Marketing cannot work in isolation.
The role of marketing is to help bring the needs of the market to the business and take the business to the market.
To perform effectively, a business needs its teams to operate as a unified group; working towards common business goals, sharing information about the business, customers and markets, competitors and suppliers. As businesses evolve, departments form with managers pitching to increase or retain resources and budgets. It is no wonder that internal or ‘tribal warfare and silos’ are created.
A further challenge for team unification is with Globalisation, which has brought about an internationally diverse workforce, where different cultures perform in different ways in business, serving traditional and new markets. If the business or a team is forced to operate at the level of its common denominator there will be no synergy and the team will fail.
Organisational disconnect – Tribal Warfare
Regardless of size, organisations require the same core functions to operate effectively. Effectiveness is not achieved if each group works as a separate tribe.
Failing to recognise gaps in your business, or understand the intimate relationship each function should have with each other, can fuel poor business performance.
Without inter-organisational alignment; mutual understanding of goals, communication and cooperation, business may flounder.
Typically these tribes will ignore those that they are employed to serve; tribal warfare has a direct, negative impact on customers!
The marketing function can operate as a ‘medicine man’ across the organisation; providing information about customers, prospects and markets, and assisting business units to understand and deliver against those needs.
Marketing must wear two hats: as Customer Champion and Envoy to the Business. The marketing function exists to bring the needs of customers and markets to the attention of the business, in order for the business to deliver a profitable proposition.
