In the last decade, Agile methodologies have been widely embraced by the software development and project management communities. Its iterative approach helps teams make direct progress toward an end goal, while allowing them the flexibility to adapt and refine their process as they go.
Now, marketing teams are embracing the Agile pillars in order to thrive in a new era of customer engagement and expectations. Increasing demands on marketing departments require new approaches to marketing management and operations, and the benefits of Agile for marketers are clear: Agile marketing teams are more productive, more satisfied with how their teams manage work, and deliver better results faster.
But marketers have their own unique challenges, and Agile’s principles must be adapted to suit their needs. Follow Wrike’s Agile Marketing Manifesto to build a strong foundation for your marketing organization.
Wrike’s Agile Marketing Manifesto: The 4 Pillars of Agile
Ongoing Customer Focus
- We anticipate changes in customer requirements and interests, and build processes that allow us to incorporate those changes even at later stages of the project.
- Clients and stakeholders are regularly involved throughout the project, from beginning to end.
Collaboration & Communication
- Our team has open communication and is always aware of the status of work: what’s been completed, what’s in progress, and what’s upcoming.
- Roles, responsibilities, and priorities are clear, and issues/roadblocks are quickly uncovered and addressed.
- Our team is self-organizing, setting its own goals and methods, without relying on upper management to dictate every step.
Intentional Processes & Continuous Improvement
- We follow a clearly defined process, which is neither accidental nor ad hoc, and our process is sustainable and scalable within our organization.
- Our work processes are carefully designed to support agility, speed, and flexibility.
- We set aside time to reflect and improve our processes, removing any wasted steps to keep workflows efficient and proactively addressing any issues or bottlenecks.
Results-Oriented Approach
- Instead of completing many different campaigns and initiatives, we prioritize efficiency, quality over quantity, and satisfying customer needs.
- We use the build-measure-learn feedback loop or similar approach, and focus on outcomes — not volume or other deceptive metrics — to ensure we’re achieving strategic goals.
- Decisions are based on data, not opinions or habit.
Quiz: What’s Your Team’s Agile Marketing Score?
While the 4 pillars of Agile Marketing may sound simple, getting your team up to speed so you actually reap the benefits is tricky — and it’s tough to know whether you’re on the right track. Take our interactive self-assessment to evaluate your team’s agility and get some simple, practical tips for improvement.