I see a mistake that derails marketing strategies again and again: setting up marketing teams as internal agencies that serve cross-functional “customers” in other departments.
This is a problem because it often leads to reactive, disconnected efforts, even in the age of complex AI, automation, data and marketing analytics.
Sometimes, marketing teams try to integrate strategic priorities. However, these meetings tend to be derailed by internal stakeholders who want to decide which topics or asset priorities are.
As a result, the marketing calendar becomes a chaotic, isolated to-do list driven by temporary requests from multiple teams.
The marketing team becomes a production store – pulling out assets without a clear strategic direction.
result? People burnedROI is still unclear, and companies want to know why their marketing is not tempted.
So, when it is inevitable Marketing strategy restarts Come (always come), how do you align new approaches with internal stakeholders’ expectations?
The answer is simple: stop thinking of these people as customers. I explained a better approach in the video above and one in more detail in the article below.
The internal team is not a customer
Marketers often view internal teams (sales, product marketing, PR, IT, executive leadership, etc.) as stakeholders. But, ask anyone on the marketing team if they consider themselves a stakeholder in sales, technology, or corporate communications, and you might hear, “Oh no, they are Our customer. ”
This idea is the source of the problem because it positions the marketing team as a service provider, not a strategic partner.
I used to work with a global enterprise technology company whose marketing team is simply to meet the requirements of thought leadership in product marketing, selling collateral and network copies.
But product marketing sees thought leadership as a monolingual and case study of products, rather than insight-oriented narratives that educate and inspire buyers.
Executives see selling collateral as a better tone deck and case study. All stakeholders see the web copy as a word that explains everything the company does in extremely technical details.
result? The marketing team is responsible. Internal stakeholders love the content. Actual customer? not much.
How to move from a service provider to a strategic leader
The marketing team succeeds when transferring (or being able to transfer) the strategic orchestration of transitioning from on-demand creators to brand voices.
This change usually requires a complete adjustment to the company’s mentality. People stop thinking about marketing in terms of execution and start thinking about how to lead to growth along with other business functions.
Internal Team-Stakeholders- investornot a customer. them Provide key insights, guidance and assistancebut they should not decide on the marketing agenda. The most successful businesses see marketing teams as assets to cultivate, manage, optimize and leverage business growth.
Modern marketing requires professional expertise, including in-depth data analysis. Behavioral Psychologytechnology, storytelling, revenue strategies and real-time decision making.
But too many organizations will bring marketing teams like reactive service providers, rather than strategic architects. So, what is missing?
These essential elements make a refined marketing team unique in 2025:
Investment Marketing Operations (lack of strategic layer)
The key shift in 2025 is the rise (or rebirth) of a more comprehensive role Marketing Operationsa structured discipline that optimizes marketing creation, production, measurement and distribution.
Over the past decade, many marketing teams have tried to graft the agile development process into their marketing actions, hoping to replicate the successes seen in software development.
Spoiler: Not effective.
The iterative cycle of marketing rarely leads to simple direct or volatile results. Unlike coding or crashing coding, marketing success unfolds over time. Reduce agility to faster speeds – prioritize The speed of the strategy and iteration of creative insights. The team broke more things But don’t take the time to learn or adapt to the ways that make things worth mentioning.
I’ve seen more successful teams embrace a structured but not strict approach. They are resuming marketing operations through intentional workflows, integrated tools, marketing analytics platforms and generated AI management systems to ensure smooth processes and clear efforts are attributed to business outcomes.
Combining AI-driven insights with human intelligence
AI and automation are now at the heart of marketing, providing data-driven insights that predict audience interest and identify high-value opportunities.
But that’s the thing – your organization is not the only one that uses AI. Thinking that AI gives you a competitive advantage today is like assuming your team was the only team that had a personal computer in the 1990s.
AI is a tool, not a tool that uses it, nor is it a tool that replaces using it.
The most meticulous marketing team Mix machine intelligence with human judgment. They use the speed and scale of AI while relying on human emotional intelligence and creativity to create real resonant stories. In other words, they use AI to shift the focus from routine execution to high-value strategic work.
Embrace emerging channels and media
In 2025, marketers are not only brand administrators, but also futurists, mathematicians and crazy scientists. They have to predict where the audience will be before they get there, analyze data patterns such as Wall Street traders, and try new formats like chemists in the lab. Successful content and marketing teams not only respond to change; they look forward to and architects.
This means proactively embracing emerging channels, e.g. Custom AI learning modelimmersive experiences, voice search optimization, short form video, interactive micro statements, and even augmented reality.
This level of adaptability requires more than just agility – it requires strategic investment in team expertise, talent retention and design frameworks that can experiment quickly while ensuring consistency across platforms.
These highly skilled abilities define modern marketing teams. However, they don’t explain how to improve marketing beyond the “service department” (or, as a marketing director, I know the “verbal and picture department”).
Keep stakeholder investors in marketing strategies
One of the biggest reasons marketing teams work hard for influence is that they are seen as Action,no thinker. C-Suite executives may outsource large-scale strategic thinking to institutions.
Few businesses provide marketing teams with room to develop strategies and creative muscles. Then, they wonder why marketing isn’t more strategic or creative. Executives put the marketing team in a box and then wonder why marketing can’t think outside of it.
This is not only a perceptual problem, but also a structural problem. If executive leadership doesn’t consider how marketing is positioned in the business, then every effort to change it is drama.
Even if it is Willing For change, the transition from perceived marketing as an order recipient to a strategic leader does not passively occur. It requires a basic reset of how the marketing team interacts with internal stakeholders.
Marketing leaders must position these stakeholders as investors, rather than seeing them as satisfying customers – Partners with successful marketing to own real shares.
This is the method.
Segment your stakeholders investors
Not all stakeholders have the same weight or motivation. Understanding key players in your organization allows you to tailor the approach, Establish an allianceand foresee resistance before it slows down.
- Influencer Hold political capital or control budgets, but they may not be directly involved in marketing. They can develop or undermine your initiatives, so even if they don’t care about the marketing itself, winning their initiatives is crucial.
- champion Be your internal advocate – those who already believe in the strategic value of marketing. They are often people who take new approaches early on, and can help you promote your vision throughout the company.
- Critics Resist change, either because they can’t see anything about them or because they are afraid of losing control. Some make sounds, while others are just disconnected from contact. The key is to understand their basic problems and solve them directly.
- Decision Maker Is the executive or department head who approves major marketing plans. They need to see a direct link between marketing plans and business outcomes.
- Participants Actively participate in execution whether in product marketing, sales support or creation of content creation. They are the people who will enjoy the daily impact of strategy, so their buying is crucial.
Recognizing where each stakeholder can help you customize messaging, predict objections, and build strategic consistency.
Design discussions, not interviews
Too many marketing teams take the participation of stakeholders (investors) as a list item, conducting interviews to gather opinions as if they were accepting orders. question? This approach strengthens the concept of internal stakeholders yes Customer, this is the dynamic you want to change.
Instead, consider these conversations as Create discussion together Structured by their investor type. The goal is not only to collect information, but also to reveal motivations, identify obstacles and transform perspectives. Ask questions beyond surface level feedback, such as:
- What is success like for your team and where is marketing suitable?
- What are the biggest challenges you face that marketing can help solve?
- What and hasn’t worked in past marketing efforts?
Bring conversations to business outcomes, transforming these discussions from a transactional Q&A meeting to a chance to reposition as a strategic partner.
Remember that marketing leadership is a process, not a project
One of the biggest myths in a corporate environment is that getting stakeholder buys is a one-time event. Reality? This is an ongoing process. Even the most successful marketing leaders face constant pressure to justify their budget, show impact and develop strategies to stay Aligned with transfer business priorities.
To maintain marketing as a strategic function, you need to:
- often Communication marketing impact From a critical perspective for stakeholders – business growth, revenue contribution, efficiency improvement.
- Let stakeholders go beyond the initial buy and engage them in ongoing discussions and strategic adjustments.
- When leadership changes or business priorities change, be prepared to resell marketing value.
Marketing is not a department that serves the business, but a driving function. But this will only become a fact if marketing leaders control the position within the organization.
Not all stakeholders are customers, but all clients are stakeholders
Customers are the most critical stakeholders in your marketing strategy, so don’t confuse them with the internal team requesting marketing support.
As strategist and author Eli Goldratt wrote, “Tell me how you measure me, and I will tell you how I will perform.” If your marketing team is measured by the internal requirements of their services, don’t be surprised when they are like the service department.
The best marketing team does not serve stakeholders. They lead them. That’s it Marketing drives ongoing business impact In 2025 and beyond.
Your marketing strategy should continue to evolve – because your customers do.
This is your story. very good.
Updated from the September 2022 story.
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Joseph Kalinowski/Cover image of the Academy of Content Marketing
