Growth momentum is one of the most sought-after objectives in business. When it builds, buying groups move with greater confidence, internal teams align almost effortlessly around common priorities, and individual successes compound into larger business outcomes. Many B2B organizations undervalue one of the strongest contributors to growth momentum: marketing.

However, marketing doesn’t build momentum by simply amping up the volume of activities. It is created by relentlessly focusing on the audiences and opportunities most likely to drive growth. For example, when marketing identifies a high-potential buying segment, aligns with sales and product teams around that opportunity, equips the organization with clear and compelling messaging and content, and engages buying group members and influencers with a consistent and authentic point of view, each action reinforces the next to build momentum.

Marketing Is Often Defined Too Narrowly

Many organizations still define marketing primarily by outputs like launches executed, content published, or the volume of events, press releases, and leads. This certainly doesn’t convey the full extent of marketing’s potential value.

Marketing (when managed well) sits at the intersection of buyer and customer insights, market and competitive analysis, engagement strategies, the company’s brand promise, the company’s offerings, and revenue generation. It has privileged visibility across how markets are changing, how buyers are behaving, where growth opportunities are emerging, and how customers experience the business. When organizations reduce marketing to a support- or promotion-only function, they aren’t just limiting marketing’s role. They are limiting one of the most important sources of growth intelligence and growth influence in the business.

The Forces Reshaping Growth Are Raising Marketing’s Importance

B2B buyers are more empowered than ever. AI is reshaping how organizations operate and how buyers buy. Market volatility is putting more pressure on leadership teams to execute with greater efficiency. Some may see these trends as reasons to question marketing’s value and investment level. I firmly believe they are reasons to elevate both.

Buyer empowerment increases the importance of customer and market insight. AI adoption increases the importance of understanding where technology can enhance customer engagement not just improve marketing productivity. Go-to-market complexity is increasing the value of marketing as a function that connects customer needs, market opportunities, business strategy, and revenue outcomes. In other words, the same forces creating pressure on marketing to change are also increasing its strategic relevance.

Recalibrating Marketing’s Role In The Growth Engine

The real question is whether marketing’s purpose, scope, and ability are calibrated to achieve sustainable growth for the business. Purpose defines the role marketing should play (supporter, promoter, partner, or driver). Scope defines the audiences and customer lifecycle stages marketing should influence (i.e., extending beyond new logo acquisition to drive renewals and expansion). Ability defines whether marketing has the operational excellence and innovation capacity to deliver against its defined purpose and scope.

Organizations that reconsider marketing’s purpose, scope, and ability — in response to the forces reshaping growth — will very likely recognize that it should be elevated as a strategic partner or driver of growth rather than relegated to a support or promotion function. But with that shift also comes greater accountability for revenue outcomes that marketers must be willing to accept in return.

Turning Pressure Into Momentum

Growth will always be a team sport. Sales, product, customer success, technology, and marketing all have essential roles to play. But as buyers become more empowered, markets become more dynamic, and technology becomes more disruptive, CEOs should take a fresh look at where their growth momentum will come from. Many will find that marketing’s potential contribution to growth is greater than they previously realized.

Forrester clients can read more in the report Recalibrate Marketing’s Role In The Growth Engine and schedule a guidance session to assess their marketing function’s purpose, scope, and ability.

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