Specialty Chemicals · 7B USD
[Result]
One strategic marketing process for seven divisions
A 7B USD specialty chemicals company with seven divisions, from automotive to personal care, wanted one common way to plan.
Read the case →
Building or rebuilding a marketing function
Situation
Building or rebuilding a marketing function
"I've just taken over marketing, and we don't have standard tools."
New marketing leaders often inherit a small team, no common strategic marketing process and high expectations. They need to show early impact while deciding what the function should look like, how big it should be and which skills to hire or build.
Signs you're in this situation
If two or more of these sound familiar, this page is for you.
- You've recently taken over marketing, or the function is being rebuilt after a reorganization.
- Some strategic marketing tools exist, but they aren't used consistently or kept in one place.
- Growth plans are short roll-ups, and market analysis is mostly done by instinct.
- Leadership expects demand generation results while you're still building the team.
What we hear from clients
Paraphrased and anonymized from recent conversations with marketing and commercial leaders.
“Market analysis is done intuitively, without structured frameworks. Newer team members don't use the tools.”
“We're good at market analysis. Where we need help is executing value pricing, value propositions and promotion.”
“Before I hire anyone, I want to know how our resources compare with competitors at enterprise, line-of-business and business-unit level.”
Why it’s hard
New leaders are under pressure to show results quickly and fix everything at once. The two common mistakes are buying a large program before you know where the gaps are, and hiring for the wrong roles. A benchmark and a light assessment in the first months give you facts for both decisions, and early use of common tools on real plans builds credibility with sales and leadership.
How we help
Benchmark the function →
Compare marketing headcount and roles with similar business units.
Assess the team →
See individual and team capability against best in class.
Install a common process →
Strategic marketing planning and tools the whole team uses.
Quick-win projects →
Apply the process to one or two priority markets for early results.
How an engagement usually runs
Typical phases. Every engagement is scoped with you, and many clients start with one phase.
| Phase | Typical timing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| First 30 days | Orient | A sounding board conversation and a headcount benchmark to see how your function compares. |
| 60–90 days | Prove the tools | Temporary access to the tools you need for your first plans, so the team learns by doing. |
| 3–9 months | Standardize | A common strategic marketing process, templates and workshops across marketing, sales and product. |
| 9–18 months | Build capability | A capability road map or company academy for product management and marketing, region by region. |
Where to start
Marketing headcount benchmark
See whether your function is resourced for the strategy.
Start here →90-day tool access
Use Market Edge tools on your first plans before committing to anything bigger.
Start here →Sounding board conversation
Talk through your first 100 days with a senior consultant.
Start here →Clients who faced something similar
All case studies →Agriculture · 15 countries
[Result]
Assessing marketing capability across 15 countries
A global agribusiness needed to know whether marketing in 15 Latin American countries could deliver very different go-to-market strategies.
Read the case →Academy program
Strategic Marketing
Learn and apply the Market Edge Strategic Marketing Process to your business, and leave with a draft Strategic Marketing Plan for your target market.
$2,850 per person · Next: [Dates] Nov 2026
See dates →Questions clients ask
How big should a B2B marketing team be?
It depends on the strategy. Our benchmarks compare headcount by marketing role as a function of revenue, operating margin, forward growth and R&D investment, so you can see whether you are under-resourced in strategic marketing, product management or tactical marketing.
What should a new marketing leader do first?
Get facts on resourcing and capability, agree a common planning process, and apply it to one or two priority markets for early results. Larger programs come after.
Can we use the tools without a full program?
Yes. Teams can license tools only, with short onboarding webinars, or take temporary access for 60–90 days to try them on live plans.
What is the difference between strategic marketing, product management and tactical marketing?
Strategic marketing decides where to compete and with what offer; product management runs the portfolio and lifecycle; tactical marketing executes launches, campaigns and communication. Benchmarks look at each separately.
Other situations we help with
"We've been sales and rebate led for years."
Moving from commodity to specialty
Your strategy now depends on selling on value, but the sales force, pricing and segmentation were built for volume.
How we help →"We're a new company with a parent company's marketing habits."
After a spin-off, carve-out or PE acquisition
A new owner or independent company means new growth targets with marketing infrastructure that was left behind.
How we help →"We're about to launch, and the price is cost plus margin."
Pricing a new product launch
A new product worth tens of millions is about to be priced without a view of its value to customers.
How we help →Facing this right now?
Book a 20–30 minute sounding board conversation with a senior consultant who has sat in your seat. No cost, no commitment.