When it comes to marketing performance, plans are only as good as the people and structure behind them. A brilliant strategy unsupported by the right team will collapse under its own ambition. That’s why at Clavem, we assess not only the strategy and tools—but the organization itself.
Here are the five factors we look for when evaluating a marketing team’s readiness to execute:
At the most basic level: do you have someone responsible for marketing? In many smaller businesses, the answer is no. They may rely on outsourced support or a multitasking generalist. But without a dedicated headcount, you can’t own the strategy or hold external partners accountable.
And that accountability matters. Too often, agencies blur results behind performance jargon—clickthroughs, impressions, engagement. These aren’t bad metrics—but they’re incomplete. Without someone on the inside who speaks the language, you’re at the mercy of someone else’s interpretation.
Even at $40/month for a basic CRM seat, the ROI on this role is increasingly easy to justify. A modern marketing lead doesn’t just create content—they manage systems, measure ROI, and translate performance into action.
Here’s where the gap usually appears: the asks on marketing are out of proportion with the people and systems in place. That disconnect results in fire drills, burnout, or—in many cases—missed opportunities. It also means knowing whether that team is built for the work it’s being asked to do—especially with the pace of content, campaigns, and channels accelerating. AI tools can help rebalance workloads, but only if the team has the skills and time to adopt them. That requires honest assessment and intention, not assumption
A modern marketing team needs scalable systems (automation, analytics, CRM) and realistic expectations around project volume. The best way to manage this? Documentation.
Document your plan. Define what’s “above the line” (must-dos) and what’s “below the line” (stretch or nice-to-haves). Then use that lens to drive honest conversations about what’s missing: people, tools, or both.
Invest in the team, not just the tools. If you can’t show how your team is growing, you’re not growing. Development planning doesn’t have to be fancy, but it must be intentional. You want to document any training programs, skill development opportunities, or certifications currently in motion.
What certifications are you targeting? What industry publications or events are part of the rhythm? Is it Ad Age or Trailhead or something else?
And if that doesn't exist, you’ll want to talk about why. The rate of change in marketing technology often outpaces what senior leadership expects—and what most teams are trained for. From CRM to AI, from automation to analytics, marketing requires constant upskilling. And that takes a plan.
If it’s not on paper, it’s not a plan. And again—show me. That phrase applies here just as much as it does in strategic planning.
This is a Gen 2 capability. Smaller teams may not have it—yet. But as you scale, the ability to extract, analyze, and act on cross-platform data becomes essential.
Don’t confuse Google Analytics fluency with deep analytics chops. A true data professional connects the dots across CRM, ad platforms, attribution models, and internal dashboards. This is the person who helps you evolve from performance reporting to performance intelligence.
Even if you’re mostly in-house, a great agency adds value. The right partner offers breadth of perspective, external challenge, and exposure to new playbooks.
Yes, not all agencies live up to that promise. Some over-index on lingo and underdeliver on outcomes. But when managed properly, an external agency is one of your best assets for keeping the playbook fresh—and pushing your internal team forward.
At its core, this Briefing is about evolving the playbook—and making sure your team can run it.
A modern marketing lead helps evolve it from the inside. Agencies help evolve the perspective from the outside. But execution lives and dies in the middle—where real capacity meets the rising demands of content, channels, and campaigns.
AI won’t replace the team. But it can help balance the load—shifting focus from execution to strategy, from grind to growth. Most teams aren’t overstaffed—they’re under-equipped. AI is a multiplier, not a shortcut.
That’s why development planning isn’t optional. The pace of martech evolution is relentless, and internal training often lags far behind. Whether it’s Trailhead, Ad Age, or something else—make the plan. Write it down. And invest in it.
And finally: bring in outside perspective. Even without a full agency of record, selectively engaging the right partners can introduce fresh thinking and challenge internal assumptions.
If you’re still running the same plays you ran three years ago, your results probably reflect it.