Marketing thrives under trust - not control

Marketing is still often undervalued and misunderstood within businesses. Over the years, I've realised one thing:

A marketing team can only thrive when leadership actually understands marketing and chooses to support it.

The Pygmalion effect comes to mind - how others' expectations of us can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I've personally experienced two kinds of leaders:

The Micro-Managers

✴️ Don’t understand marketing, but insist on controlling it

✴️ Throttle ideas

✴️ Don’t trust data, the process, or the people behind it

✴️ See marketing as a cost centre, not a growth engine

✴️ Quick to blame Marketing when sales are down

Micro-managers crush morale and performance, creating a disengaged and ineffective team.

The Champions

✳️ Leaders who “get it” without knowing every tactic or channel inside out

✳️ Trust their marketers and give space for experimentation

✳️ Advocate for budget, tools, and resources

✳️ Understand that marketing is more than ads and data 

✳️ Know that real results take time - and defend that time

Champions bring contagious energy across the business. They positively influence growth and profitability.

Marketing can only flourish where the team feels safe to pitch bold ideas and run with them (while owning the outcomes, of course).

The divide is crystal clear:

❌ Micromanaged marketing teams burn out and miss the mark.

✅ Empowered marketing teams drive results.

Are you a small business owner who's had difficulty finding the right marketer to work for you - one who understands your business, is keen to align and work alongside you in achieving your business goals? Get in touch for a free consultation, perhaps I can help.

www.etainmarketing.com