Building a High-Performing Global Marketing Team? 10 Steps to Get You Started.
Whether your team spans regions or operates in one location, nurturing a high-performing global marketing team is essential. In this article, we’ll explore strategies for building and leading a global marketing dream team with a focus on MarTech adoption, incorporating emerging tech, and achieving operational efficiency while fostering creativity.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
1. Define your team’s mission and vision: Your team’s vision sets the overarching purpose for its existence. It answers the question, “Why do we do what we do?” Let’s say your mission is to drive brand awareness and market penetration – this helps ensure the team works towards a common goal. While your vision paints a vivid picture of what success looks like in the future. This provides a sense of aspiration, inspiring your team to strive for greatness.
Example of how I am applying this: With my team I focus on three things: We want to deliver value to the business, contribute to driving revenue, and create unique and positive customer experiences.
2. Assemble a diverse mix of talent: Building a global marketing team necessitates the inclusion of individuals hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds and markets. These individuals possess an intimate understanding of their local markets, discerning customer demands, and the subtleties of different cultures. The incorporation of a multifaceted team of experts from various corners of the globe is invaluable.
Example of how I am applying this: During my tenure at Deloitte, I assumed the responsibility of shaping the global marketing and brand strategy for Global Consulting and Global Audit with key global executives, spanning over 150+ countries. In my interactions with each marketing team across the countries, I had the privilege of seamlessly integrating myriad local strategies into our global initiatives and orchestrating ways for local activations of global strategies too. As I currently assemble my team in my current role, I’ve consciously adopted a similar approach, bringing on board team members strategically positioned across the globe in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, India, and various other locales. Bringing skills and expertise from all corners shapes our strategies and our thinking.
3. Promote continuous learning and development: Learning and development is not only about participating in industry conferences, webinars, and online courses. It also entails learning about the market, business, and customer demands. If your team member is looking to evolve their career or specialize in a specific domain, as a marketing leader, it’s important to guide them throughout their growth and development plans.
Example of how I am applying this: I allocate time each day to stay updated on the stock exchange and market trends shaped by political decisions and actions of Fortune 500 companies. This informs my understanding of external factors affecting business leaders, my primary audience, and how organizations are likely to enhance their operations for improved customer experiences. It also helps analyze PESTEL (Political, Environmental, Social, Technological, Economical, and Legal) factors influencing industries. Additionally, I rely on investor relations reports to gain insights into companies’ strategic investments. This approach allows me to comprehensively grasp the business and market dynamics. These are tips I share with my team members to help further their growth and development plans.
4. Establish clear roles and responsibilities: Ensure each global marketing team member understands their role, with specific functions such as data analysis, marketing automation, content creation, and campaign management clearly defined.
Example of how I am applying this: When I was first building out a global marketing team, I asked current team members about their strengths, areas for improvement, skillsets, and their passions. Based on that information, I linked their profile to the right function and role. At first, they were playing roles that covered multiple domains but some preferred specializing in their own marketing function where they can thrive. It’s essential to set your team up for success and ensuring that their skillsets align to what they want to do while ensuring business needs are met – this is useful for your talent retention approach and just being human as a leader.
5. Foster collaboration and communication: Implement regular virtual team meetings across time zones, utilizing collaboration tools, while also integrating project management tools and MarTech plaforms for efficient communication. Fostering a positive team culture as you continue to grow is not easy. Roles evolve, new functions are created, some functions become merged, or new team members join while others may leave. Staying connected and ensuring everyone feels like they are part of One Team is important.
Example of how I am applying this: When I was first building out our global marketing team, there were cultural differences and change is always difficult to manage, especially when introducing new ways of working. We had a “group therapy” session together. I asked each team member to share the following:
a) What do you like and not like today about how you’re collaborating and communicating with the team? b) After the team member shared, we’d all say “I hear you. I understand you. And I will support you.”
This session was successful as each of us were transparent and open to better our team dynamics. They also had the chance to see that the emotions they felt within did not have to be dealt with in solitude.
6. Set your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Define your goals by priority area, leverage MarTech for data-driven tracking, and monitor to ensure you are meeting your goals or pivot where needed. By setting KPIs, your team is able to get direction of what they need to achieve and it sets accountability, as well.
Example of how I am applying this: I start with understanding what the strategic imperatives are for the business. Based on those priorities, I identify the marketing strategy and for each there may be a qualitative and/or quantitative measure. Having the team review those KPIs together and having them make a commitment in their roles are key. I also have one of our team members solely responsible for our marketing KPI reporting which we cover every month, quarter, and at year-end to ensure we are progressing well. We review website traffic, lead generation, conversions, campaign performance, win/loss analysis, and more. This keeps us on our toes and it also helps us determine whether we should continue, stop, or pivot an initiative based on results.
7. Provide the right tools and resources: Invest in a comprehensive MarTech stack that includes marketing automation, data analytics, AI-driven personalization, and content management systems, along with offering training and support for these tools.
Example of how I am applying this: Marketing operational efficiencies is very critical and it’s important to scale tools and resources as your team continues to expand. Consistency is important but you also want to create convenience and speed for your team. By implementing this, it helps increase productivity, strategic and creative thinking while automating the mundane or routine tasks. One of my current team members takes pride in managing all marketing technology tools and processes and looks at ways to create improvements that better not only our marketing team but sales as well.
8. Encourage innovation and risk-tasking: Celebrate successful innovative campaigns powered by MarTech, encouraging team members to experiment with emerging tech, such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), chatbots, AI, etc. while ensuring alignment with the overall strategy.
Example of how I am applying this: With AI on the rise, I continue to encourage the use of AI tools in everyday marketing needs from content creation, visualizations, campaign strategy development, and more. Marketing is responsible for building a strong brand in the market and with that, innovation plays an integral role. In addition to external brand and marketing efforts, we, as a team, need to be innovative in our operational approaches, as well.
9. Recognize and reward excellence: Acknowledge outstanding performance with awards, bonuses, or public recognition, with an emphasis on achievements with improved/positive results.
Example of how I am incorporating this: Every 2-3 weeks, I look at my team and do a shoutout with #celebratingteamsuccess. It’s a way to ensure we are highlighting achievements across the team equally. On the last Monday of the month, we started discussing celebratory achievements and I ask each to name 1-2 individuals who have contributed/collaborated with them in that month regardless of whether they are on the call.
10. MarTech integration and operational efficiency: As a global marketing leader, lead by embracing new ways of working, MarTech tools for data-driven decision-making, process automation, and personalization while fostering a culture of openness to new technologies. Incorporating MarTech into your global marketing team’s workflow is vital for operational efficiency and unleashing creativity.
Example of how I am applying this: Some key areas that I have discussions about with my team are related to:
a) Marketing automation: Implementing tools for automated email marketing, lead nurturing, and campaign management to save time and enhance customer interactions.
b) Data analytics: Leveraging MarTech platforms for real-time data analysis, audience segmentation, and performance tracking to refine strategies and boost ROI.
c) AI and personalization: Utilizing artificial intelligence for personalized content recommendations, chatbots, and predictive analytics to enhance customer experiences.
d) Content management: Employing content management systems (CMS) to streamline content creation, collaboration, and distribution across global teams.
e) Emerging tech adoption: Embracing emerging technologies like AR, VR, and voice search to create innovative and immersive marketing campaigns.
Building and leading a high-performing global marketing team requires a holistic approach that combines talent, strategy, and technology. By embracing diversity, fostering collaboration, and leveraging the power of MarTech and emerging tech, you can achieve operational efficiency while nurturing creativity and achieving remarkable results in the dynamic world of global marketing. Adapt, innovate, and lead your team to success in this digitally-driven era.
Stay tuned for more content related to how you can organize your team by function to be effective and agile. Best wishes to you on the beginning of your journey.
Sincerely,
Reena Agnihotri – your MarTechTalk CMO