2022: The Year of Marketing Enablement

At this year’s State of the Profession Address, we predicted that 2022 will be the year of Marketing Enablement. Here’s why.

Marketing continues to step up and deliver for their organizations. At the beginning of the COVID crisis and even as we continue to live and work through the long tail of the pandemic, marketing has proven to be a critical driver of strategic growth. As we enter 2022, marketing is focused on the three priorities that matter most to business success: building brand and reputation, deepening relationships, and growing revenue.

To do this, it’s vital for marketing to build upon its elevated position and perception in the organization and not fall back into marketing as usual. However, this is no easy task, as being a marketer today can be challenging and unpredictable, as the job – and the marketplace – is filled with uncertainty.

Looking at the data from the 2022 Marketing Trends Survey, we see two major challenges marketers must address if they are to continue to hold an esteemed position within the organization:

1Digital transformation. Despite the pandemic being an accelerant for digital transformation, many companies are still woefully behind in where they are and where they should be compared to others in moving down the path of digital transformation.

2Talent acquisition development and retention.  Marketing organizations are facing difficulty finding and keeping talent to do the work that is needed to transform.

The data from the survey also showed that high-performing marketing organizations are addressing these two challenges via marketing enablement, including technology, tools, training, and more. By empowering, supporting, and facilitating marketers so they can be successful in their roles, these organizations are outperforming their peers. Thus, a strong focus on marketing enablement in 2022 will be critical to achieve and retain marketing’s growth-driver status.

To learn how high-performing marketing organizations approach marketing enablement, watch the replay of the 2022 State of the Profession Address.