How CMOs Can Better Align Their Brand Marketing & Marketing Procurement Teams (A ChatGPT Story)

By: John Wallace        January 18th, 2023        5 minute reading

Like many, when I first heard about the chatbot AI technology, ChatGPT, I couldn’t wait to give it a spin. I started by asking it to write an article about a subject near and dear to our hearts here at Octerra (and no doubt to CMOs around the world).

Brand marketing vs. marketing procurement

Here was my prompt:

Write a detailed blog post that talks about how CMOs can get their brand marketing teams and marketing procurement teams to work together better. Talk about how technology can be used. Use quotes. Outline clear steps they can take. Use a comical tone and cite the sources of your information.

And here is what it wrote…

The perfect marketing sandwich

As a CMO, you know firsthand how important it is for your brand marketing team and marketing procurement team to work together seamlessly. After all, these two teams are like peanut butter and jelly - they may come from different worlds, but they need each other to create the perfect marketing sandwich.

But let's face it, getting these two teams to work together effectively can be easier said than done. Marketing folks tend to be creative, free-spirited types who want to move fast and break things. Procurement folks, on the other hand, are all about the numbers and making sure every penny is accounted for. It's like trying to get a group of cats and dogs to cuddle - it's not impossible, but it takes some work.

Six steps to get marketing and marketing procurement 100% aligned

So, how can you, as the CMO, encourage your brand marketing team and marketing procurement team to get along and work together better? Here are a few steps you can take:

1. Set clear goals and expectations: Make sure both teams understand what their roles are and what is expected of them. This will help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives.
2. Encourage open communication: Encourage both teams to communicate openly and regularly. This might involve setting up regular meetings or using tools like Slack to keep everyone in the loop.
3. Foster mutual understanding: Help your teams understand each other's perspective. Marketing folks might not fully grasp the importance of procurement's role in managing budgets and ensuring value for money, while procurement folks might not fully understand the creative and strategic needs of marketing. Encourage both teams to learn from each other and find common ground.
4. Utilize technology: There are many different tools and technologies that can help both teams work together more effectively. For example, project management tools like Asana or Trello can help teams stay organized and on track, while collaboration tools like Google Docs or Microsoft Teams can help teams work together in real-time.
5. Emphasize the big picture: Remind both teams of the bigger goals and objectives that they are working towards. This can help everyone stay focused and motivated, and it can also help reduce tension and conflict.
6. Celebrate wins: When both teams work together effectively and achieve success, make sure to celebrate and recognize their efforts. This can help build morale and encourage more collaboration in the future.

In conclusion, getting your brand marketing team and marketing procurement team to work together effectively takes effort and a little bit of finesse. But by setting clear goals, encouraging open communication, fostering mutual understanding, utilizing technology, emphasizing the big picture, and celebrating wins, you can help these two teams create a harmonious and successful partnership.

RELATED: 4 Benefits to Having a Strong Alignment Between Brand Marketing and Marketing Procurement

ChatGPT nailed it... (mostly)

Wow! I was impressed with its advice. So, I asked it to rewrite it to see if it had any other nuggets to offer. For the most part, I got the same answer, but with a few more details around technology:

• Use project management tools: Tools like Asana or Trello [or Octerra] can help both teams stay organized and on track, and they can also facilitate communication and collaboration.
• Utilize collaboration platforms: Platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams [or Octerra] can help both teams stay connected and share information in real-time.
• Implement e-sourcing and e-procurement tools: These tools can help procurement teams manage vendor relationships and contracts more efficiently, and they can also help marketing teams identify the best vendors for their needs. [like Octerra]
• Utilize analytics and data tracking tools: Tools like Google Analytics or Omniture [or, yep, you guessed it... Octerra] can help both teams track success and identify areas for improvement.

I think the only way ChatGPT could have delivered a better result would be if it had actually mentioned Octerra, so you might have noticed a bit of editorial license along the way since we're probably a little too new (and cool!) for it to know about us. The reality is Octerra does ALL OF THAT and more, providing the perfect technology solution to accelerate productivity and build trust between your brand marketers and marketing procurement team.

So close.

(Source: "The ROI of Marketing Procurement," Forrester)

By John Wallace

President

Production and technology provide the foundation for John's current role at Octerra. With 12+ years of experience as Head of Production at StudioNow and AOL, he has created video content alongside some of the world's top brands & agencies.