Surrounded by Non-Marketers
Hi, my name is Thorsten - and I live and breathe "all things marketing".
THAT does NOT give me license to stay (exclusively) in the marketing lane. The exact opposite is true. WHY?
Well, if you want to leverage marketing as the driver of innovation — and not just an idea generator in a vacuum — you need to understand how the entire business works.
So: Sit in on a sourcing conversation. Wrap your head around the rough concept of process optimization. Learn how engineering thinks. Talk to Human Resources. (You get the drift.)
UNDERSTAND HOW, WHERE and WHEN value is created, not just how it's sold.
That said, last month, I joined a group of experts in process management, sales & sourcing, and engineering — all sharing cross-functional insights with representatives from small and mid-sized companies.
It most definitely wasn’t a marketing event — in fact, I was the (l)on(e)ly marketer in the room.
And that’s precisely why this is worth mentioning.
Too often, marketers get stuck in a bubble of brand, campaigns, and customer journeys. But if you want to challenge the status quo and move the needle inside an organization, you can't afford to be blind to how operations, procurement, or R&D work.
That doesn’t mean pretending to be an expert in every function. But it *does* mean listening, learning, and staying curious beyond your domain.
That’s the difference between pitching ideas and driving results.
Curious: How do you (or your team) build bridges across departments?
AND: Will you join me at the next Expertenforum (https://bit.ly/43WLXT7) or point me to events to be aware of?
