We recently hosted a webinar, Survival of the Best Connected, to explore the future of the marketing operating model.
Compared with many other industries, marketing still lacks a clearly defined and consistently applied operating system. Architects train for years to create plans that every contractor can interpret, and that ultimately result in buildings that stand up. Doctors work within established systems, terminology and protocols to diagnose and triage patients before deciding how to treat them. Technology may run across different operating systems, but the industry has developed the standards, expertise, quality controls and investment needed to manage them effectively.
Marketing has always had its own shared conventions: roles, briefs, creative development, production and approval processes. But these conventions vary significantly between organisations and agencies, and are often treated as flexible guidance rather than essential infrastructure. That matters more now than ever.
AI investment is accelerating across marketing. Agencies and consultancies have made AI central to their transformation agenda, while technology and media platforms continue to promise greater automation, speed and efficiency.
But without the right foundations in place, those investments risk adding more complexity to an already fragmented system.
To explore the challenge, and what marketing organisations need to get right next, we were joined by:
- Kate Brady, Global Head of Creative Content Transformation, PepsiCo
- Mark Knowles, Global Solutions Officer, dentsu
- Michelle Weinrich, Senior Director, Enterprise Portfolio Management, McDonald’s
We used four foundations to examine that operating system:
- A common language: shared standards and taxonomy.
- Data and Connected intelligence: information that can be connected and used.
- Processes: shared Ways of working, governance and workflows.
- The Tech that can accelerate it: technology, partners and AI designed to work together.
Here were the key themes of discussion:
- AI needs a strong operating model underneath it
AI can accelerate a well-connected marketing organisation, but it can also magnify the problems in a disconnected one. Fragmented processes, inconsistent terminology, unclear ownership and disconnected data do not disappear when new technology is introduced. In many cases, they become more visible. The organisations that get the most from AI will be those that first create the foundations that allow technology to work effectively across the business.
- Shared language and connected data create better intelligence
Connection starts with consistency. If teams, markets and partners use different definitions for activities, assets, audiences or performance, it becomes far harder to connect information and scale automation. A shared language makes it easier to link data across the organisation and turn it into something genuinely useful. The aim is not simply to collect more information, but to create a clearer view of what is working, what is driving value and where resources should be focused.
Poll insight: 63% of attendees felt that the language used across their marketing organisation was consistent in some areas, but fragmented in others.
- Clear governance helps organisations move faster
Governance does not have to mean more bureaucracy. Clear decision rights help teams understand who owns a decision, who needs to contribute and where human judgement is required. This becomes increasingly important as AI and automation begin to support more areas of marketing. When responsibilities are clear, teams can spend less time navigating ambiguity and more time acting on the information available to them.
- The whole marketing ecosystem needs to be connected
The marketing operating system extends beyond the internal team. Agencies, technology partners and specialist providers all play a role in how work gets done. The challenge is to make sure the right work sits in the right place, with clear responsibilities across people, partners and technology. Without that connection, organisations risk creating isolated pockets of efficiency that improve individual activities without improving the wider system.
Poll insight: 67% of attendees say that the biggest blocker to their company’s ability to connect and leverage marketing data is a lack of alignment and ownership between teams.
- Transformation still depends on people
Introducing new technology does not automatically change how people work. Successful adoption depends on helping teams understand why change is happening, what it means for their role and how it will improve the way work gets done. Human judgement, context and accountability remain essential, even as automation becomes more sophisticated. The opportunity is to create an operating model where people and technology complement one another, and where change is built around practical value rather than technology alone.
Poll insight: 27% of attendees would score their marketing operating system “way behind” other global teams.
Thank you so much to our brilliant panellists, and everyone that joined us to tune into the discussion. If you’d like to read our practical guide on how you can build a joined up connected operating model, please fill in the form below.