We deserve better! If other departments do not appreciate you as much they should, you can take specific steps to enhance their perception of the worth of marketing.

• Author: Marlin, Brenda
• Position: The Value of Marketing

Marketing--like a network television show--has to continue proving itself, again and again, week after week, in order to win the elusive "approval" rating. Marketers are often caught up in a similar unending ratings' game.

So how does one communicate the value of marketing to others in the bank who tend to misunderstand it or, worse yet, not appreciate it? Since we're all marketers, it's not surprising that the answer involves promotion of the product. If you want to build respect for marketing, you have to start by understanding the needs of other bank departments; next, you have to engage in education and communication.

We spoke to three different bank marketers who each use slightly different approaches to bolstering the image of their department. What they had to say about how they market marketing appears below.

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Communication is Everything

Steve Marlin, CFMP Vice President, Public Relations and Marketing Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Canandaigua, NY

Asset Size: $1.3 Billion

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The way to build internal appreciation for marketing is through communications, says Martin, who is the former chairman of the ABA Marketing Network. Marketing needs to be involved in executive-level decision-making. It also needs to have a role in every bank project. "As small as that might be, or as large as that might be, it provides credibility," says Martin. In marketing yourself to others, it allows you to have the credibility with senior management and others to help shape the bank's overall image and effectiveness, he notes.

Martin creates opportunities to communicate with other departments and senior management within the bank by holding a weekly marketing meeting. His meetings include his core group of representatives from the marketing department, such as sales, marketing and public relations, and then he includes others such as retail, commercial and other office groups to participate in their meetings. They rotate attendees from other department groups on a regular basis to help them understand the groups' issues and vice versa. For example, the bank currently is planning a home-equity sale. Marketing included the retail and back office groups to their marketing meetings to help with this sale. "We are utilizing them not only as a group for feedback, but also so they feel like they are a part of the process. We get their buy-in," notes Martin. He has done this for the past three to four years, which...