Six Degrees of Marketing Organizations

In the May 29 edition of Brandweek, Constantine von Hoffman shares findings from a Booz Allen Hamilton study which asked marketing executives about the structure/function of their marketing department within their overall company. After analyzing the responses, Booz Allen researchers identified that there are six types of marketing organizations.

1 | Marketing Masters
2 | Senior Counselors
3 | Service Providers
4 | Brand Builders
5 | Best Practice Advisors
6 | Growth Champions

1 | Marketing Masters “… enjoy the authority to coordinate with other major business functions. They do not, however, make strategic decisions and seldom lead new-business development.” [Hmm … sounds just like the corporate Starbucks marketing department where, when I was there, marketers were project leaders coordinating/facilitating interaction between business units.]

2 | Senior Counselors assist in guiding “… the CEO on marketing strategy and also serve as primary advisors on marketing strategy for individual businesses.” Rarely will these marketers lead product innovation initiatives, but they are responsible for leading major advertising and/or promotional campaigns.

3 | Service Providers are the coordinators of “… advertising, promotion and public relations at the request of the company’s brand and product teams.”

4 | Brand Builders provide “… marketing services like communications strategy, creative output and campaign execution of key brands, but their leadership role and decision rights on strategy and investment are all but negligible.” [The National Marketing Department at Whole Foods Market worked exactly this way when I was there. While we had virtually no say in the strategic direction of the company, we were responsible for developing and implementing marketing tactics.]

5 | Best Practice Advisors work directly with “… individual business units to maximize marketing effectiveness and efficiency” by gathering and disseminating best practices within the company as it relates to advertising, promotion, and public relations.

6 | Growth Champions lead their company’s efforts in product innovation and in new business development. They also are heavily involved in decisions pertaining to new-market penetration and strategic investments.

Anyone else care to chime in on which type of marketing organization the one you work in works under?

Comments

[Laura]

At my last job at Coast Hotels & Resorts (a western North American chain) I was the marketing coordinator, and our marketing department was all of two people. I would consider us to have fallen under the Growth Champions category. We were involved in all the strategic decisions related to marketing, many of the strategic decisions that fell outside of marketing, and my boss came up with several ideas for new products/services that were in fact implemented (such as two sports-themed suites at one of the hotels that were decorated under a partnership with Molson, and also a health package that combined the room rate with personal training at the fitness centre, a healthy breakfast and spa services). The marketing department was also involved in decisions as to where to build/buy new hotels.

[Mario Sundar]

Thanks, John, for helping out with my professional existential dilemma!? It was serendipity that I stumbled upon your post today. (my blog explains why)

I am a Growth Champion for my agency, since I'm involved in both strategic evaluation of new market opportunities as well as the tactical implementation of the sale. I also blog as a Best Practice advisor to whoever cares to listen :)

Hope you don't mind my utilizing some quotes from your post on my blog.

Thanks & keep up the great work, Mkting Doc.

Mario.

[DUST!N]

Hey johnmoore,

In my work in Telecom and Software corporations, I was largely part of groups described as Brand Builders (the original Booz Allen study actually calls them "Brand Foremen") but used as Service Providers. Talk about frustrating. High expectations were routinely crushed.

FYI, the original Booz Allen study also uses the term GROWTH FACILITATORS instead of MARKETING MASTERS. I like the original term better, since the "Marketing Masters" title would be tempting for most groups to adopt solely on its seemingly supreme title.

[olivier blanchard]

That's pretty cool.

The most productive Marketing Dept. I ever worked with was an amalgam of 1, 2, 4, and 6. (3 and 5 were mostly outsourced.) We actually led product innovation, (and by default: sales), and because of our in-depth market and product knowledge, were the CEO's primary strategic advisors. It was a fantastic combination.

[snwbdrhoon]

Thanks this will be helpful as our organization discusses the greater role of our Marketing department .

[DUST!N]

I have to apologize. The terms you used are the Booz Allen terms, looks like an article they pointed to used different terminology (strategy-business.com).

I did uncover this little nugget though. You can take a test to analyze which organization you work in:

http://marketingprofiler.com/survey

[Will Waugh]

This study was actually done in conjunction
with the ANA and the third phase results are
coming out. Micahel Palmer, our evp who
worked with Booz Allen on this actually posted
today on this topic - http://ana.blogs.com/maestros/2006/06/growththe_only_.html

[Matt Armendariz]

Having spent over 9 years in marketing at Whole Foods Market in 4 different regions (leaving right before you got there, John) I'd have to say that you hit the nail right on the head. It was actually that structure you identified that made me want to search for greener (and different) pastures.

[Eric Kintz]

Thought you would enjoy my follow up post that describes the key characteristics of "Growth Champions" - http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs/kintz/archive/2006/06/12/1159.html
Eric

[Juno888]

..I'm an undergraduate at UNC and a candidate for Chapel Hill Town Council, and if you're lucky enough to be here next Tuesday you'll be here on election day.