By Bridget Krage O’Connor, Founder/CEO
Budget season is here, and for most leadership teams, that means it’s time to make some hard calls about where resources should be allocated. When the conversation turns to marketing, questions come fast. How much should we spend? Do we need a new website? Is it time to hire someone? Should we invest in AI?
Before answering any of those questions, it’s worth asking, “How much of your marketing plan is driven by strategy, and how much is driven by habit?”
After years of helping organizations develop strategic marketing and communications plans, I’ve noticed leaders often jump to solutions before defining success. New campaigns, new technology and new initiatives can create the appearance of progress, but if the desired outcome isn’t clear, it’s difficult to know whether any of them are working. This isn’t a marketing problem; it’s a strategy problem.
So, before any tactic earns a line in your marketing budget, I’d put it through these three tests:
- Does this support one of our strategic priorities? Determine if the tactic aligns with a specific goal you set for the year.
- How will we know if it’s working? If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.
- Do we have the capacity to do it well? A brilliant idea your team can’t deliver on is a liability, not a strategy.
If a tactic can’t pass those tests, it’s worth asking whether it belongs in the plan at all.
The best marketing plans are built to flex.
I’ve never seen a marketing plan unfold exactly as it was written. Audiences shift, priorities change and the tactic that worked last year could quietly stop working this year. That’s why it’s worth setting aside a portion of your budget for testing and learning. Try one or two new tactics, give them enough time to generate meaningful data and then evaluate the results. Some will earn more investment. Others won’t. That’s not failure; it’s information. The bigger risk is spending an entire year repeating the same activities without knowing what’s actually working.
Let AI stretch your budget, not replace your team.
This is where AI earns its place in budget conversations. AI won’t replace your marketing team, but it can give them back time. Let AI handle your first drafts, research, data crunching and the repetitive work that used to take up whole afternoons. Then, your team is free to focus on higher-value work: strategy, relationship building and the projects that keep getting pushed to the back burner.
There’s a catch, though. While AI can accelerate your work, it shouldn’t replace the judgment, creativity and connections that make your organization distinct. That’s why the human piece of marketing still matters. Give your team room to learn where AI is strong, where it falls short and how to use it responsibly. Because the tools change constantly, learning can’t be a one-time effort.
The right team matters as much as the right budget.
Even the strongest marketing teams can’t do it all, and they shouldn’t have to. A talented in-house leader knows your organization inside and out, but no single person is going to be an expert in strategy, writing, design, public relations, digital marketing, video and analytics all at once.
That’s why more organizations are leaning into a hybrid approach – pairing their in-house marketing team with an agency that expands capacity, fills skill gaps and brings an outside perspective when it counts. The point isn’t to replace your team; it’s to give them a partner so they can do their best work.
Your marketing budget isn’t separate from your strategic plan. It’s one of the primary ways your strategy comes to life.
The organizations that get the most out of their marketing budgets aren’t always the ones spending the most money. They’re the ones making strategic and intentional choices about where marketing and communications can create the greatest impact.
If you’re shaping your budget for the year ahead, let’s talk before the numbers are locked in. Our team at O’Connor Connective will help you connect your priorities to a plan, so every dollar you invest supports what matters most. Together, we can make next year your strongest yet.