Framing your role: developing, communicating and promoting a marketing and business development structure.

• Author: Crawford, Ezra

Whether you are a marketing department of 50, five or one, developing a marketing framework is a critical step to creating, sustaining and growing the marketing and business development function in your firm. And, just as one size does not fit all, one framework does not fit all. The fundamental advantages to constructing a marketing framework not only strengthen credibility, but translate across firms and departments of all sizes to enhance strategy, value and effectiveness of the marketing function.

First, what is a "marketing framework"? Simply put, it is a structure or organization fitted around the core components, or "columns," of any fully developed marketing function, specifically marketing technology, business development, events and communications/public relations.

As the first-ever director of marketing for BuckleySandler, having a solid framework has helped me lay the foundation for demonstrating the value of the department. From budgeting to reporting and technology acquisition, firm leaders, department heads and my team all have a clear sense of individual roles, specific, value-driven activities and articulated goals for the marketing department.

To help the firm's lawyers and staff better understand the function--and value--of the marketing department, we have even taken the time to create and share internally a graphic that demonstrates the role marketing plays in helping to spearhead initiatives and assist the firm in achieving its business development, thought leadership and visibility goals

Benefits of a Marketing Framework

Communicating the marketing department roles and functions has three primary benefits. Specifically, it:

1. Creates a blueprint from which the department operates and fosters accountability, teamwork and strategic planning;

2. Forces the department to approach each task with an eye toward other "framework activities," with constant department support of each activity across the columns of marketing; and

3. Helps to define and promote the marketing function within a firm--assisting with launching new initiatives, making business cases for acquiring new software and/or marketing platforms, or getting the budget to hire a new person.

Creating a Blueprint

How does having a marketing framework help create a blueprint? By referring to the graphic, you see that marketing departments are able to quickly divide tasks and assign a primary responsible party to each initiative or component of an initiative...