Embracing Fluidity in Modern Marketing Organization Design

Why Influencers, Partners, and Dynamic Networks Are Redefining Marketing Organizations Beyond the Traditional Org Chart

Let’s be blunt: most marketing organizations rely on structures better suited for the pre-digital era. It’s time to wake up and face reality—business has changed, customer behaviors have evolved, and so must our marketing strategies and structures.

As Rishad Tobaccowala illustrates in his most recent Substack article, “Organizational Misfit,” outdated practices must be discarded in favor of new, more agile ways of thinking. The article is an excerpt from his book Rethinking Work.

The following article outlines Rishad’s insights—which align closely with the principles of the Marketing Accountability Council (MAC)—and breaks down how his approach can and should be applied to modern marketing practices and organizations.

I want to take a moment to thank Tobin Trevarthen for sharing Rishad’s article with the MAC team. It brightened my Sunday morning and made me stop everything to assemble this piece!

Many of us, particularly those who’ve been in the industry for some time, are navigating the tension between what an organization was and what an organization is becoming. We have a wealth of experience and insight, but finding our place in these transitional organizations is becoming more complicated.

But here’s the upbeat truth: this period of change is an opportunity. Rishad’s words give hope and a clear direction for how marketers can bridge these realities. The evolving landscape is not something to fear but to embrace. Together, we can redefine what marketing organizations look like and thrive in this new era.

Let’s dive in!

Marketing’s Traditional Beliefs Are Outdated

Until 2020, marketing organizations, like most companies, were anchored to five core beliefs:

1. The organization gives structure and directs work.
2. Tenure and experience drive advancement.
3. Most work is done internally.
4. Fairness means applying a universal set of rules.
5. Full-time employment is the norm.

Sounds familiar?

If so, it’s time to get real.

As Tobaccowala argues, these beliefs are being replaced.

Modern marketing organizations can no longer thrive on rigid hierarchies and internalized work processes. MAC (Marketing Accountability Council) has been hammering on these same points since we were established: flexibility, transparency, and customer-centricity are not just nice-to-haves—they are now fundamental to survival.

The New Principles for Marketing Organizations

Rishad outlines new beliefs that are replacing the old guard and pushing marketing organizations into the future:

1. Organizations now enable talent to create structure and direct work. This aligns perfectly with MAC’s value of accountability. It’s about empowering marketers to own their roles and have a say in shaping campaigns rather than sticking to top-down directives.
2. Expertise and continuous learning trump tenure. This shift resonates with MAC’s focus on continuous improvement. Marketing moves fast; if you’re not learning, you’re falling behind.
3. Work happens outside the company’s walls. The best marketing strategies involve cooperation—partnering with agencies, freelancers, and customers themselves. Gone are the days when an in-house team handled every detail.
4. Fairness means customizing programs for each talent. Following MAC’s emphasis on equity, marketing organizations should support each marketer’s unique career path, rather than forcing everyone into a one-size-fits-all mold.
5. Most staff are freelancers or fractional employees. Marketing today requires a mix of talents that can’t be confined to full-time roles. Adapting to this reality reflects MAC’s commitment to authenticity—focusing on what works, not what fits an outdated image.

Ditch the Org Charts: Marketing in 3D

Let’s face it—those classic marketing org charts that show hierarchical boxes and lines are yesterday’s news. As Tobaccowala argues in “Organizational Misfit,” marketing is now a three-dimensional game. The rigid structures of traditional org charts represent “zones of control,” but modern marketing is all about zones of influence. MAC would call this a reality check: titles don’t define how the work actually gets done.

Marketing organizations must embrace fluidity, working with partners, influencers, and contractors to dynamically shape campaigns. Consider this: an influencer on Instagram can have more sway over your brand perception than the most senior manager in your office. Yet, traditional charts don’t capture this reality. According to Rishad, the org chart’s limitations illustrate why marketing organizations must design structures that reflect modern business’s true, messy, and ever-changing nature.

A Marketing Organization Redesign: Outside-In Thinking

Tobaccowala champions designing marketing structures from the outside in, and MAC wholeheartedly agrees. This means structuring your team and processes based on what’s happening in the marketplace, not just what’s comfortable internally. Are you focused on delivering the content your audience craves? Are you organizing around new channels and platforms as they emerge?

1. Adopt Multiple Models: One size doesn’t fit all in marketing. You need different strategies for different markets, channels, and demographics. MAC’s principle of urgency comes into play here: tackle the diverse needs of your customers now, before it turns into a crisis.
2. Outcomes Over Process: Tobaccowala stresses that financial results, customer satisfaction, and talent retention should come first. If your strict processes are getting in the way, they need to go. This echoes MAC’s belief in truth-seeking: obsess over real results, not the illusion of control.
3. Designs, Not Design: Rishad argues for plural designs, not a singular structure. For marketers, this could mean creating distinct teams for performance marketing, brand building, customer experience, and data analytics. Don’t shoehorn these functions into the same rigid model. It’s about building a structure that aligns with the dynamic, cross-functional nature of modern marketing.

Four Key Factors for Marketing Redesign

Rishad highlights four factors marketing organizations must prioritize in their redesigns:

1. Customer Benefit: MAC has long advocated for transparency in delivering true value to customers. Your marketing structure should be flexible enough to adapt to diverse customer needs and facilitate collaboration with external partners. A marketing team focused solely on its own convenience is destined to fail.
2. Talent Advantage: The war for marketing talent is real. In line with MAC’s principles of equity and continuous improvement, create a work environment that accommodates different styles, locations, and growth paths. One rigid model won’t cut it.
3. Change Adaptation: Marketing trends shift faster than ever. MAC’s stance on sustainability applies here; it’s not just about creating a “campaign of the moment” but about building adaptable, long-term strategies that evolve with market changes.
4. Permeability: Marketing is now a permeable discipline. Your organization must connect seamlessly with agencies, freelancers, suppliers, and even customers. As Rishad puts it, companies grow by combining capabilities across multiple entities. The days of closed systems are over.

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Trust as the Backbone of Marketing Structures

To commit to this kind of transformation, Tobaccowala emphasizes the need for trust—a principle that aligns with MAC’s dedication to authenticity. In a redesigned marketing organization, management must trust their teams to drive results and engage with the market in real time. It’s about setting guardrails rather than restrictive rules, empowering marketers to solve problems creatively within a flexible framework.

Are You Building the Marketing Organization of Tomorrow?

Marketing organizations need a hard look in the mirror.

Ask yourself:

• Are your systems agile enough to respond to changes in platforms, customer behavior, and market dynamics?
• Can your structure deliver personalized, targeted campaigns, or are you stuck in a one-size-fits-all mentality?
• Do your policies foster trust among your teams and customers, or are they mere exercises in control?

If your answers are less than satisfactory, it’s time to take Rishad’s advice to heart. MAC has been preaching similar values: flexibility, transparency, and truth-seeking are non-negotiable in today’s marketing landscape.

Embrace Rishad’s Vision and MAC’s Principles for the Future

So, here’s the choice: Stick to yesterday’s marketing model or align with the future by transforming your team, practices, and mindset. Thanks to Rishad Tobaccowala’s clear roadmap to help us get there.