This is a great perspective. I have noticed a trend in the marketing industry of promoting sales at the expense of overhead roles (i.e. operations, project managers, Analytics and Data managers, etc.). It is short-term thinking that drives quick bursts of revenue, but it ultimately weakens the foundation of long-term success. We live in an age of big-data. When I was working in the pro sports world, there was a huge pivot into capturing data to create tactical advantages. All of those roles were overhead. Individuals created the systems and processes to capture data and then build teams that are tasked with analyzing it. It is no longer an advantage to have these internal teams. It is imperative to have one just to reach the baseline level of relevance. Marketing is no different. We are no longer dealing with simple task management; global agencies have proprietary systems that track every step of a project's life cycle-from invoicing to completion. This is all converted to data. Data is analyzed to identify inefficiencies and converted to strategies to identify opportunities for growth. While these overhead roles might not directly tie to immediate revenue like sales or production, they build the infrastructure for future success. Strategic thinkers understand that the data analyzed today will drive revenue tomorrow. Building strong operations and analytics teams is an investment that yields long-term returns, even if it doesn’t show up in the next quarterly earnings report. In a world where data is king, neglecting these roles in favor of short-term gains is a mistake. Investing in marketing overhead creates a strong foundation for growth and scalability, ensuring sustained success for years to come.
Shall we reclaim the word "overhead"? Maybe treat it like it isn't a four-letter word? Successful nonprofits can only do their magic because of people working behind the scenes in administrative roles. They make sure that all the logistical details get covered so that the lights come on, to keep the organization in legal compliance, to have effective public communications, and so front line staff can depend on a steady paycheck. How much good could nonprofits do in the world without overhead? #nonprofit #OverheadMyth #OverheadLie
Great points on the long-term versus the short-term. It's always good to find someone who understands the value of planting a tree today even if we might not be able to enjoy its fruit or shade for years to come.