By Chelsea Macleod, Account Director
In my career so far, I’ve been fortunate enough to engage with business leaders in a variety of industries spanning construction, manufacturing, FMCG, professional services and cyber security. One thing that I have found, is that the perceived value of marketing leadership and investment in the function differs greatly from business to business.
In some organisations, especially industries where work winning through competitive tender or long-standing relationships with owners is the norm, marketing can be seen as a support function. Responsible for brochures, websites, and events, it’s often positioned as the team that adds polish rather than direction. The nice to have rather than the need to have.
But this view is changing. In an increasingly competitive landscape and rapidly evolving digital world, the importance of strategic thinking, customer & market insights and carefully crafted messaging that cuts through the noise is being highlighted.
Lack of Leadership: A Missed Opportunity for Strategic Impact
SMEs, especially in technical sectors have deep expertise in operations and delivery but can underinvest in marketing. Leadership teams may know that having a marketing budget is important. But the recruitment budget may only stretch to a couple of mid-level marketing generalists to take care of everything from events, the website, internal comms, PR, social media and sales enablement, plus more. This can lead to overstretched teams that lack strategic direction. With no clear goals, the messaging gets messy, and the brand positioning gets confused.
Ultimately this leads to the function not being properly set up for success. It is seen as a cost centre for businesses rather than a value driver.
If you recognise this mindset in your own business, I challenge you to reverse that thinking. Including senior marketers in leadership conversations brings a fresh lens to business challenges and unlocks new opportunities for growth.
The Case for Strategic Marketing Leadership
When marketing is represented at the highest level, businesses are better positioned to:
- Navigate market changes with agility
- Align the positioning of the business with what your customer or client genuinely wants
- Deliver targeted growth and meet commercial goals
- Build and maintain competitive advantage
- Launch new services and products more effectively
- Strengthen their brand reputation and build trust
And whilst not every SME has the resources for a full-time Chief Marketing Officer, that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from senior strategic marketing input.
Filling the Gap with External Expertise
This is where organisations like Genoa Black can step in. With experience across sectors and a deep understanding of both strategy and execution, we act as an extension of your leadership team. We bring CMO-level thinking, without the overheads.
Strategic marketing leadership is a critical driver of business growth. And in today’s fast-moving B2B environment, having that voice at the table isn’t just smart, it’s essential.
Looking to unlock the full strategic potential of marketing in your business? Let’s start the conversation.
