Effective integration for growth

Integration is one of the most challenging elements of the marketing leader role. Getting the right mix of skills and technology working in a way that enables creativity is no easy task.

The best approach, according to Joel Renkema, Global Head of Insights at Inter IKEA Group, is to keep your objectives front and centre. “Remembering why you do what you do and not getting distracted. Creativity isn't the goal, technology isn't the goal, but creating value for the business and for people is. Marketing, and marketers, have a greater role now and in the future to use these aspects to help achieve greater value for business and people, which goes beyond creativity and technology alone,” he says.

The importance of clear goals also resonates with Alyssa Fenoglio, former Vice-President, Global Head of Digital Commercial at Teva Pharmaceuticals. “Effective integration begins with clarity – showing how each role drives growth. Modern leaders create a culture of learning and psychological safety, where experimentation and creativity deliver better outcomes. Reframed as opportunity, technology amplifies those ideas and augments human potential. Growth accelerates as early adopter champions drive these shifts, embedding change with credibility and scale,” she says.

Keeping consumers front of mind is also essential. “Integration isn’t about tech for tech’s sake. It’s about orchestrating your people, creativity and tools around a clear brand strategy. Start with the consumer, align your teams behind a common goal and use technology to amplify– not replace – human insight and creative brilliance. Strategy first, always,” says Mark Visser, Global Head of Consulting, Kantar.

For Eleni Kitra, Executive Director at Advertising Business Group (ABG) Middle East, smart integration requires cross functional teams where AI and data take on repetitive tasks, freeing people to focus on critical thinking, cultural relevance and innovation that solves problems and fuels sustainable growth for both business and society.

“In the Middle East, where young, digital-first consumers are reshaping expectations, real growth comes from integrating technology to scale, creativity to stand out and people to ensure trust and authenticity,” she says.

The emphasis on cross functional teams echoes with Florian Péquignot, Human Resources Vice-President Global Brand Building at P&G. He argues that one of the biggest opportunities is fragmentation in skill sets. “Many marketers still operate within silos, lacking a holistic view of brand building. This fragmentation leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for integrated strategies. So really it is the combination of more technical skills with true consumer and business understanding with end-to-end ownership that sometimes lacks. At P&G, we try to drive that integration with a focus on what we call the Five Vectors of Superiority: Product, Packaging, Communications, Consumer & Customer Value, Retail Execution. Brand builders need to own all of these end-to-end,” he says.

Stephan Loerke, CEO of WFA, agrees. “The number, and scale, of brand owners’ transformations being led by marketing leaders is greater today than, perhaps, ever before. Transformations designed to drive global growth. This objective is achieved through effectively orchestrating people with an aligned and well communicated strategy which transcends functions. New technologies matter, but people remain at the core of what we do – diverse, empowered teams focused on shared objectives,” he says.

The need for a human solution is supported by Alexey Bokov, Vice-President, Brand, Product, Content and Experience at Visa. “The key word for me here would be curiosity’ – staying curious will bring ability to lead in an inclusive and positive way, while keeping creativity and openness to try new tech solutions,” he says.

And as always with any kind of change, senior leaders need to reassure their teams. “The biggest challenge I find is resistance to change and a “fear” of the unknown. Our people will need to develop confidence, problem-solving skills and working together in new ways, especially when it comes to new technology and ways of working. I don’t believe there is a “process” anymore, well not one that suggests we move from A to B to get things done,” warns Jane Labuschagne, Vice-President, Head of Our LEGO Agency Boston, The LEGO™ Group.

The nominations for this year’s Global Marketer of the Year are being reviewed by the jury, with the finalists to be announced in November. For more information about the award, visit globalmarketeroftheyear.org.