The Art of Leading a Marketing Team That Feels Undervalued
Marketing: the department everyone needs, but nobody seems to understand.
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge."
– Simon Sinek
Hello Friends,
The struggle is real.
Working tirelessly to drive brand awareness, capture attention, and fuel growth is difficult on its own as landscapes pivot and markets continue to shift. That difficulty is compounded when you feel like your contribution goes unnoticed.
While sales teams are celebrated for closing deals, product teams for launching features, and customer service for solving problems, marketing often gets pegged as the team that spends money without a direct link to the bottom line.
And when you are the leader of the department–the director, VP, or CMO–you’re often stuck in the middle of all the discontent. On the one hand, you’re the one to answer to the board when they start asking the “what-did-this-mean-for-the-bottom-line” type questions. But you’re also the one who sees the blood, sweat, and tears your team is putting into their work.
It can sometimes feel like an impossible position. And yet, it is our job to lead through it anyway.
What it Sounds Like
The devaluation of the marketing team is often a slow descent, and it can take a lot of forms. But the effect is always the same: a team of brilliant creatives who don’t feel like their work has any meaning (which, by the way, is also a team that is heading straight for burnout.)
Any of these sound familar?
Dismissing the Intangibles
“We need to focus on things that actually drive revenue, not just brand awareness.”
“Marketing is important, but let’s be realistic—it’s sales that closes deals.”
“I’m not sure how this campaign is supposed to help us hit this quarter’s numbers.”
Minimizing Expertise
“Anyone can come up with ideas for an ad campaign. Why do we need to spend so much on this?”
“I showed this to my [spouse/neighbor/friend], and they didn’t get it. Can we make it simpler?”
“Can’t we just use ChatGPT to write this?”
Misplaced Priorities
“Can you just whip up a quick flyer? We need something by tomorrow for this trade show.”
“Why are we spending time on a brand refresh? No one cares about logos—they care about the product.”
“This campaign looks great, but can we make the call-to-action bigger? Maybe add some red to it?”
Lack of Recognition
“Great job to the sales team for closing that huge deal!” (Without acknowledging marketing’s role in lead generation or brand-building that contributed to the deal.)
“The product launch was a success, thanks to all the hard work from engineering and product management!” (While ignoring the months of messaging, positioning, and go-to-market planning from marketing.)
Unrealistic Expectations
“Why can’t we just go viral? That would solve everything.”
“Tights aren’t selling well, so let’s just make an Instagram post about it” (Note: this actually happened to me).
“Can we just replicate what [insert competitor] is doing? It seems to work for them.”
Budget and Resource Constraints
“Do we really need this software/tool/vendor? Can’t we do this in-house?”
“I don’t think we need a bigger budget—let’s just focus on being scrappier.”
“We should hire more salespeople instead of investing in more campaigns.”
General Misalignment
“We need to market to everyone. Let’s make sure our messaging appeals to all audiences.”
“This marketing plan is too niche. What about people who don’t fall into this target audience?”
“Why aren’t we on TikTok? All the big brands are.”
Some of these seem subtle. A lot of them are even well-intentioned. But compounded over rhe course of a quarter (or, realistically, a number of years), it can wear away at your team’s confidence.
What it Feels Like
Shitty. It feels shitty.
If your organization is consistently disregarding your team’s value, hard work, or meaningful contribution, it is only a matter of time before it takes a toll on morale.
And yet, as I learned deep in the trenches of a deep tech rebrand (you try selling a brand story to 200 engineers), an undervalued, overlooked team is still one you have to lead anyway.
So how do we do it?
How do we lead graciously when the rest of the company doesn’t get it? How do we foster excellence, even when the applause is sparse?
Here’s my advice.
1. Anchor in the Bigger Picture
You and I know marketing’s true role is broader than any single campaign. It’s the shaping of perception, creation of connections, and building of momentum for the entire organization. That’s a large boat to turn. As a leader, your job is to articulate that vision—not just to your team, but across the company- and invite others to be part of that journey. Translate marketing efforts into a language other departments understand and actively involve them in the process. If the product team cares about adoption, show how your campaigns create sell-through. If sales wants warmer leads, map how your messaging is priming prospects. Draw a direct line between your initiatives and the company’s goals, and repeat that connection often.
This isn’t about over-justifying your work. It’s about ensuring your team sees—and can articulate—the strategic value they bring to the table while fostering cross-departmental buy-in an collaboration .Bringing others along not only demonstrates marketing’s broader role but also build a shared understanding and commitment to its impact.
2. Celebrate Wins Loudly (and Quantifiably)
When marketing’s impact feels intangible, it’s your responsibility to make it tangible. Market to the rest of your team the way you market to your customers: understand what they really want, and then show them how you’re filling that need.
Start by turning campaign results into stories, and don’t shy away from numbers. Did your content strategy contribute to a 20% increase in website traffic? Share that. Did your email nurture sequence help close three major deals? Say so.
And, notably, this needs to include framing the data in a way that resonates with rest of your company, so they can follow. Why is that 20% increase in clicks good for the bottom line? How does it compare with where your competitors are, and what predictions can we make about it for the future?
Report regularly, report well, and report confidently. Package the data within a story they can get behind and understand the value you bring to the table
3. Build Internal Relationships
Marketing doesn’t exist in isolation. The more integrated your team is with other departments, the harder it is for anyone to dismiss their contributions. Marketing’s role goes beyond review; marketers are the architects of emotional connections. When we help consumers see themselves in a brand’s story, every department benefits- from increased sales to increased customer engagement and loyalty.
To build this integration, encourage collaboration at every opportunity and actively bring others along on the journey.Invite product managers to brainstorm marketing ideas – they may see opportunities they’d overlooked. Sit in on sales calls to hear objections firsthand, then use those insights to refine messaging. Share early campaign drafts with customer service to ensure alignment. These moments of overlap build trust and make your team’s work more relevant to the other internal stakeholders.
This relationship-building also benefits your team. When they understand how their work ties into the company’s broader goals, they’ll feel more connected to both the mission and the product—and more motivated to keep contributing to an impact that is felt company-wide.
4. Invest in Your Team’s Confidence
It’s true that marketing often operates in a space of ambiguity. Success isn’t always immediate, and tests sometimes fail. In a skeptical environment, this can make your team second-guess their instincts.
We combat this by creating a culture of curiosity and bravery. Celebrate experiments—even the ones that don’t work out. Remind your team that taking calculated risks is part of the job and an opportunity to learn And most importantly, shield them from unproductive criticism. If possible, take that feedback yourself. If another department questions the value of a campaign, take the lead in explaining the rationale and results. Never let your team feel they’re alone in defending their work.
5. Be the Chief Advocate for Your Team
As the leader, you set the tone for how marketing is perceived across the organization. If you downplay your team’s work or struggle to articulate its importance, others will follow suit. Your advocacy shapes how your team is valued—and how supported they feel in their efforts.
Advocacy isn’t about defensiveness—it’s about education. Take time to teach your peers and leaders about what marketing does and why it matters. Share your team’s successes at company meetings. Suggest metrics that align with organizational goals. Push back against the narrative that marketing is a cost center rather than a growth driver.
Most importantly, make sure your team knows you have their back. Be the first to champion their achievements and shield them from undue criticism. When your team sees you standing up for their work, they’ll feel valued and empowered to take risks, even when external validation is limited. A supported team is a confident, resilient team, and that confidence will fuel their best work.
6. Focus on Impact Over Validation
At the end of the day, your worth doesn’t depend on how loudly it’s celebrated. It depends on results. Instead of chasing internal recognition, focus on driving impact.
Ask your team to reflect: Are we achieving our goals? Are we helping the company grow? Are we proud of the work we’re producing? By centering your efforts around outcomes rather than opinions, you’ll build a team that’s resilient, confident, and undeniably effective.
Is a company-wide change in attitude toward marketing going to be easy? No. It will require consistency, perseverance, and probably a lot of explaining things for the 100th time.
But done well, your internal advocacy for your team can unify the whole company behind your vision. When you create an environment where your team understands their worth, embraces collaboration, and stays focused on the bigger picture, you’ll give them the space they need to make truly great work. Recognition may not always come easily, but the results will speak for themselves.
And in the end, that’s what matters most.
Cheers,
Gina
