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The Marketing Function Test: A Diagnostic for Senior Marketing Leaders

  • Writer: Laurence Paquette
    Laurence Paquette
  • Jun 29
  • 1 min read

A mediocre marketer in a well-structured function will outperform a great marketer in a broken one. Every time.


I've seen this play out more times than I can count. A talented Head of Marketing joins a scale-up, gets handed a team and a budget, and spends the next eighteen months fixing things that were broken before they arrived. Not campaigns. Not messaging. The function itself.


Nobody hands you a diagnostic when you walk in the door. So I built one.


A clean white infographic titled “THE MARKETING FUNCTION TEST” in bold black capital letters with orange accents. At the center is a five point radar chart with three concentric pentagon layers representing scores of 1, 2, and 3. The five dimensions are positioned around the chart: Strategic Clarity, Internal Credibility, Fuel and Engine Balance, Team and Structure, and Measurement. A scoring guide labels 1 as Broken, 2 as Partial, and 3 as Working. At the bottom, a scoring key explains that total scores of 5 to 8 indicate a Structural Problem, 9 to 12 indicate Mixed performance, and 13 to 15 indicate a Strong Foundation. The footer displays “MARKETED” between two dotted horizontal lines.

The Marketing Function Test assesses your marketing function across five dimensions: Strategic Clarity, Internal Credibility, Fuel and Engine Balance, Team and Structure, and Measurement.


Each dimension gets a score from one to three. Add them up and you'll know whether your function is set up to perform or just set up to look busy.


A professional two column table infographic on a white background titled “THE MARKETING FUNCTION TEST: HOW TO READ EACH DIMENSION.” The left column, labeled “Signs It’s Broken,” uses dark colours and grey cross icons. The right column, labeled “Signs It’s Working,” uses orange accents and orange checkmark icons. Five marketing dimensions are listed in rows: Strategic Clarity, Internal Credibility, Fuel and Engine Balance, Team and Structure, and Measurement. Each row compares behaviours and outcomes associated with weak versus effective marketing functions. Thin horizontal lines separate each section. The footer features “MARKETED” centered between dotted horizontal lines.

The score isn't the point. The conversation it starts is. And the fix order matters more than the score itself. Strategic Clarity first, Internal Credibility second. Without those two, nothing else holds.



A white background infographic titled “THE MARKETING FUNCTION TEST: FIX IN THIS ORDER.” A five step staircase rises from bottom left to top right, illustrating the recommended sequence for improving a marketing function. Step 1, Strategic Clarity, and Step 2, Internal Credibility, are highlighted in orange to indicate priority. Steps 3, Measurement, 4, Team and Structure, and 5, Fuel and Engine Balance, appear in dark grey and black. An upward arrow runs alongside the staircase, reinforcing progression. Below the diagram, a note states that Strategic Clarity and Internal Credibility are non negotiable foundations for everything else. The footer displays “MARKETED” centered between dotted horizontal lines.

The full diagnostic, including how to read each dimension, how to score yourself, and how to use it with your leadership team, is in the first issue of MARKETED, my weekly newsletter for senior marketing leaders.


 
 
 

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