Podcast Summary: B2B Agility™ with Greg Kihlström – Episode #37: Marketing Operations as a Driver of Growth with Mike Rizzo, MarketingOps.com

Introduction

In Episode #37 of B2B Agility™ with Greg Kihlström, host Greg Kilstrom engages in an insightful conversation with Mike Rizzo, founder of MarketingOps.com. The discussion centers on the pivotal role of marketing operations in driving B2B growth, exploring the evolution of the discipline, current challenges, and future opportunities. Drawing from the 2024 State of the Marketing Operations Professional Report, which encompasses insights from over 6,000 marketing operations professionals, Rizzo provides a comprehensive overview of how marketing ops can transform from a support function into a strategic powerhouse.

1. The Evolving Role of Marketing Operations

Strategic Shift in Marketing Ops

Mike Rizzo outlines the significant transformation marketing operations has undergone, particularly within the B2B SaaS sector. Initially perceived as a technical support role focused on managing tools and executing campaigns, marketing ops is now recognized for its strategic contributions to business growth.

“We’ve reached a new tipping point where it's about the strategy and the opportunity for marketing operations to have a strategic impact.”
— Mike Rizzo [07:20]

From Tactical to Strategic

Rizzo emphasizes that marketing operations professionals are no longer just “button pushers.” Instead, they are integral in shaping go-to-market strategies by leveraging technology to achieve business outcomes.

“Now it's about the strategy and the opportunity for marketing operations.”
— Mike Rizzo [07:20]

2. Transformation Drivers and Current State

Inflection Point for Marketing Ops

The term "marketing operations" emerged from the B2B SaaS landscape, distinguishing itself from B2C marketing technologists who have been integrating technology longer. Over the past decade, marketing ops has moved beyond mere marketing automation to encompass comprehensive lifecycle management and demand generation.

“Marketing operations was really born out of B2B SaaS.”
— Mike Rizzo [04:44]

Strategic Voice in Decision-Making

According to the 2024 report, 37% of marketing ops professionals feel they have a strategic voice in organizational decision-making. While this marks progress, Rizzo acknowledges that there is still substantial room for growth in elevating the role's strategic influence.

“37% of marketing ops professionals reporting that they have that strategic voice in decision making.”
— Greg Kilstrom [07:45]

3. Future Implications for Marketing Operations

Strategic Partnerships with Leadership

Rizzo advises business and marketing leaders to collaborate closely with marketing operations experts to build robust go-to-market technology stacks. This partnership is crucial for aligning technology with business goals and optimizing customer journeys.

“Your opportunity now is to go find your expert in go to market technology, which is now this marketing operations professional.”
— Mike Rizzo [08:22]

Empowering Practitioners

For marketing ops professionals, the future holds opportunities to lead in building and optimizing tech stacks that drive business outcomes. Rizzo highlights the importance of stepping up to shape strategies that align with organizational goals.

“If you're a practitioner, step up and ask the questions on how you can say, hey, let's optimize our go to market motion.”
— Mike Rizzo [10:28]

4. Identifying the Need for Strategic Marketing Ops

Recognizing Symptoms

Leaders may realize the need for a more strategic marketing ops function when faced with distrust in data, lack of clarity in go-to-market strategies, or inconsistent performance metrics. These issues signal the necessity to involve marketing ops professionals to establish trustworthy operating models.

“If there is a data point that you're looking at and you don't trust those numbers, it's probably time to bring in your marketing operations team.”
— Mike Rizzo [11:10]

Addressing Data Trust Issues

Rizzo underscores the role of marketing operations in acting as the "purveyor of truth," ensuring data integrity and aligning measurement practices across the organization.

“They can be that sort of purveyor of truth to say, no, no, no. This is what we said the plan was to measure.”
— Mike Rizzo [12:46]

5. Enhancing Employee Engagement and Valuation

Value Articulation

To enhance engagement, marketing ops professionals must clearly articulate their value through strategic initiatives that align with business objectives. This involves advocating for effective product roadmaps and demonstrating how their work impacts overall performance metrics.

“If you can't articulate the value that you want to bring to an organization, then you are going to run into some challenges around feeling valued in your role.”
— Mike Rizzo [16:12]

Strategic Thinking and Creativity

Rizzo highlights the strategic and creative aspects of marketing operations, such as optimizing data fields and integrating systems, which contribute to the organization's success.

“They’re incredibly strategic thinkers... deciding whether or not to create a field because maybe it exists somewhere else.”
— Mike Rizzo [16:12]

6. Training and Upskilling in Marketing Operations

Comprehensive Education Paths

Rizzo advocates for diverse training opportunities beyond standard certifications. This includes database management, integrations, product management principles, and foundational marketing knowledge to create well-rounded marketing operations professionals.

“Let them spread their wings and try them. Even if they're not currently using those platforms, the understanding of how they work can impact implementation.”
— Mike Rizzo [17:51]

Community and Continuous Learning

Participation in communities and networking with other professionals are crucial for continuous learning and problem-solving, enhancing the overall capability of marketing ops teams.

“When you put your marketing operations professional in a community full of problem solvers, all of a sudden problems get solved really quickly.”
— Mike Rizzo [17:51]

7. Emphasis on Data and Data-Driven Initiatives

Data as a Core Business Asset

Data is fundamental to modern marketing operations, especially with the integration of AI. Rizzo emphasizes the importance of accurate data pipelines and definitions to leverage AI effectively.

“Data is, at the end of the day, it is everything to a business.”
— Mike Rizzo [22:03]

Maximizing Data Utilization

Ensuring data is well-defined and integrated across systems allows marketing ops teams to generate meaningful insights and support AI-driven initiatives, ultimately driving smarter business decisions.

“It comes down to just definitions and alignment and what do you want to track and starting to learn how to leverage these new tools.”
— Mike Rizzo [22:03]

8. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Overcoming Barriers

Shared Understanding and Language

Effective collaboration hinges on building a shared language and understanding between marketing ops and other departments like sales, RevOps, and IT. This fosters alignment and mitigates miscommunication.

“Seek to understand, try to find a shared language. There's a lack of understanding and a lack of shared language.”
— Mike Rizzo [24:58]

Navigating Competing Priorities

Marketing ops professionals must balance the diverse priorities of different departments, ensuring that technical solutions support broader business goals without becoming bottlenecks.

“These are all barriers that if either of those groups don't understand the other's challenges, you're going to run into alignment issues.”
— Mike Rizzo [25:16]

Facilitating Integration

By understanding the needs and limitations of other teams, marketing ops can effectively integrate systems and processes, acting as the gateway to seamless cross-functional operations.

“Marketing operations is the gateway to make it the art of the possible.”
— Mike Rizzo [27:55]

9. Evolution and Future Outlook of Marketing Operations

Leveraging AI and Emerging Technologies

Rizzo expresses excitement about the rapid advancements in AI and their application in marketing operations. He encourages professionals to embrace these technologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

“I'm most excited about the opportunity to sort of seize the moment when it comes to certainly AI and leveraging this sort of new era.”
— Mike Rizzo [30:16]

Proactive Adaptation

Marketing ops teams must proactively develop AI roadmaps, participate in community-driven workshops, and stay ahead of technological trends to sustain their strategic advantage.

“Lean in, start asking the hard questions and figure out what your AI roadmap is going to be.”
— Mike Rizzo [30:16]

Key Takeaways

• Strategic Transformation: Marketing operations has evolved from a technical support role to a strategic driver of growth, particularly within B2B SaaS.
• Data Integrity: Trustworthy data and clear definitions are crucial for effective marketing operations and leveraging AI.
• Collaboration: Building shared language and understanding across departments enhances cross-functional collaboration and alignment.
• Continuous Learning: Upskilling through diverse training and community engagement is essential for marketing ops professionals to stay relevant and impactful.
• Future Readiness: Embracing AI and emerging technologies will enable marketing operations to further enhance their strategic contributions to business growth.

Conclusion

Episode #37 of B2B Agility™ highlights the indispensable role of marketing operations in today's dynamic B2B landscape. Mike Rizzo's insights underscore the necessity for marketing ops to adopt a strategic mindset, leverage data effectively, foster cross-functional collaboration, and continuously evolve through education and technological advancements. As businesses strive to stay agile and competitive, empowering marketing operations teams emerges as a critical factor for sustained success.

For more information about Mike Rizzo and MarketingOps.com, refer to the show notes.