Introduction Stepping into the role of a Marketing Leader is both an exciting and daunting challenge. From the moment you apply or are approached for the job, the learning process begins. For new leaders, understanding and mastering the planning cycle is crucial—not just for setting strategies but for driving meaningful growth across the organisation. In this article, we explore actionable insights for new marketing leaders to optimise the planning process, leverage early learnings, and establish a powerful growth agenda.

1. Start Learning Before Day One Your journey as a Marketing Leader doesn’t begin on your first day—it starts the moment you decide to apply for the role. The interim period between leaving your previous position and starting the new one presents a golden opportunity for immersive learning.

Become Your Best Customer: If you’re entering a B2C company, dive deep into the customer experience. Purchase products, join loyalty programs, process returns, and engage through multiple channels to understand the digital and omnichannel journeys firsthand. For B2B’s, leverage connections with existing customers or gather insights from family and friends who might be users. This hands-on approach allows you to enter the role armed with invaluable customer-centric knowledge, giving you a head start in shaping your strategies.

2. Reassess and Reframe the Inherited Plan It’s common to inherit a plan crafted by predecessors—sometimes outdated or partially executed due to politics, resource constraints, or strategic shifts. The key is not to become a slave to the existing plan but to reframe it based on fresh learnings.

The Mini-Budget Approach: Take a cue from political transitions where new governments conduct a mini-budget review within six months. Similarly, consider initiating a “mini-plan” to reassess strategies. This approach enables you to evaluate what’s working, identify gaps, and introduce necessary pivots without discarding all previous efforts. Use this time to rally cross-functional teams and align them with a renewed vision focused on growth and customer experience.

3. Navigate the Pressure of Growth Expectations The pressure on new Marketing Leaders is immense. Studies indicate that 8 out of 10 CEOs expect their Marketers to drive growth, yet only 23% believe they are delivering on this mandate. The gap between expectation and execution is significant, making it imperative for Marketing Leaders to hit the ground running.

Influence Without Authority: In many organisations, growth is traditionally seen as the domain of the sales team, especially in siloed environments. Your challenge is to break down these silos. Adopt a “composite marketer” mindset—taking a 360° view of the organisation and influencing key areas such as product development, customer experience (CX), and sales enablement without needing direct control over them. This approach helps in reshaping perceptions of marketing as a growth driver rather than just a support function.

4. Build a Customer-Centric Culture Every annual report claims customer-centricity, yet the reality often falls short. Establishing a genuine CX culture is a powerful way for Marketing Leaders to drive growth and align the organisation around the customer.

CX as a Six-Month Goal: Focus the first six months on diagnosing and enhancing the customer experience. This involves mapping customer journeys, identifying pain points, and rallying teams across departments to improve touchpoints. By positioning CX at the heart of the strategy, you not only enhance satisfaction but also create a strong foundation for sustainable growth.

5. Digital Maturity Matters Conducting a digital maturity audit can reveal simple yet impactful gaps that are often overlooked. From broken customer journeys to under-optimised platforms, addressing these issues early can deliver quick wins that build credibility for the marketing team.

Quick Fixes, Big Impact: Often, the solutions are straightforward—streamlining online purchase flows, enhancing mobile responsiveness, or integrating CRM systems more effectively. By presenting these easy fixes early on, you can build momentum and demonstrate the immediate value marketing brings to the growth agenda.

Conclusion The planning cycle is about more than just setting annual strategies; it’s about leveraging early learnings, reassessing inherited plans, and creating a customer-centric growth culture. By approaching the first six months with a structured yet flexible mindset, new Marketing Leaders can bridge the gap between expectations and execution—transforming the marketing function into a true driver of growth.

Are you ready to turn your first six months into a launchpad for success? The planning starts now.