Managing Diverse Global Markets
When managing diverse global markets, it’s important to build a combination of strategy, tools, and insight. Henkel, a global leader in industrial and consumer goods, faced challenges in unifying its digital engagement strategies across regions and marketing segments. This case study explores how Laura Pistolesi, Senior Manager Digital Engagement for Henkel Adhesive Technologies, leveraged Propolis to overcome disparities in marketing maturity and governance issues, allowing the team to improve their digital marketing efforts.
The Challenge: Varied Levels of Marketing Maturity
Henkel is structured into multiple strategic business units (SBUs), each with different levels of marketing maturity and team structures. Some SBUs have well-established local teams with a strong market presence, while others operate with minimal local resources, focusing more on global accounts. These differences brought about a few key challenges.
Different Approach to Marketing Strategies
One of the hurdles is the varying approaches to marketing strategies. While some teams were well-versed in areas like Account-Based Marketing (ABM), others had limited exposure, highlighting an opportunity for training to ensure more consistent results across the board.
Disparity in Approach to Content Production
Content production is another area for improvement, with varying degrees of expertise:
“Some have well-established teams, including local teams that validate content for their respective markets, particularly when their main clients are SMEs. In contrast, other SBUs take a more global approach, focusing on large accounts, and may have only a minimal local presence to handle these tasks.
Ensuring Governance Across Multiple Regions
Governance is another area that could benefit from further attention. Although the company has established guidelines and best practices for compliance and branded content, enforcing these across multiple regions is not an easy task. Henkel operates within strict legal frameworks, and ensuring that all marketing efforts comply with these regulations was essential.
Why Henkel Chose Propolis
Propolis, with its combination of expert resources and community-driven support, offered the ideal solution.
A Detailed Look at Key Strengths and Weaknesses
Henkel was particularly drawn to Propolis’s ability to assess varying levels of marketing maturity through its Marketing Maturity Diagnostic Survey. This tool enabled Henkel to take a detailed look at the strengths and weaknesses of each SBU’s marketing efforts within the Adhesive Technologies business unit.
Fresh Insights and Training on the Latest Best Practices
Henkel also valued Propolis for its ability to provide fresh insights and training, something that was especially important given the long tenure of many Henkel employees. While their deep industry knowledge is a strength, it also created a need for exposure to the latest marketing trends and best practices, which Propolis could provide.
“Our starting point is to assess the varying levels of marketing maturity I mentioned earlier, and we are doing that through the Marketing Maturity Diagnostic Survey, which is currently being conducted across the strategic business units, as well as our central team. We’ve also involved the sales team in this process. By using the survey, we aim to identify gaps in our practices, tailor an upskilling program based on the results, and plan cross-pollination where needed.”
Propolis training and Best practices provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by the Henkel marketing team.
The Propolis Solution: Customized Strategies For Different Levels of Marketing Expertise
Propolis’ tailored approach means that resources can be directed to the areas where they would have the most significant impact, helping Henkel to elevate its overall marketing performance: “I think Propolis offers a wealth of resources that can help us customize strategies for different levels of expertise, ensuring that we can elevate knowledge across the board.”
A Welcome External Perspective
An additional benefit of Propolis was the fresh insights it brought to Henkel’s marketing teams. With many employees having spent decades with the company, there was a risk of becoming too inwardly focused. Propolis provided a much-needed external perspective, helping Henkel stay updated on industry trends and best practices. This is especially important in areas like ABM and AI, where rapid developments mean that staying current is essential for maintaining a competitive edge:
“I was amazed when I joined Henkel by the tenure and seniority of some of my colleagues, many of whom have been with the company for 20 years or more. Their ability to shift across different departments allows them to gain deep, significant knowledge of the industries we serve, which is obviously an incredible resource. However, I think it’s great that, through Propolis, we now have the opportunity to gain a fresh perspective on marketing best practices, especially since things are changing so quickly.”
The Impact of Propolis: The Tools To Help Build A More Cohesive Marketing Strategy
The impact of Henkel’s Propolis membership has been meaningful, particularly in terms of upskilling and strategic alignment.
Expert-led training programs
Several members of Henkel’s marketing team participated in Propolis’s ABM Essentials Training and Deal-Based Marketing programs, which were pivotal in helping them benchmark their current strategies and learn new approaches from industry experts.
Looking Forward: The Future with Propolis
Henkel is still in the early stages of seeing tangible results from the Marketing Maturity Diagnostic, but the benefits of its partnership with Propolis are already evident. The insights and training provided have given Henkel the tools to create a more focused, cohesive marketing strategy. As the company continues to refine its digital engagement efforts, the knowledge gained through Propolis will play a crucial role in ensuring long-term success.
From assessing and improving marketing maturity to providing fresh insights on industry trends, Propolis has empowered Henkel to take a more strategic approach to B2B marketing.
