Marketing Leaders Redesign Workflows For Faster Delivery
Marketing leaders must redesign workflows to leverage AI's speed, according to MarTech. Faster production does not translate to faster delivery due to outdated processes.
Original reporting · martech.org
Original: “The next great marketing leaders will design how work gets done”
Read “The next great marketing leaders will design how work gets done” at MarTech →
How this was written. Awesome B2B wrote this article with a language model from MarTech’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from MarTech’s report
- Marketing leaders must redesign workflows to leverage AI's speed and deliver work more quickly.
- The main constraint for marketers has moved upstream from production to intake, decisions, reviews, and handoffs.
- Simply adding new tools to old processes will not increase speed, but rather create friction and duplicate work.
- Marketing leaders must focus on shaping how work gets done and lead differently in the AI era.
- Effective leaders can implement intake and prioritization processes, limit work in progress, and create fast feedback loops to deliver work more quickly.
Marketing teams are struggling to deliver work quickly despite having the best technology, MarTech reported. Although AI can produce marketing materials in record time, deadlines are still being missed due to inefficient workflows and unclear priorities.
The main constraint for marketers used to be production, but with AI, this constraint has moved upstream to intake, decisions, reviews, and handoffs. Marketing leaders must now focus on redesigning workflows to take advantage of AI's speed, according to Stacey Ackerman, an independent consultant.
Ackerman notes that simply adding new tools to old processes will not increase speed, but rather create friction and duplicate work. The key to success lies in fixing how work moves through an organization, with fewer handoffs, clearer decision rights, and visible priorities.
Many organizations invest in AI platforms, but usage is often patchy and workarounds are common. This is because the operating model has not changed, with roles, habits, incentives, and approval paths remaining the same. To achieve transformation, marketing leaders must lead differently and focus on shaping how work gets done.
To position themselves as effective leaders, marketing teams can take several steps, including implementing intake and prioritization processes, limiting work in progress, designing human versus AI roles, and creating fast feedback loops. By doing so, they can eliminate waiting time and deliver work more quickly.
Marketing leaders can start by mapping one workflow end-to-end and measuring how long work waits between steps. They can then focus on eliminating waiting time by creating new approval processes or integrating legal reviews more frequently. This awareness will make their leadership skills highly valuable in today's complex marketing world.
The role of marketing leaders is changing, and they must adapt to the AI era. By redesigning workflows and focusing on how work gets done, they can unlock the full potential of AI and deliver faster, more effective marketing campaigns.
Questions and answers
Why are marketing teams struggling to deliver work quickly despite having the best technology?
Marketing teams are struggling to deliver work quickly due to inefficient workflows and unclear priorities, according to MarTech.
What is the main constraint for marketers in the AI era?
The main constraint for marketers has moved upstream from production to intake, decisions, reviews, and handoffs.
How can marketing leaders unlock the full potential of AI and deliver faster, more effective marketing campaigns?
Marketing leaders can unlock the full potential of AI by redesigning workflows, focusing on how work gets done, and leading differently in the AI era.
