In today's fast-paced business environment, companies need to constantly adapt and evolve their marketing operating model to keep up with the changing consumer landscape. An operating model is a framework that outlines how your marketing team operates, including the processes, tools, and technologies used to deliver value to customers.  Part 1 of this blog covered defining your Marketing Operations Strategy. So now that you have your goals and value proposition identified, you’ll want to ensure that your operating model supports them. Modernizing this model ensures that your marketing team is agile, efficient, and customer-centric, while helping you achieve your marketing goals. In this blog, we'll discuss some key steps you can take to achieve this optimization.

Analysis

The first step in modernizing your marketing operating model is to conduct a thorough analysis of your current operating model by looking at your processes, structures, and technology. This will help you identify areas that need improvement and areas where you can innovate. 

Ask yourself questions like:

  • How will your marketing team be organized? Will you have a centralized or decentralized structure?

  • What processes will you use to execute your marketing strategy? Will you use agile methodologies or waterfall?

  • What technology will you rely on to execute your marketing campaigns? 

  • How do you plan to measure success?

By answering these questions, you'll gain a better understanding of your current operating model and where you need to focus your efforts. For example, you may need to streamline your workflows, implement new marketing automation tools, or upgrade your customer relationship management system. You can prioritize these areas based on their potential impact on your marketing performance and the resources required to implement them.

Plan, Implement, and Test

Then, develop your plan to realize these improvements. Make sure your plan is realistic, actionable, and aligned with your overall business strategy, as well as the latest marketing trends and technologies.

Once you have developed your plan, it's time to implement it. Monitor your progress closely and iterate as needed. Continuously test and optimize your marketing efforts to ensure you are delivering maximum value to your customers. This will involve making changes to your processes, structures, and technology. You may need to train your team on new tools and processes, or hire new staff with the necessary skills.

Optimization and Measurement

Finally, it's important to monitor and optimize your new operating model. This will help you identify areas where you can make further improvements and ensure that you're achieving your business goals. Use data to track your KPIs and measure the success of your marketing campaigns. Regularly review your operating model and make adjustments as necessary.

Here are some key things to consider while optimizing your marketing operating model:

  • Understand your customer. In today's digital age, customer data is key. By analyzing customer data, you can gain insights into their needs, preferences, and behaviors. Use this data to inform your marketing strategies and personalize your messaging and offers to them.

  • Develop a customer-centric culture. To truly modernize your marketing operating model, you need to not only understand your customer, but develop a customer-centric culture. This means putting the customer at the center of everything you do, and prioritizing their needs and preferences above all else.

  • Create a diverse team. A modern marketing operating model requires a diverse team with a range of skills and backgrounds. By building a team with diverse perspectives and experiences, you can ensure that your marketing strategies are not only inclusive but effective.

  • Break down silos. Creating diverse teams alone is not enough. In many organizations, marketing operates in silos, with different teams working on different channels and campaigns. To modernize your marketing operating model, it's important to break down these silos and create a more integrated and collaborative approach.

  • Embrace technology. Marketing technology is constantly evolving, and it's important to stay up-to-date with the latest tools and platforms. Automation, AI, and machine learning can help streamline your marketing operations and improve your ROI.

  • Adopt an agile approach. Traditional marketing models can be slow and inflexible. Agile marketing, on the other hand, is all about experimentation, iteration, and rapid prototyping. By adopting an agile approach, you can quickly adapt to changing market conditions and customer needs.

  • Don’t forget the metrics that matter. In the past, marketers relied on metrics such as reach and impressions to measure their success. Today, it's important to focus on metrics that directly impact your business goals, such as customer acquisition, retention, and revenue.  

Modernizing your marketing operating model can be a challenging process, but it's essential for staying competitive in today's market. By reviewing your current model, identifying areas for improvement, and developing a new model based on the latest marketing trends and technologies, you can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase revenue. By adopting these tips, you can create a marketing team that is agile, efficient, and customer-centric, while achieving your marketing goals in the digital age. And remember, upgrading your operating model is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of continuous improvement to ensure that you’re achieving your business goals.