Marketing: the unseen engine driving growth

3 days ago I woke up from a nightmare deriving from the darkest dungeons presented in horror movies; a very loved ex-colleague, now acting as a consultant, dared to finally nag about how marketing function is often unappreciated or at least misunderstood within multiple industries.

“I cannot stand that people still see it as "just making pretty visuals." he said, coming just out of a meeting with a prospect who, in a very kind and subtle manner, claimed that “t’s about throwing money at ads and hoping for the best”.

But for those of us in the trenches, marketing is a complex, strategic force—one that aligns business goals, customer insights, and creativity to fuel growth.

“Even God needs marketing, that’s why church bells ring” (Someone, in a Greek university classroom, back in 2000)

So, why does marketing sometimes feel like the middle child in the corporate family?

Here’s a thought: Marketing’s impact is so pervasive that it’s easy to miss. When done right, it feels seamless—like an air traffic controller guiding every piece of your business ecosystem. From product positioning to demand generation, from customer experience to brand reputation, marketing touches it all. But because its success often looks like "things just working," it’s rarely celebrated.

This lack of visibility can create challenges.

Undervaluation of Effort

Marketing budgets are often scrutinized; 2023 saw average marketing budget cuts of 15-25% across industries. And yes, global recession pressures are intensifying. So, why spend on a brand campaign when there’s no immediate bump in revenue? The ROI of long-term brand loyalty, reputation, or customer trust can be hard to quantify.

So, embrace the fact that data speaks louder than assumptions and speak the language of ROI in things that make sense.

• Transform marketing metrics into business insights and tie every campaign to measurable outcomes—leads generated, sales pipeline impact, or brand sentiment improvement. Use KPIs like Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) or Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) to show the tangible and intangible value marketing creates.
• Focus on ROI-driven campaigns that target high-impact opportunities, such as nurturing existing customers or upselling complementary products. Reallocate budgets toward cost-efficient channels like digital marketing, which allows for precise targeting and real-time performance tracking. During the 2008 recession, Amazon didn’t cut back on marketing or innovation. Instead, they doubled down on customer-centric strategies, like emphasizing value and convenience. This approach strengthened their market position, setting the stage for exponential growth.
• Host regular sessions explaining the “why” behind campaigns, showcasing successful outcomes to stakeholders who may not fully grasp marketing’s role. Remind people for example that Spotify's personalized playlists demonstrate how data-driven marketing creates tangible customer value 😊 and that Initially, skeptics might questioned the need for a personalization-focused rebrand of Coca-Colla cans and bottles. Yet, the Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign led to a 7% rise in U.S. sales and spurred global engagement, showcasing the power of emotional resonance in marketing.

(Personally, if the climate allows it, I would even go to Apple’s case, where their marketing transformed technology from functional devices to lifestyle statements, and to Nike, which doesn’t just sell shoes, but the idea of personal empowerment).

Share insights into how campaigns align with business objectives. For example, explain how a branding campaign improves customer trust, which leads to higher lifetime value. And of course, do not forget to highlight team contributions from other departments - product teams, sales, and operations - when sharing marketing successes!

In short, what we need to address here is that perhaps we need to shift the narrative and reframe our message.  Executives often care most about metrics tied directly to revenue. Instead of pitching a “brand-building campaign,” present it as “a strategy to reduce churn by Χ%.”  If leadership speaks in terms of “efficiency” and “cost savings,” reframe marketing’s impact in those terms. For example, “This content strategy will save €X in paid ads while driving organic traffic.”

In addition, I think that it’s crucial to know when we need to start small and build wins, i.e. focus on smaller, quick-win initiatives that don’t require significant buy-in or budget. . Small successes build credibility, even in skeptical environments. Low-cost email campaigns to boost customer retention or to share customer success stories internally to highlight the value of marketing insights could create a spark. When the results are undeniable, it becomes harder to overlook marketing’s contribution.

Silo Syndrome

Marketing thrives when integrated with other departments, but all too often, it’s looped in late—after product launches or sales strategies are set. This creates disjointed messaging and missed opportunities for impact.

When Slack launched, their marketing didn’t work in isolation. It was deeply embedded with product teams to craft messaging that highlighted Slack’s features as solutions to real user pain points. The result? A user-first narrative that transformed how companies thought about workplace communication.

So, my two cents on the matter:

• Invite marketing early: Include marketing in strategy sessions, product launches, and sales planning meetings. Inviting marketing to sales kickoffs or product sprint reviews can align goals and messaging. Their (ok yes, our) customer insights and messaging expertise can help shape more cohesive plans. Personal experience from participating in conceptualizing and listing features for a MarTech solution shows that marketers can streamline and create shortcuts to identifying specific market challenges, translate user needs into feature requirements and technical capabilities into user benefits. Marketers can also benchmark existing solutions, identify market gaps and understand differentiation opportunities. Moreover, it’s almost an axiom (rather than a theory) that non-technical audiences respond better to, or even require clear, benefits-focused messaging.

• Create cross-functional teams: Assign marketing liaisons within sales, product, and customer success teams to foster collaboration. This ensures marketing insights—customer pain points, competitor positioning—are integrated early, and in the end, everyone has a shared understanding of goals and messaging.

In a not-so-subtle way, what we are discussing here is the option to look for allies in other departments. Often, sales, customer success, or product teams have shared goals and can help amplify your efforts. Collaborate with sales to develop materials that directly address their pain points (e.g., a killer deck or targeted case studies). Partner with product teams to highlight features that resonate with customers and craft messaging around them. Alignment with operations can improve customer experience touchpoints and then, you can all celebrate the results.

Myth of Simplicity

Another think we regularly discuss with this friend of mine is that there’s a pervasive belief that “anyone can do marketing.” This leads to undervaluing the expertise required in our times for data-driven strategy, segmentation, and creative execution. From behavioral psychology to analytics, marketing is a multi-disciplinary field that requires constant adaptation to trends and technologies.

For example, we often come back to crack down the background of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and realize that many in our professional “bubbles” perceived its virality was luck. In reality, it was a masterclass in psychology and timing. The campaign tapped into social proof, FOMO (fear of missing out), and ease of participation, generating $115 million in donations in just  a few weeks.

So, why don’t we review case studies to learn how campaigns combine behavioral psychology, A/B testing, and analytics? Moreover, even take the difficult road and try to upskill leadership, by sharing reading material to help leaders grasp key concepts like customer personas, funnel strategies, or content marketing ROI.

Bringing It Together

Coming back to dreams, decades ago, in one of his amazing lectures, my academic mentor described to us his vision of what marketing function should be perceived: as the conductor a symphony orchestra, ensuring every instrument - sales, product, customer service, and operations—plays in harmony and the melody doesn’t falter.

Marketing isn't about winning - it's about understanding, connecting, and growing together. By focusing on collaboration, transparency, and shared goals, we can unlock our team's full potential.

So, buckle up and transform misconceptions into teachable moments. Whether it’s one-on-one with a colleague or presenting at an all-hands meeting, make it your mission to illuminate the true depth and value of marketing. Regularly share wins with real numbers and compelling stories. Run internal “campaign retrospectives” to spotlight marketing’s role in business success. Propose cross-functional initiatives, share insights that inform strategy, and take ownership of your department’s narrative.

The hardest conversation is the one with yourself

First, take a deep breath - you’re not alone. Many marketers have been there, pouring heart, soul, and strategy into building campaigns and aligning efforts, only to hit a wall. It’s frustrating, draining, and, frankly, disheartening.

So, you’ve got records that you’ve tried collaboration, adaptation, quick wins, and candid conversations - but the environment isn’t changing,

At its core, marketing is about creating connections. It’s about understanding needs, building trust, and fostering loyalty—just like in any human relationship. When marketing efforts feel unappreciated or misunderstood, it can echo the dynamics of an unbalanced relationship. Or the simplest truth of all: in relationships, a partner might want adventure when you’re offering stability. Neither is wrong - it’s just different priorities. Not every role, relationship, or situation can (or should) be salvaged. If what you (can or want to) offer doesn’t align with what the other side needs, then, it may be time to explore other opportunities. Gracefully and with high-level professionalism.