Question

Topic: Strategy

How To Best Organize Internal Marketing Dept?

Posted by Anonymous on 4/27/2011 at 4:42 PM ET 125 Points
We need to re-structure our internal marketing department. Any suggestions on the best structure? We're a healthcare company with 6 different business lines. We service all of these business lines for print collateral, ads, videos, websites and social media. We want a structure that incorporates brand managers or someone who would bet he strategic planner for a particular brand. We also need writers and graphic designers.

Thoughts?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 4/27/2011 at 4:48 PM Accepted
    Not exactly your situation, but this previous thread may shed some light: https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_question.asp?qstID=36523#227733
  • Posted on 4/27/2011 at 5:06 PM Accepted
    Is each business line a separate brand -- with a different target audience and different benefit?
  • Posted on 4/27/2011 at 5:21 PM Author
    mgoodman, each business line is technically a separate brand with different target audiences and benefits. However, being a post-acute healthcare company, most of those brands cross-promote and have a similar look and feel for materials. A patient could, in some markets, use all of our services over a period of time.
  • Posted on 4/27/2011 at 5:36 PM Moderator
    Phil, I think there's some confusion in the terminology. Isn't BRAND MANAGEMENT a marketing function? Brand managers are usually IN the Marketing department.

    The confusion is that ibeatupgijoe is calling the MARKETING COMMUNICATION group "Marketing," when Marcom is just one part of Marketing.

    So perhaps ibeatupgijoe can help us understand whether the role of the department is truly Marketing (including Brand Management) or [a more limited] Marketing Communication. If the latter, then there probably DOES need to be a Brand Management function somewhere else in the organization.
  • Posted on 4/27/2011 at 5:44 PM Moderator
    Just to clarify, a true Marketing Department would provide leadership for all aspects of Marketing -- including Product, Pricing, Packaging, Advertising, Promotion, Publicity, Sales, Distribution, Customer Service, etc. Brand Management would need to be involved in all these areas of the traditional Marketing Mix.

    If you're just concerned with Marcom, as your original post suggests, then someone else has to deal with the rest of the marketing function, including brand management.
  • Posted on 4/27/2011 at 5:55 PM Author
    Currently, we have "Sales," "Marketing," and "Public Relations/Corporate Communications" groups. We have an SVP over Sales & Marketing, but PR/Corporate Comm is separate. They handle press releases and corporate communications.

    Our "Marketing" group is responsible for developing both the campaign and producing the actual creative pieces and content. The goal is to have our group be a more overarching group that does that planning for all the advertising and marketing for each brand, rather than just producing items that are asked for.

    Does that help? I apologize if I do not know all of the proper terms. My degree is not in marketing.
  • Posted on 4/27/2011 at 6:37 PM Moderator
    So who determines pricing strategy? Who manages new product development? Who is responsible for brand image and managing all the touchpoints? Is that the SVP-Sales & Mtkg?

    Don't worry about the terminology. Let's just understand how decisions are made. It sounds like you are trying to change the locus of strategic responsibility in the company. If so, then you're going to need the prerequisite skill set and staff.
  • Posted on 4/27/2011 at 6:44 PM Author
    mgoodman - honestly, I do not know who exactly sets the pricing for our services. There is insurance, Medicare & Medicaid involved, so I have no idea. As for new product development, that would be our clinical group since all of our "products" are clinical services. Brand image would be sales & marketing.

    As a side note, our sales people sell mainly to referral sources, such as hospitals. There are currently sales people under each brand, but we will be moving to a model where sales people sell for all brands.
  • Posted on 4/27/2011 at 8:41 PM Author
    Phil - I'm a she, actually.

    Sales does not fall under us. They are parallel to us, really, and we provide materials that they need to sell. We won't be changing any structure other than the structure of the marketing group. We'll still need to meet the needs I've described, even if we're using vendors for some of the production work.

    Right now we have a director of marketing, a project manager, project coordinator, content manager, 2 copywriters, sr. and jr. graphic designer.
  • Posted on 4/28/2011 at 11:15 AM Moderator
    Who is the "client" for your marketing projects? Who sets the strategy and makes the branding decisions now? Who decides what the Marketing group is supposed to deliver? Who controls the budget for marketing effort and allocations across the various elements of the Marketing Mix?

    It's very difficult to give specific input on matters like this when we don't have a full grasp of the current situation. We're not trying to be difficult, but we also don't want to "wing it" and give you advice that could be exactly wrong for your organization.
  • Posted on 4/28/2011 at 5:23 PM Member
    If the Marketing department is being asked to provide overarching strategy, direction and/or planning, then hire an SVP of Marketing; reclassify the current Marketing Director to Brand Manager.
  • Posted on 4/29/2011 at 9:50 AM Accepted
    My case may not be exactly like yours as I sit on global marketing and our affiliates in country are responsible for all pricing and distribution/customer service. But might be a helpful example since we have a team of brand mgrs who set the brand strategy (segmentation, targeting and positioning of the brand and set direction on the business model/go to market strategy). And we are also in charge of product (innovation/portfolio management/packaging) working closely with a dedicated innovation team, R&D, and supply chain). And all marcom strategy and tactical (global templates/events/web), but localization and execution is still needed at country level. By the way, we are a health care company. Publicity is under PR, but working under brand/mkt direction.
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