Q. Three of our five business priorities are now digital, yet the skill sets and funding allocation of our marketing department don't reflect that. As the marketer in charge of the digital team, how do I make a case for change to our MD?
A. The minute the word digital is mentioned, a parallel universe seems to kick in. Can you imagine reframing the discussion? Our five business priorities are in biscuits, but we have only flour, and no eggs or sugar. Some of our team have experience of making chocolate, but none of our employees is a baker. Nor do we have enough money to buy the factory.
Most people running businesses grew up in an age where digital didn't exist and are genuinely innocent of what it will take to resource digital business. Most digital folk are innocent of business as their world has always been virtual and techy. Get into a biscuit frame of mind, and work this through as simply and with as much business rigour as you would for any other business. Make a cogent and compelling case for investment or transition that someone who understands biscuits, and not Blippar, would get. And it will help to build cross-enterprise support for your plans as well - the money will have to come from someone else's budget.
Plan A
First, get hold of the business plans. There should be a three to five-year plan including the size of the market, your 'right to win' and the expected size of your business over time, including margins. If this doesn't exist, then work with a small cross-functional team to build this plan. Agree key milestones and advise your MD that you are doing a detailed scoping exercise to ensure the success of the enterprise.
Once the scope of the business opportunity is known, work out what you need. Create the desired state without reference to your current state. Build a transition plan (including investment phases, if profit won't cover costs) to get you from your current state to your desired state. Support arguments with solid facts.
When you have a solid plan, supported by others in the business, then share a 'first look' with the MD. Make the plan as clear, jargon-free and as business-like as possible. Be prepared for this meeting to change a few things. You will probably have to go round the block a few times before the plan is right for both of you.
Daryl Fielding is a former vice-president of marketing at Kraft.
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