Anatomy of a World Class Marketing Organization

The Anatomy self-diagnostic examines impact and performance across 20 critical attributes of a highly effective marketing organization. Results from the Anatomy will enable guests to expose opportunity gaps (areas rated high impact and relatively low effectiveness) and differences in perceived performance across the organization.
We encourage guests to apply this diagnostic tool in their organizations to aid strategy-setting and opportunity identification efforts. The Marketing Leadership Council’s additional services, such as on-site sessions and ongoing best-practice-sharing, assist new members in leveraging information gleaned from this self-diagnostic to improve the overall effectiveness of their marketing organizations


1. Market Assessment
We have our finger on the pulse of what drives growth in our market and in our customers’ markets. We consistently recognize meaningful trends before our competitors do.


2. Competitive Positioning
We can clearly articulate what differentiates our products/services from those of our competitors, and we effectively communicate these differentiators in all our marketing efforts.


3. Planning
Our marketing plan is created based on a clear understanding of highest-impact customer priorities and is highly adaptable to changing market dynamics.


4. New Product Development
We systematically incorporate customer voice into the new product development process; product development resources are never committed without marketing’s early input.


5. Brand Development
We have a clear understanding of our brand’s differentiating attributes, which we express in simple-to-explain terms; these attributes are understood throughout our organization and by our customers.

6. Brand Leverage and Extension
We evaluate opportunities to leverage/extend our brands based not only on their own growth potential, but also on their ability to strengthen the core brand in the long term.


7. Portfolio Management
We systematically rebalance our investments across our portfolio of brands/product lines/SKUs in order to focus on those with the highest potential for growth. We are not afraid to shed underperforming parts of the portfolio.


8. Customer Segmentation
Our segmentation methodology(ies) is/are tailored to our specific organizational objectives, clearly communicated throughout the company, and actionable by those who benefit most from their use.


9. Customer Understanding
We possess a holistic understanding of our customers’ needs, as well as the relative priority of those needs, across the entire purchase and use cycle.


10. Experience Management
We understand the most critical elements of the customer experience and track operational metrics for each. We systematically trigger service programs in response to executional shortfalls.


11. Customer Problem Resolution
We rapidly identify and diagnose root causes of customer problems and then aggressively mobilize resources across multiple functions to take corrective action whenever necessary.

12. Media Mix Selection
We consistently and effectively allocate our media spending based on a clear understanding of the returns on investment from each of the different elements in the mix.


13. Marketing Communications
We create measurably impactful marketing communications and use only the most effective channels given our target customers.


14. Promotions/Merchandising
We systematically use data (not instinct) to drive our critical merchandising and promotions decisions; we know the programs we pursue maximize profits in the long term.


15. Sales Support
We meaningfully and measurably contribute to the ability of our sales organization to speed time-to-close and serve our customers effectively.


16. Pricing
We price such that we know we are achieving the maximum value possible from our market.


17. Channel Management
We manage product/service flows across channels in a (long-term) profit-maximizing manner. We effectively tailor incentives to drive desired behaviors.

18. Marketing Role Definition
We know precisely where marketing should be “playing” in the organization to best support firm goals—which processes we should be leading versus supporting and where we should be integrating more closely with peer functions.


19. Talent Management
We adjust competency requirements as the marketing environment changes and clarify performance expectations based on that model.

20. Measuring Performance
We carefully track (and report to senior executives) a small set of metrics that clearly demonstrate marketing’s contribution to corporate goals.