Here, we explore these team structures to help you decide the best fit for your organization.
1. Centralized Team
Benefit: This is the most common structure where all team members work together. It promotes collaboration, coordination, cross-learning, and community building.
Drawback: It may lack deep expertise in specific business units, as team members may not fully understand the unique challenges of each unit.
2. DeCentralized Team
Benefit: Each business unit has its own digital marketing group, leading to deep specialization and a thorough understanding of the unit’s needs.
Drawback: Smaller teams can feel isolated and miss out on cross-learning and broader collaboration opportunities.
3. Hub and Spoke Model
Benefit: A blend of centralized and decentralized models. A central team handles strategy, while team members in business units execute plans. This model fosters collaboration and cross-learning.
Drawback: It can be challenging to achieve the right balance of specialization and integration, leading to potential bottlenecks and isolation of hubs.
4. Agency Partnership
Benefit: External agencies handle specific tasks or campaigns, providing external perspectives and specialization.
Drawback: Competing agency interests and a lack of deep integration with your business can pose challenges.
5. Cross-Functional Team
Benefit: Teams from different departments collaborate on digital marketing projects, injecting diverse expertise into initiatives.
Drawback: Can lead to politics, lack of digital expertise, and collaboration challenges.
6. Hybrid Model
Benefit: Combines in-house teams for core objectives with external partners for specialized tasks. This ensures key decisions are made by those with deep business knowledge.
Drawback: Competing interests from external agencies and a lack of deep business integration can be issues.
7. Functional Team
Benefit: Specialized teams manage individual digital marketing channels, leading to strong task execution and maintenance.
Drawback: Can lack big-picture strategy and become disconnected from broader organizational goals, causing potential bottlenecks.
8. Product-Based Team
Benefit: Marketers align with specific products or product categories, fostering deep product knowledge and innovation.
Drawback: Can lead to resource duplication and competition among teams, making it harder to address broader business challenges.
9. Project-Based Team
Benefit: Teams are assembled for specific projects, ensuring focused attention and specialized skills for each project.
Drawback: Managing resources across multiple projects can be challenging, and alignment with overall business goals can be difficult.
Final Thoughts
Each structure has its pros and cons, and the best choice depends on your organization’s specific needs and goals. By understanding these common team structures, you can make informed decisions that enhance your digital marketing efforts and drive your business forward.
For more helpful content, check out our other Thought Leadership articles.
