Navigating the five biggest challenges facing marketers today
As Paragon UK’s Chief Operating Officer for Marketing Services, I spend my time speaking to as many clients as I possibly can. In getting to know their businesses and their challenges, one thing has become abundantly clear: the marketing landscape has never been more complex.
Gone are the days when a well-executed multichannel marketing campaign could effectively reach your entire audience. Today's fragmented media environment, coupled with rising customer expectations and regulatory pressures, has created a perfect storm of challenges.
During my conversations with clients and our internal teams, I’m seeing five critical challenges that most organisations are grappling with today. I’d like to share these with you, along with some thoughts on how forward-thinking companies are addressing them.
Challenge 1: Managing complex marketing tasks without expanding the team
Many marketing directors I've spoken with share a common frustration: "How do I efficiently handle a high volume of complex marketing and procurement tasks without expanding my team?"
According to recent research, 56% of marketers say they don't have enough time to analyse their data thoroughly. With marketing departments expected to do more with less, they’re bogged down in day-to-day operational tasks rather than focusing on strategy and innovation.
Smart organisations are tackling this through marketing operations outsourcing. By partnering with specialists who can manage everything from campaign delivery to procurement, in-house teams can refocus on what matters most – developing strategies that drive business growth.
Challenge 2: Maintaining brand consistency across global markets
For multinational organisations, maintaining brand consistency while adapting to local markets presents a significant challenge. A global marketing director recently told me, "We need our brand to speak with one voice globally, but that voice needs to resonate differently in different markets and countries."
The solution lies in creating robust brand deployment frameworks that balance global consistency with local relevance. For example, you can develop modular creative assets that are customised for different markets while maintaining core brand elements.
Challenge 3: Creating multichannel engagement in diverse sales settings
With consumers interacting with brands across an ever-expanding array of touchpoints, maintaining consistency across channels while optimising each one can be a major headache. Recent data shows that 66% of marketers expect challenges in tracking user behaviour across channels as third-party cookies are phased out.
Leading brands are addressing this challenge with integrated omnichannel approaches, using connected technologies that provide a 360-degree view of customer interactions. From temporary point-of-sale materials and space branding to digital campaigns and direct mail, it’s vital that everything works in harmony to tell a consistent brand story.
Challenge 4: Leveraging data for maximum ROI
Perhaps the most common question I hear is: "How do I get maximum ROI from my marketing budget?" With budgets under constant scrutiny, marketing leaders need to demonstrate clear value from every pound spent.
Data integration can provide the answer. More than half of marketers believe that better data integration would help them improve performance and close knowledge gaps in their data strategy. By consolidating fragmented customer information and implementing smart analytics, businesses can make more informed decisions about where to allocate resources.
This data-driven approach eliminates wastage and ensures marketing investment is directed where it will have the biggest impact.
Challenge 5: Adapting to regulatory changes without losing momentum
The regulatory landscape for marketers continues to change at breakneck speed. From Consumer Duty to evolving data protection regulations like the new Data (Use and Access) Bill, marketing teams constantly find themselves adapting to new compliance requirements.
With third-party data becoming less accessible, organisations are pivoting to more sustainable approaches. For example, 87% of marketers are now focusing more strongly on first-party data collection. This shift not only addresses regulatory concerns but also creates opportunities for more meaningful customer connections.
Successful businesses are building regulatory agility into their processes. Rather than treating each new regulation as a separate challenge, they're implementing flexible frameworks that can adapt quickly. Digital transformation, when done right, builds in the agility and speed of response necessary to navigate the regulatory rollercoaster while maintaining marketing momentum.
Turning challenges into opportunities
What's clear from my conversations with clients is that these challenges, while significant, also present opportunities for competitive advantage.
At Paragon, we're helping organisations transform these challenges into opportunities through our integrated approach to marketing services. By connecting every element of the marketing ecosystem – from brand activation to direct marketing and operations – we enable our clients to focus on strategy while we handle the complexities.
Want to find out more?
Our team is here to help. Get in touch with a Paragon expert today to discuss your specific needs.
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