Marketing can feel like an easy line item to skip, or in times when the project list isn’t full, cut. My gut has always told me that marketing needs to have a core spot in our business, and a recent article I came across in Harvard Business Review gave me the research to back it up.

The high level summary is companies that identify marketing as a major component of their growth strategy out-perform those who don’t by a significant amount, and CEOs need to have a role in the direction the messaging takes. This quote really defined it for me: “Finance identifies where the money goes; marketing identifies where the money comes from.”

For us, marketing has a broad impact. Our website and social channels, all of which need to be updated regularly with timely information, are important, but so are the events we sponsor, our voice in the media, the advertisements we place, our direct mail pieces, new business materials and so much more. Even this blog is a touchpoint for customers. Over the years, I’ve repeatedly had customers share with me that one of these channels resonated with them, allowing them to get to know the heart of our company in a way that made us seem like the best candidate for the job at hand.