First 100 days

In the first 100 days, a new Marketing Director needs to review the marketing function as described by their company, and work out if it is fit for purpose, and consistent with the customer's view of the organisation - often it isn't.

The first Task is sometimes just to work out who is in the Marketing Function - and who should be!

The traditional marketing function as developed by the FMCG marketers, and dominated by Product Management, is increasingly rare, and even in organisations such as P&G has long since been replaced by streamlined and globally appropriate models.

In service businesses Marketing's principal business responsibility can often be limited outbound Customer Communications (excluding one to one CRM of course!).

Most organisations will also give Marketing a leadership role, though this is often nominal, with limited power and ill-defined responsibility, and yet this area is often where marketers will instinctively know most value can be added in the long term.

To be credible however, the specialist marketing functions have to be operating seamlessly and efficiently before a Marketing Director, can start to build an extended team of customer facing functions, over which they have limited influence and even less control!

Establish Functional excellence and be recognised for it!
Get good leaders in place
Cut out obvious waste
Sub-contract non-essential services
Empower the agency to its full potential
Set internal efficiency targets and beat them
Use a common language

Then, and only then, will be ready to start leading the rest of the organisation, and broadening the Marketing Function.