All posts tagged: Marketing Operations

It’s not the tools. It’s your marketing leadership that makes AI work

There’s a gap opening up in B2B marketing, and it’s not just about tech. It’s about fluency.

AI is moving fast. And while tools grab the headlines, it’s how we use them and how we organise around them that will separate the leaders from the laggards.

Let’s be clear: you don’t need to become a machine learning expert. But you do need to understand how AI can shift how your team works, what you prioritise, and where you place your bets.

57% of UK B2B marketers now rank AI understanding as the most important skill for future success – above data analytics and collaboration (Marketing Week).

McKinsey found organisations with AI-literate marketing leaders are significantly more likely to see ROI from their investments.

And the EU AI Act puts responsibility firmly on business users, not just developers, to ensure AI is used safely, ethically, and effectively.

That means marketing leadership must understand how, where and why to adopt these tools and scale them across their marketing operations.

The role of marketing leadership

We need to build a growth culture focused on establishing the value of the tools available to us or that we want to test. We need to ask better questions, set smarter, measurable expectations, and create space for our teams to experiment without fear of failure.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Working within test-and-learn frameworks grounded in clear hypotheses

Equipping teams with the training and guardrails to operate and maintain tools confidently and correctly

Building prompting best practice

Understanding the biases and blind spots in models

Creating an AI adoption roadmap tied to your commercial priorities

And developing the instinct to spot vendor nonsense a mile off

But here’s the catch: AI only delivers value if your ways of working are actually built for it.

Agile ways of working are crucial

It’s hard to get value from AI if your processes are broken.

If your team is stuck in long planning cycles, siloed roles and perfection paralysis, AI won’t help you, it’ll confuse the hell out of them!

Agile marketing unlocks the value. It gives teams the frameworks needed to successfully test and learn. It’s data driven and customer centric, so it can help leaders spot what’s working and scale it quickly. It reduces risk while speeding up results.

Being agile allows you to use:

• Short sprints to test value

• Early indicators of success (or failure)

• Data to scale what works, fast

• The confidence to stop what doesn’t.

It’s not about moving faster. It’s about moving smarter and proving value as you go.

A brighter approach

At Bright, we believe this is another challenge for marketing leaders and the importance of reshaping how we work so we can lead confidently in an AI-enabled world

We’re not AI evangelists. We’re practical optimists. We help teams:

Cut through the hype and find where AI can genuinely add value to their marketing

Build business cases that stand up in the boardroom

Use agile ways of working to integrate new tools, data and tech in a systematic and scalable way.

Because if we don’t, we risk falling into the same trap that’s caught us many before: investing in the latest tech, without the strategy, mindset or muscle to show it adds value.

May 20, 2025 Zoe Merchant AI

Cut the fat, not the impact: how smart CMOs are squeezing more from less in 2025

Let’s not sugar-coat it: This year is a pressure cooker for B2B marketers.

Budgets are under strain. Teams are stretched. The ask? Deliver more commercial impact with fewer resources. And no, you can’t hire.

But the best CMOs aren’t flinching, they’re pivoting. They’re treating constraint as a catalyst. Getting lean. Getting sharp. And crucially, getting agile.

Here’s how high-performing marketing teams are turning challenge into competitive advantage:

Ruthless prioritisation, not polite compromises

Top marketing leaders aren’t hedging their bets across 10 campaigns, they’re backing three that actually drive results. That means trimming the fluff, shelving the vanity projects, and focusing on what aligns with commercial strategy.

Agile isn’t a theory, it’s a working style

Agile ways of working aren’t new, but they’re becoming non-negotiable. The teams leading the pack have baked in agile rhythms: sprint planning, backlog prioritisation, iterative testing, and regular retros.

They’re not just reacting faster, they’re learning faster, and delivering faster.

It’s not about doing more work. It’s about doing the right work. In the right order. With the right people in the room.

Collaboration over control

Marketing doesn’t sit in a silo anymore (and if it does in your org — fix that). Smart CMOs are forging stronger ties across sales, product and finance, aligning on outcomes, not just outputs.

It’s a team sport now. And marketers are the ones keeping the scoreboard.

Data is your proof point and your power play

Marketing has to justify its seat at the revenue table. That means mastering the numbers such as CLV, CAC, pipeline velocity, engagement-to-conversion rates, and using them to steer investment.

Gut feel isn’t good enough. Real-time insight is how you earn (and defend) your budget.

Content that cuts through (not just fills the funnel)

Paid is plateauing. Content is climbing. But the bar is higher. Mediocre messaging gets ignored, especially in a market flooded with AI-generated ‘meh’.

It’s not about more content. It’s about braver content. Useful, opinionated, and properly distributed.

Fractional, flexible, and faster to value

Permanent headcount is harder to come by, so leaders are tapping into a more elastic talent model such as outsourced experts, fractional CMOs, freelance specialists, to fill gaps fast and keep momentum high.

It’s smart. It’s scalable. And it’s how high-growth teams are staying agile without overloading their core.

This is agile leadership in practice

Constraint doesn’t kill marketing. Complacency does. The CMOs thriving in 2025 are the ones embracing agile principles, making bold decisions, and embedding experimentation deep into their team’s DNA.

Where are you doubling down this year?

How are you embedding agility into your strategy and operations?

Would love to hear what’s working…and what’s not.

May 15, 2025 Zoe Merchant Agile Marketing In Practice, Marketing Effectiveness

Why traditional marketing fails – and how agility future-proofs your team

Markets shift. Budgets tighten. Stakeholder expectations change overnight. And just when you think you’ve nailed your strategy, something new disrupts your plan. Sound familiar?

For B2B senior marketing leaders with good sized teams, the challenge isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about staying ahead. The ability to pivot quickly, effectively, and with minimal waste is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a commercial imperative. And that’s where agile marketing skills make all the difference.

Why traditional marketing models fail under pressure

The problem with traditional marketing approaches is that they rely on long-term planning, rigid execution, and an often-siloed structure. That’s fine when the world is predictable. But in today’s climate? Not so much. When a competitor makes an unexpected move, a customer need shifts, or a campaign underperforms, legacy processes don’t allow for quick shifts without major disruption.

Agile marketing: your built-in pivot system

Agile marketing flips the script. It’s not about having a set plan and sticking to it no matter what. It’s about creating a framework that allows your team to move fast, test ideas, and adapt based on data and insights.

Here’s how agile marketing enables your team to pivot effectively and efficiently:

Sprints keep the team focused and adaptable – Instead of rigid annual plans, agile teams work in short cycles (sprints) with clear goals. If a market shift happens mid-sprint, you assess, adjust, and course-correct without derailing everything.
Data-driven decision-making – No more ‘gut feel’ marketing. Agile marketing prioritises experimentation, with continuous A/B testing, real-time performance tracking, and data-informed tweaks that help teams respond to what’s actually working (or not).
Collaboration breaks down silos – When cross-functional teams work together in agile marketing hubs, communication improves, and pivots happen smoothly. No waiting for a ‘sign-off process’ that takes weeks. The right people are in the room, making decisions in real-time.
Fail fast, learn faster – One of the biggest mindset shifts with agile marketing is that failure isn’t the enemy—stagnation is. By rapidly testing small-scale experiments, teams get insights quickly, double down on what works, and ditch what doesn’t before major budget is wasted.
Flexibility without chaos – Some worry that agility equals disorder. In reality, agile marketing operates within a structured framework of prioritisation, backlog refinement, and sprint planning. This means you can pivot without panic and adapt without losing sight of business goals.

The commercial impact of agility

For senior marketers leading teams in complex B2B organisations, agile marketing isn’t just about ‘working differently’—it’s about delivering better business outcomes. When done right, it results in:

Faster go-to-market – Marketing teams get campaigns out the door in weeks, not months.
Higher ROI – More frequent testing means budget is spent where it has the most impact.
Stronger alignment with sales & product teams – Agile structures foster collaboration between marketing, sales, and product, ensuring alignment on commercial priorities.
Increased team engagement – Marketers feel empowered and energised, with clearer visibility of impact.

Are you ready to pivot?

If your team still operates with lengthy campaign cycles, rigid plans, and a fear of failure, it’s time to rethink your approach. Agile marketing gives you the tools to navigate uncertainty with confidence—and drive better results while doing it.

So, how agile is your marketing team right now? Are you set up to pivot, or are you stuck in a structure that slows you down? Let’s discuss how to make marketing agility your competitive advantage.

February 20, 2025 Alaina Roberts Agile marketing mindset, Marketing Effectiveness

The big 6: How agile marketing drives operational success

Our panel discussion with industry leaders uncovered six actionable ways marketing ops teams can deliver efficient, effective, and engaging campaigns

Driving operational efficiency while creating marketing that engages your audiences is no small feat. Marketing operations are the backbone of high-performing teams that drive efficiency, improve workflows, and boost effectiveness. Agile marketing is now crucial in transforming marketing operations, helping teams streamline processes, and enabling a culture of continuous improvement.

In our recent panel discussion hosted by Zoe Merchant, MD of Bright and agile marketing expert, Amanda Green, Marketing Operations Director at Stenn, and Lisa Sutton, CRO and marketing ops specialist, we focused on how agile marketing is transforming marketing operations. We’ve summarised the six key drivers for success here in this briefing note.

Remove operational bottlenecks: Quick wins

To tackle bottlenecks Amanda, Lisa and Zoe recommended remaining agile and adaptable by establishing consistent and repeatable workflows and templates including:

Briefing templates: Standardise templates to ensure all necessary information is available at the start of a project, helping avoid delays and miscommunication.
Approval workflows: Simplify approval processes and use workflow management tools like Monday.com, Jira or Asana to automate and track them
Kanban boards: Visual tools like Trello, Miro or Microsoft Planner can help manage and prioritise tasks, providing a clear view of tasks in progress and those needing attention.

Build a culture focused on growth and experimentation

For agile marketing to thrive, a culture that encourages experimentation is vital.

Education on experimentation: Zoe stressed the importance of educating teams on the benefits of experimentation to reduce fear of failure
Data-driven decisions: Without data and insights, experimentation is ineffective. Setting clear hypothesis, KPI and investing in reporting and tracking tools is essential to robustly test and learn from experiments, allowing your teams to iterate to drive continual improvement
Risk-managed experimentation: Zoe emphasised using experimentation frameworks to manage risk effectively and ensure experiments are valuable without exposing the organisation to unnecessary risks.

Effective metrics for high-performing marketing ops

Data-driven decisions hinge on choosing the right metrics. Amanda and Lisa suggested focusing on:

Efficiency gains: Measure productivity improvements in marketing workflows and campaign delivery
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Understanding CLV in B2B marketing is key and tracking CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) can help marketing operations teams make informed decisions that drive long-term value
Data quality: Accurate and reliable data is the backbone of successful marketing operations, as it ensures other metrics are dependable.

Fostering collaboration and breaking down silos

Clear, open communication and cross-functional collaboration is essential in breaking down silos that hinder marketing effectiveness.

Regular cross-functional meetings: Amanda recommended clinics, forums, and collaborative meetings to facilitate better communication and understanding between teams
Knowledge hubs: Lisa suggested creating accessible knowledge hubs with key information, enabling teams to self-serve and access essential data without formal meetings. Bright frequently help clients establish centres of excellence to facilitate knowledge sharing to underpin marketing effectiveness.
Reward and recognition: Celebrating cross-functional successes can build trust and foster teamwork, breaking down organisational silos.

AI and automation in marketing operations

The role of AI in marketing is growing, but it’s essential to approach it with clarity, including:

Targeted use cases: Rather than viewing AI as a catch-all solution, focus on specific use cases, such as data insights, campaign personalisation, and process automation and set out small scale tests to understand the value, before scaling
AI as an enabler: Lisa emphasised the importance of understanding the value AI can add rather than introducing it as just another tool and expecting marketers to figure out how to make best use of it
The AI sandwich approach: Zoe introduced the concept of the “AI Sandwich,” where the process begins and ends with human input (the bread!), ensuring that the AI outputs (the filling!) are curated, relevant and accurate.

Preparing for future technologies in marketing operations

To make the most of new technologies, Lisa and Amanda advised:

Starting small: Implement small, low-risk pilot programs, using a tool such as the Bright AI activation framework to allow teams to familiarise themselves with new technology without disrupting operations
Stealth AI adoption: Both leaders acknowledged the need to manage “stealth AI” (AI tools adopted by individuals without formal approval) by setting guardrails, creating guidelines and offering training to maximise adoption benefits.

Ready to transform your marketing operations?

Agile marketing isn’t just a process—it’s a mindset that drives efficiency, collaboration, and customer-focused results. Start by fostering a growth mindset, tackling one workflow bottleneck, and piloting a small agile initiative.

With data-driven insights, collaboration, and smart use of AI, your marketing ops can thrive in today’s fast-changing environment.

Ready to secure greater marketing agility? Explore our Agile Marketing training and pilot campaigns. Get in touch to transform your operations.