Teams attend courses on SEO, paid advertising, content marketing, AI and analytics. Yet despite having experienced marketing professionals in their teams, many organisations struggle to achieve the growth they're aiming for.
Many marketers become managers because they're good at what they do. That doesn't always mean they've had the opportunity to develop leadership skills.
As businesses grow, marketing managers are expected to do much more than deliver campaigns. They need to make strategic decisions, manage budgets, influence stakeholders and ensure marketing activity contributes to wider business objectives.
For many organisations, developing these leadership capabilities is the next step in building a high-performing marketing function.
The Difference Between a Good Marketer and a Great Marketing Manager
A good marketer knows how to create and deliver great marketing.
A great marketing manager can see the bigger picture and make sure those campaigns support the wider goals of the business.
They need to be able to answer the questions that help businesses grow:
- Which channels are generating the best return on investment?
- Where should marketing budgets be focused?
- How do we improve customer retention as well as acquisition?
- What opportunities exist in new markets?
- How should AI and automation be integrated into marketing operations?
- How do we demonstrate the commercial impact of marketing activity?
Without strong leadership, marketing can become focused on activity rather than outcomes.
Developing Marketing Managers Into Business Leaders
As marketing teams grow, so do the expectations on marketing managers.
They're no longer just responsible for delivering campaigns. They're expected to make decisions about where budgets are spent, how success is measured and which opportunities the business should pursue. Many are also managing people, reporting to senior leaders and helping shape wider business strategy.
The challenge is that these responsibilities often arrive long before any formal leadership development does.
As a result, marketing managers can find themselves leading teams, influencing business decisions and being held accountable for results without having had the opportunity to develop the skills needed to succeed in those areas.
Why Developing Existing Talent Makes Business Sense
If marketing leadership is holding back growth, it's natural to assume the answer is hiring someone new. However, bringing in an external hire can be expensive, time-consuming and doesn't always guarantee the right fit.
Existing team members already understand your customers, products, culture and business objectives. They have relationships across the organisation and a clear understanding of how the business operates.
Investing in their development can help build leadership capability while retaining valuable knowledge and experience within the business. It can also improve retention, create clear progression opportunities and help strengthen succession planning.
For many growing organisations, developing existing talent is one of the most effective ways to build the leadership capability needed to support future growth.
Learning That Delivers Business Value
One of the challenges with traditional training is that it's often disconnected from the day-to-day reality of the role. Marketing managers can leave a course feeling inspired, only to find it difficult to apply what they've learned once they're back at their desk.
The most effective development happens when learning is linked directly to the challenges people are facing at work.
That might mean reviewing how marketing performance is measured, looking at ways to improve lead generation, exploring opportunities for growth or developing a clearer marketing strategy.
By focusing on real business priorities rather than hypothetical scenarios, organisations can see benefits sooner and individuals gain confidence by applying new skills in a practical setting. This is one of the reasons apprenticeships have become such a popular option for management development. Because learning is applied in the workplace throughout the programme, employers benefit from the development taking place while employees build new skills and confidence in their role.
A Funded Route to Marketing Leadership Development
Many employers are surprised to learn that apprenticeship funding can be used to develop existing employees, not just new recruits. For businesses looking to strengthen marketing leadership, this can provide a cost-effective alternative to commercial management training programmes or external recruitment.
Rather than taking someone out of the business for days at a time, apprenticeships combine structured learning with practical application in the workplace. Employees continue in their role while developing the skills needed to take on greater responsibility and contribute at a more strategic level.
For Levy-paying employers, training can be funded through existing levy contributions. For smaller employers, government funding can significantly reduce the cost of development.
The result is an opportunity to invest in future marketing leaders, strengthen capability within the team and support business growth, often at a lower cost than many employers expect.
The Level 6 Marketing Manager Apprenticeship provides a structured route for experienced marketers who are ready to move beyond campaign delivery and take a greater role in shaping strategy, managing performance and supporting business objectives.
Preparing Marketing Leaders for the Future
Marketing managers are being asked to do more than ever before.
Alongside running campaigns and managing teams, they're expected to understand new technologies, respond to changing customer behaviour, justify budgets and contribute to wider business decisions.
That's why leadership development has become increasingly important. Businesses need people who can look beyond the next campaign and make decisions that support long-term growth.
Investing in those skills today can help organisations build stronger marketing leadership for the future.
Looking to develop your marketing team?
If your organisation has talented marketers who are ready to take the next step, investing in marketing leadership training could be one of the most effective ways to strengthen business performance.
The Level 6 Marketing Manager Apprenticeship offers a practical, funded route to developing the strategic, commercial and leadership skills modern marketing managers need to succeed.
As a specialist provider of marketing apprenticeships, Ascento understands the challenges facing modern marketing teams. Through flexible delivery, one-to-one support and workplace-focused projects, employers can develop confident marketing leaders who are equipped to make better decisions, improve performance and support business growth.
Speak to us to discuss funding eligibility, programme suitability and upcoming start dates.
