Editorial
The Gist
- Marketing belongs at the center. No longer a side function, it should shape product, sales and strategy from the start.
- Influence matters more than authority. Great leaders earn trust, connect goals and align teams without formal power.
- From operator to orchestrator. True impact comes from building systems, clarity and cross-functional alignment.
Let’s all agree that in today’s B2B world, sales cycles are longer, buyers are savvier, and success is stitched from cross-functional alignment. The role of marketing has evolved far beyond crafting catchy taglines and launching PPC campaigns. Today, it’s a strategic force that belongs at the very heart of company building.
Having been in the industry since 2012, I’ve been observing this shift unfold from the first row, no matter the growth stage. From lean startups to well-oiled scale-ups, the companies that win are ones where marketing is embedded early, not summoned late. Not a department off to the side, but a function woven into product ideation and market research conversations.
Table of Contents
- Embedding Marketing Early in Product Conversations
- Influencing Without Authority: How to Actually Get Things Done
- From Megaphone to Glue: Coordinating, Not Commanding
- Orchestrating, Not Executing: What Great Marketing Leadership Looks Like
- The Future of Marketing Is Embedded
Embedding Marketing Early in Product Conversations
I don’t need to tell you that if companies are looping marketing in at a feature demo, they’re quite late.
But I do need to say that embedding marketing early doesn’t mean that as a chief marketing officer or marketing leader, you should be forcing your way into every meeting. It means building structured touchpoints with all the teams who move the levers as soon as you join the company: product managers, user researchers, sales leaders and so on — you need to build regular catchups with all of them. Regular cross-department 1:1s aren’t a courtesy — they’re operational glue. They’re where marketing can learn what's coming down the roadmap, and, more importantly, where you can shape it before it hardens into concrete.
With product, early involvement allows for storytelling that isn’t an afterthought. Having context lets you build narratives that land, instead of scrambling for positioning retroactively. Especially in early-stage startups, not every founder or CTO understands that. As a marketing leader, your job is to build the alignment and prove that it matters.
Related Article: The Toughest Love Letter Ever to Marketing Leaders
Influencing Without Authority: How to Actually Get Things Done
One of the most underrated skills in marketing leadership is influence without authority. You don’t own product. You don’t manage sales. And yet, you need to influence both as your success depends on their buy-in.
So how do you make it work?
- First, involve people early. Don’t show up with a list of asks. Before you even come up with asks, make sure colleagues learn the value you bring. Proving value early has been really important in my career — I meticulously collected all low-hanging fruits that drove pipeline to the sales people before asking for their resources and input. They should know “why” they need to help you before you enter the room. When you have their trust, you will not need much time to explain how your asks fit their goals. Doesn’t mean you don’t have to do it — always communicate it. To put it simply, if you — for example — want sales to invite clients to your event, they need to know how it will help them win deals. Or if you, for example, need a webinar speaker from the finance team, connect how it benefits their personal goals.
- Second: if you don’t have enough influence, borrow. If your manager is closer to company leadership than you are, use that to your advantage. A well-timed nudge from a VP can unblock what 10 Slack pings won’t.
- Third — and this is key — treat internal communication like marketing. Make your asks clear, compelling and well-timed. Use visuals, show timelines and repeat yourself. Often. Don’t forget about Call-to-Actions.
And don’t forget: authority might be granted. But influence? That’s earned, and it is so much easier to get things done when you already earned it. However, sometimes people mix up being influential with being loud. Don’t make this mistake.
Related Article: Guide for Perfect Sales and Marketing Alignment
From Megaphone to Glue: Coordinating, Not Commanding
The most effective marketers I’ve worked with weren’t the loudest in the room. They were the ones stitching teams together (starting by following what I wrote earlier) — like a glue putting pieces of puzzle together.
Let’s use a real-life example. My team has to run an executive dinner. Typically, I would need two to three months of lead time. (Moreover, I strongly recommend maintaining and presenting a clear roadmap of planned events six to 12 months in advance, with a version that’s updated regularly and accessible to everyone on OTHER teams).
Well before the event, I will inform sales and account managers what I’ll need from them — specifically, help with inviting prospects and clients. I don’t show up empty-handed: I prepare a preliminary list of contacts pulled from Salesforce, HubSpot or wherever your source of truth lives. When I meet with sales or customer success leaders, I ask for their input: “Who’s missing? Who would you add? Whom to remove?” That small step transforms the event from my project into our project.
Once the invite list is validated, we establish a timeline together: when the first invitations go out, when reminders should be sent, who is responsible for sending, what milestones we’re tracking. I set up a dedicated Slack channel to share progress and celebrate small wins — for example, highlighting a rep who secured another RSVP. Recognizing these successes publicly keeps the rest of the team engaged and motivated.
I don’t micromanage the execution team directly. I check in with their managers, who can push their own teams as needed. This reinforces trust and respects the chain of command, while still maintaining urgency.
Orchestrating, Not Executing: What Great Marketing Leadership Looks Like
This leads us to another thought. Real leadership isn’t about doing more — it’s about creating systems that do more without you.
At the beginning of my career, I measured impact by output. Campaigns launched, content published, responses received, etc. But as I stepped into more strategic roles, I realized the real leverage comes from orchestration: knowing what needs to happen, when, and who should own it — without personally touching every moving part.
That shift changes how you lead. You stop jumping into execution and start designing frameworks. You build visibility into your roadmap — not just for your team, but for sales, product, and in my case also partnerships. Everyone knows what’s coming, what’s expected, and where they plug in. You stop reacting to last-minute asks and start shaping demand around your own timelines.
Your value isn’t in being busy. It’s in creating clarity. When marketing becomes a function that drives alignment, not just output — that’s when you’ve made the leap from operator to orchestrator. And that’s when the business starts to truly feel your impact.
Webinar
Sep
25
CMS Briefing: A Live Look at What’s Next in AI-Driven Platforms
Learn how leading organizations are using AI‑driven tools to publish faster, personalize smarter and stay secure.
Register
Webinar
Sep
25
Call Spoofing Trends Financial Institutions Can't Afford to Ignore
Don't let robocalls sabotage your customer relationships. Learn how to secure your voice channel.
Register
Webinar
On demand
Ready or Not: How Data-First Organizations Are Unlocking Agentforce Potential
Learn how to cut through the noise, activate Agentforce and build a Salesforce AI strategy that actually delivers.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
CX Reality Check: What Your Customers Are Really Thinking
Register now and get the insights you need to not just meet rising expectations, but exceed them.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
Content Leaders Collective: What a Good CCMS Actually Looks Like
Discover how content leaders transform clunky systems into growth engines — and why your competitors are ahead.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
From Hype to High-Impact CX Strategies That Actually Scale
Turn buzzworthy AI and outsourcing trends into measurable CX wins with fresh 2025 data.
Watch Now
Key Takeaways on Modern Marketing Leadership
| Theme | What It Means | Action for Marketing Leaders |
|---|---|---|
| Embed marketing early | Marketing must join product and sales at the start, not at the demo stage. | Set structured touchpoints with PMs, researchers and sales leaders. |
| Influence without authority | Trust and alignment matter more than hierarchy. | Prove value early, borrow authority when needed, and treat internal comms like campaigns. |
| From megaphone to glue | Great marketers don’t shout; they stitch teams together. | Transform projects into shared goals with clear timelines and collaborative processes. |
| Orchestration over execution | Impact is measured by systems and clarity, not busy work. | Build frameworks and visibility so everyone knows what’s coming and where to plug in. |
| The embedded future | Marketing is the translator between product vision and customer value. | Lead from the heart of the business, not the sidelines. |
The Future of Marketing Is Embedded
To summarize, the marketing leader of today isn’t just a department head. They’re a translator between product vision and customers. They make teams start rowing in the same direction. When marketing is truly embedded, product launches land with ICP. Sales cycles shorten. Targets are reached.
Marketing that moves the business forward isn’t a function that supports. It’s one that leads — from the heart.
Learn how you can join our contributor community.
