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O P I N I O N
The ‘double yes’ theorem Collaboration between centralized and decentralized resources is the ultimate secret weapon effecting success in any organization.
T o centralize or not to centralize. Is that the question? For years, leadership groups and marketing professionals across the AEC industry have debated which approach is more effective in their organizations. As much as everyone loves to be right, the correct answer probably falls somewhere in the middle. This is a quintessential gray area, but one that in its ambiguity can prove to be beneficial for every firm.
Javier Suarez POP MARKETING
Take the Avengers, for example. Each superhero is fantastic in his or her own right and usually fights evil forces by themselves in their particular region. Heck, the Mighty Thor even hails from a different planet and confronts foes in multiple “realms!” Even when having an incredible track record and being extremely successful in their “zones,” however, these superheroes need to come together at some point and work as a team. Avengers: Assemble! “Each superhero is fantastic in its own right and usually fights evil forces by themselves in their particular region.” S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) is a fictional centralized agency that, for the most part, focuses on the bigger picture when dealing with threats to Earth and humanity as a whole. The Avengers were assembled in order to maximize
each superhero’s strengths and establish best practices for the superhero community. Each side of this proverbial coin, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, benefits greatly from the other, just as centralized and decentralized marketing staffs’ coexistence proves 100 times better than the alternative. In this context, the answer to the two questions: 1) Should we centralize marketing? and 2) Should we decentralize marketing? is a double yes. Based on your organization, there are multiple ways and degrees in which to design the right combination, but one thing is certain: each “side” must complement, support, and contribute to each other’s functions. Let’s take a look at some key areas affected by this “double yes” theorem: 1)The Iron Man: marketing and business devel- opment tools. Technology is a moving target and includes a never-ending quest for optimization, and Tony Stark is the quintessential programmer. To this end, the ongoing maintenance of marketing tools and its content is the main character in this
See JAVIER SUAREZ, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER October 10, 2016, ISSUE 1171
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