Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5WPR

Noted singer Frank Sinatra introduced the song bearing that title in 1955. Its lyrics went on, “…go together like a horse and carriage……you can’t have one without the other.”

Why?

Marketing and leadership parallel those lyrics. A marketing manager, as the title implies, manages marketing for an organization. That is their sole responsibility. However, a chief marketing officer usually has a “seat at the table” with other senior staff and possibly board members. They must also balance strategic planning, along with analytical data and finances. The ideal marketing manager has both skill sets.

What Does It Take?

Learn as much as you can about your customers and your target market. This enables you to draft a viable strategy that keeps customers satisfied and loyal to your brand or company. 

By knowing your target market, you’ll be able to respond quickly and effectively to shifting needs and interests. Companies that are able to do this are seen as industry pacesetters and are more likely to increase their market share during times of change.

Stay ahead of competitors by not being afraid to question the status quo. Engage and challenge your staff. Test market innovative ideas and products. Conduct focus groups. Be perceived as the leader in your field.

In addition to fostering teamwork and ideas among your team and within your organization, keep other senior staff advised and updated on your activities. In addition to keeping everyone internally apprised of your work, it’s important to brand yourself outside by networking via social media with your counterparts and marketing groups. Some may be competitors, but they sometimes have ideas you’ve not thought about.

Last but not least, successful marketing leaders motivate their peers. Besides encouraging innovation and new ideas, opening your door and your head to new ideas is refreshing and empowering. It helps by being positive, setting a good example, and paying attention to your own emotional intelligence. 

Doing this will raise the level of teamwork and spirit within the marketing department while also conveying to co-workers that it’s okay to throw out some wild and crazy ideas sometimes. The latter follows today’s popular trend of thought leadership marketing, a subsection of content marketing. It’s yet another way to position your company as a leader and expert in its field. An astute marketing leader understands thought leadership and employs it as an integral element of the company’s inclusive marketing strategy. 

Thought leadership marketing can be invaluable when your target market believes there is a major issue or problem like the frequency of data breaches we read about on a somewhat regular basis these days. It can be very beneficial if and when your competition has a dubious position in your field. It can also propel you to greater recognition as a leader in your industry if you announce a superior way to resolve a pressing issue or problem, or if your studies provide you with a new solution or alternative.

About the Author: Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading Public Relations Agency.