. Customer Data and Marketing Technology: Automation tools and evolving technology stacks should be used to enhance marketing capabilities, bridging the gap between data analysis, decision-making, distribution, and measurement. IT and analytics teams should collaborate with brand marketers to leverage the power of technology.

7. Prioritising Capability Building: Organisations should make marketing capabilities a strategic priority and invest in ongoing learning and development programs for marketers. Celebrating wins and fostering a culture of continuous improvement can drive success.

Building multidisciplinary teams is not about turning data scientists into marketers or vice versa, but about forming bridges of understanding and enabling better communication, creativity, and problem-solving. Organisations that prioritise the development of new skills and foster a culture of continuous learning can see significant improvements in campaign execution time, customer engagement, and cost savings.

By following these principles and building multidisciplinary teams, organisations can unlock significant improvements in campaign execution time, customer engagement, and cost savings, ultimately contributing to business performance and growth. The world of marketing is constantly evolving, and staying ahead requires a multidisciplinary approach that leverages diverse skills, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making., the ability to adapt and maintain customer relationships will be essential for long-term success.

This thought leadership article was first published by the Chief Marketing Officer’s Council. Retailing Africa is a media partner to the CMO Council.

Receive the Retailing Africa newsletter every week • Subscribe here