Is your marketing team capable of delivering the 2027 plan?
Point of view · Capability
Is your marketing team capable of delivering the 2027 plan?
Budgets for next year usually expect both top- and bottom-line growth, but few companies check whether marketing has the capability to deliver them. A capability assessment scores teams against the capabilities the strategy needs and shows the priority gaps to close first.
The question
Strategy is set and investments are made. But is marketing capable of delivering? One global B2B company asked us to find out.
What we did
We assessed four business units against 54 marketing capabilities, scored each one, and compared results across units. The same gaps showed up in three of the four, which pointed to company-wide fixes rather than one-off training.
Our point of view
Capability assessment is most useful when it is tied to the plan. Score the capabilities the strategy depends on, fix the shared gaps first, and link each fix to a business result.
What to do about it
01
Start from the plan
List the capabilities your 2027 targets depend on.
02
Score teams
Assess individuals and business units against those capabilities.
03
Find shared gaps
Look for gaps that repeat across units.
04
Link fixes to results
Tie each priority gap to an improvement project with a measure.
Tools that help
Market Edge tools that apply to this question.
Needs-based segmentationTool · Needs-based segmentation groups customers by what they need and value, not just by size, industry or region.Value Proposition builderTool · The Value Proposition builder turns analysis into a clear statement for each segment and stakeholder: who it is for, the problem it solves, the value it delivers and why it is better than the alternative.Key Account PlanTool · A Key Account Plan sets out how you will grow a strategic account: its strategy and financial position, your share of wallet, new value propositions, joint initiatives and the resources you commit.
Questions about this
How long does a capability assessment take?
[Typical timing to confirm]. Most clients start with one business unit or function.
What happens after the assessment?
Priority gaps feed a capability program or business improvement project with clear measures.
Adapted from a Market Edge post in the Market Edge Alumni Network, October 2026. Join the conversation in the Market Edge Alumni Network.
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