The Power of People and Processes in Marketing: Going Beyond Technology

In the fast-paced digital era, marketing has become the lifeline of businesses striving for success and growth. Countless organisations pour their resources into the latest marketing technologies, believing them to be the ultimate solution to their challenges.

Amidst this technological frenzy, the importance of people and processes often gets overshadowed. The Forrester report “Stop Overlooking Process and People in Your Martech Strategies” sheds light on one crucial truth. While technology is undeniably important, it must be aligned with well-defined processes and supported by engaged and adaptable teams.

In this blog, we dive deeper into why marketers struggle to prioritise processes, explore strategies to align technology with processes and emphasise the significance of effective implementation.

So, let’s discover what unveils the power of people and processes in shaping successful marketing endeavours.

Why do marketers struggle to prioritise processes?

The allure of technology often blinds marketers to the importance of well-defined processes. Tech vendors present their solutions as quick fixes, promising to revolutionise marketing efforts overnight.

However, implementing new technology without addressing the underlying processes can create more problems than it solves.

The Forrester report highlights that changing existing business processes is a significant challenge for 19% of global B2C marketing decision-makers. Tiffany Flibbert, the lead business analyst at L.L.Bean, emphasises the need to address organisational and process changes when implementing new technology.

Refraining from defining processes sets marketers up for future struggles. This is evident when companies need the necessary content tagging process or strategy in place before they explore dynamic content delivery solutions.

People and processes are far more complex

People and processes are inherently more unpredictable than technologies. Defining technology requirements in a request for proposal (RFP) is a controlled exercise. But evaluating and improving processes requires challenging the status quo and overcoming inertia.

Jerry Orabona, executive vice president of technology at Hero Digital, aptly describes the challenge of changing people’s behaviours and habits. People are the linchpin of any process transformation, and altering their mindset and workflow becomes critical to successful implementation.

Redk can help you find a balance

Redk understands the complexity of aligning people, processes, and technology.  With our expertise in marketing processes, redk helps businesses align their technology investments with well-defined processes.

Leveraging platforms like Salesforce Pardot can help organisations streamline their marketing workflows, enhance customer engagement, and drive tangible results.

We have successfully implemented marketing automation for clients like Time Investments and Arconvert, significantly improving campaign efficiency and ROI.

How to align tech to process

We know people and processes are important, but how can you align the two with marketing technology?

Define Ideal Marketing Processes

To ensure success in marketing, it is crucial for teams to proactively define their ideal processes rather than waiting for a critical failure.

Envisioning faster campaign planning cycles and incorporating people-led planning principles sets the stage for effective marketing operations.

Mirko Holzer, CEO of Uptempo, emphasises the importance of aligning the organisation’s vision of success with stakeholders’ goals. Technology can seamlessly support and enhance desired outcomes by establishing well-defined processes that strike a balance between marketing teams and stakeholders.

Visualize the Current Campaign Journey

Understanding the existing ad hoc processes used in marketing is a vital step towards improvement. By sitting down with the team and mapping out the end-to-end journey of a campaign, inefficiencies and friction points can be identified.

redk’s marketing automation services can assist businesses in visualising their current campaign journey. With our expertise and advanced tools like Salesforce Pardot, we help organisations gain a holistic view of their marketing processes. Through this visualisation, businesses can identify areas for optimisation, automate repetitive tasks, and ensure seamless communication and collaboration across teams.

Conduct User Interviews

Conducting user interviews is essential to gain comprehensive insights into pain points, areas for improvement, and the key personas involved in changing marketing processes.

User research helps bridge the gap between tech buying decisions and the day-to-day experiences of marketers, facilitating a smooth implementation.

By building personas based on these interviews, organisations can align technology solutions with their marketing teams’ specific needs and challenges.

redk’s approach to marketing automation includes conducting in-depth user interviews to understand each organisation’s unique requirements and pain points. This research helps us tailor our implemented solutions to each client’s specific needs so we can produce a successful outcome.

Balancing Rigidity and Flexibility

While structure is essential in marketing processes, an excessive focus on rigid project management can hinder employee satisfaction and productivity.

Richard Whitehead, director of product marketing for Adobe Workfront, advises against rigidly coding each step into a project management system. Instead, he suggests focusing on key decision points. Organisations can foster an agile and collaborative work environment by allowing teams to collaborate and adapt between these decision points, empowering their employees to thrive.

Don’t skip implementation

Implementation is a critical phase that should not be rushed.

redk’s implementation approach focuses on understanding the impact of technology on the existing processes and people.

This proactive strategy minimises disruptions and paves the way for a smooth and successful transition. Here are a few tips to make sure your CRM transition goes to plan.

1. Understand the impact

Take the time to map out how the new technology will affect existing processes. Anticipate challenges and make necessary adjustments to streamline workflows.

2. Employee journey mapping

Analyse employee experiences to identify areas of empowerment and frustration. This insight helps address concerns and create a supportive environment during implementation.

3. Communicate the value

Clearly articulate how the new technology benefits marketers. Showcasing its value and providing real-world examples can encourage widespread adoption.

4. Pilot team evangelists

Form a pilot team that can champion the technology and demonstrate its benefits. Their enthusiasm and first-hand experience will inspire others to embrace the change.

People and processes are the foundation

While marketing technology is undoubtedly valuable, it is crucial to recognise that people and processes are the foundation of successful marketing strategies. Neglecting to prioritise processes can hinder the effectiveness of even the most advanced technologies.

With a proven track record of successful implementations,  redk has worked with clients such as Time Investments and Arconvert to streamline their marketing processes, enhance campaign efficiency, and generate measurable results. Their case studies serve as real-world examples of how their marketing automation services have transformed businesses and delivered tangible benefits.