Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of fragmented messaging, Or to take arms against a sea of confusion, And, by opposing, bring consistency to branding? - ChatGPT
For those of us in higher education and nonprofit marketing leadership, this is the age-old question. The effort to build, manage, and activate an effective marketing organization can feel like living in a Shakespearean tragedy, day-in and day-out. And while there are many similarities between the two including the tragic hero, the tragic flaw, conflict, and chaos, most of these stories do not end in death and destruction. So, let’s focus on the positive benefits of each approach. (See GreenLight's take at the end.)
Top 5 Benefits of Centralized Marketing Organizations:
#1: Consistency in Brand-building
Centralization ensures consistency in messaging, branding, and communication across all departments and programs and drives brand-building, recognition, and increased credibility and reputation.
#2: Coordination
Aligning marketing efforts with overall strategic goals helps avoid duplication of efforts and ensures that resources are being used effectively.
#3: Efficiency
Resources and expertise can be shared across the institution or nonprofit, helping to reduce costs and increase productivity.
#4: Data-driven Decision-making
Analysis of data from across the institution or nonprofit helps to identify trends and opportunities which guide better strategic decision-making and improve the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
#5: Attract and Retain Talent
Centralize marketing experience and opportunities for mentorship, cross-functional training, professional development, and career advancement by leveraging the common talents of a team.
Top 4 Benefits of Decentralized Marketing Organizations:
#1: Audience Knowledge
Individual departments or programs may be closer to and have a stronger understanding of their unique audiences and messaging needs, paving the way for more insightful and tailored marketing efforts.
#2: Responsiveness and Flexibility
Marketers who are responsive to the needs of individual departments or programs, rather than the entire institution or nonprofit, have more control over resources, timing, and prioritization of projects.
#3: Less Perceived Risk
Focus on a singular audience can encourage innovation and experimentation in marketing strategies to address unique marketing challenges and opportunities, many times outside the scope of responsibility and budget of a centralized marketing department.
#4: Ownership
Embedding marketing talent across the institution or nonprofit can help foster a greater sense of pride and ownership.
GreenLight's Take
The biggest cons of a decentralized structure, and these are big ones, are the added costs of additional headcount, budget, and duplicative resources, as well as the risk of sacrificing long-term brand-building for short-term KPIs.
In GreenLight's humble opinion, we believe the organizational structure is less important than the institutional or nonprofit culture of teamwork, collaboration, respect, and transparency. For marketing leaders that means:
having an equal seat on the cabinet or in executive leadership
ensuring presidential support and respect for marketing expertise
establishing appropriate operational budgets to get the job done
owning a scope of responsibilities that allows marketers to holistically own the customer experience, and
having the willingness of academic, administrative, and fundraising divisions to understand the 10,000-foot view of the customer journey and partner effectively with marketing to create an exceptional “customer” experience.
Let’s not make the battle behind the stage drive what the audience sees and experiences. In the end, we will all be better off.
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