How marketing’s role in tech companies has changed
Marketing used to be the colouring-in department. We made the posters, kept the website running, ran the campaigns and picked up whatever fell between the cracks. Yes, I have been asked to organise many Christmas parties.
That picture is out of date. In tech companies, marketing now sits where sales, partnerships and demand generation meet. I call it Commercial Convergence, and it changes what a marketing leader is for.
From support function to strategic function
Marketing is not a tool of sales. It drives demand generation, sales enablement and brand, and businesses lean heavily on the tools, systems and messaging that marketing creates. Without them, the commercial teams would have little to scale.
That is why senior marketing leadership matters. A Director of Marketing or a CMO makes sure demand, enablement and brand pull in the same direction instead of competing for attention. Sales is often the result of great marketing. It is rarely the other way round.
Marketing and sales have also grown closer over the years, helped by roles such as Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Commercial Officer. But marketing is still sometimes seen as a list of sub-functions rather than one strategic capability. Part of the job is educating the business about the breadth of what marketing contributes.
Partnerships are another channel
In tech, partnerships are one of the biggest drivers of growth. They can accelerate it faster than traditional marketing, whether that means integrations, accredited users or resellers. Marketing plays a real part: content for partner programmes, speaking slots, thought leadership, clear messaging and competitor insight, and the systems that make it all run.
Systems and data changed the job
CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce changed how marketing and commercial teams work. Leads flow through clear workflows, and data is shared. A well-managed CRM does more for alignment between sales and marketing than almost anything else. It has also pushed marketers to get comfortable with data.
Data-driven does not need to be complicated. Pick a few measures that matter, compare results honestly, and use a simple test, learn, repeat approach. But get comfortable with numbers. If you cannot talk confidently about them, someone else will.
What it means for marketing leaders
Champion marketing’s role. Ask for a seat at the strategic table, and be ready to explain what marketing contributes in commercial terms.
Develop broad skills. From sales methods to general management, a wider toolkit helps you work as a peer to the rest of the leadership team.
Keep the human side alive. Talk to customers directly. Data informs strategy, but authenticity drives engagement.
Treat AI as a tool. It can help with content and analysis, but creativity, empathy and experience still come from people.
This is also where confidence comes in. Moving from running marketing to being trusted at board level is not only about skills. I am researching how founders, CEOs and marketing leaders see that shift. You can read more on the research page.
An earlier version of this article first appeared on LinkedIn in January 2025.
Leave a Reply