A unified organization charged with managing the business of marketing.
Complex global companies are challenged to do more with fewer resources, both in terms of staffing levels and budgetary dollars available for programs. This means operating at peak efficiency, which is not always possible when the disciplines represented in marketing departments operate in silos, or when financial information is limited to what is available in the corporate general ledger. The result is missed opportunities or added costs, or both.
To addresses these issues and improve the execution capabilities of marketing, successful and highly competitive companies are establishing central marketing operations functions or Centers of Excellence. The goal of a Center of Excellence is to take on the burden of managing the internal and external supply chains that must operate efficiently to ensure that marketing programs execute on time, and on budget, and align correctly with corporate objectives. A Center of Excellence shifts responsibilities for the “marketing supply chain” from the other primary functions of marketing, (i.e., brand, product and innovation, voice of the customer and revenue) in order to allow them to do what they do best.
The leader of the Center of Excellence often serves as the “chief of staff” to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The responsibilities assumed by this center of excellence typically include:
- Marketing Governance – management and oversight of the marketing budget, or investment portfolio
- Project Management Office – management and oversight of marketing programs and schedule
- Shared Services – centralized marketing communications, creative, art direction and management of agency relationships
- Liaison with Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources and Procurement
The benefits of a Center of Excellence include process discipline and consistency, rigorous financial and schedule accountability, strategic alignment, and more efficient overall operations as marketing specialists are focused on their areas of expertise and not on administration.
MarketSphere helps companies successfully plan for, establish, and operate marketing operations Centers of Excellence. Our clients leverage our proprietary marketing operations vision framework, or Transformation Vision Map™, to improve their business of marketing.
Transformation Vision Map™
