When most people think of marketing, they picture creative campaigns, clever social media, and compelling content. These are all essential parts of the function, but there is a crucial layer that often gets overlooked: Marketing Operations.

Many organisations assume that anyone in marketing can also manage technology, data, and processes. In reality, these are distinct skills that require dedicated expertise. So, how exactly is Marketing Operations different, and why is it so important today?

For many years, customer relationship management platforms such as HubSpot, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 were relatively simple. A marketing team could update campaign data, a sales manager could log opportunities, and both could view reports without needing a technical background.

That picture has changed.

Over the years I have had the privilege of working with some brilliant businesses. Forward thinking teams, the right people in the right roles, and critically, the right technology stack already in place. CRM? Present and correct. Marketing automation? Ticking along. Customer success tools? Absolutely. On the surface, it is all there.

So why do things still break?