Polina Buchan

In one of my classes this week, we discussed the importance of project management skills for marketers and sales professionals. I would love to hear from my professional network: should project management skills be a bigger focus in business education?

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀

Marketing campaigns often run into the same challenges as large-scale projects—shifting priorities, unrealistic timelines, and unexpected roadblocks. While marketers don’t always see themselves as project managers, adopting a project management mindset can make a big difference in keeping campaigns on track.

Managing Scope Creep

One of the biggest challenges in marketing is scope creep—when extra tasks, revisions, or new objectives get added after a project has already started. While some level of flexibility is necessary, having a clear scope from the outset (and documenting it) helps prevent endless revisions and shifting deadlines.

Setting Realistic Timelines

It’s common for marketing projects to be rushed, but unrealistic deadlines can compromise quality. Project management best practices, such as breaking work into manageable phases and mapping out dependencies, can help marketers set schedules that are both ambitious and achievable.

Clear Communication with Stakeholders

Marketing teams work with multiple stakeholders—leadership, sales teams, designers, external agencies—all with different expectations. Defining roles, setting expectations early, and maintaining regular check-ins help keep everyone aligned.

Measuring Progress and Adapting

Like project managers, marketers must balance planning with adaptability. A structured approach to tracking key metrics and making adjustments along the way ensures that campaigns remain effective, even when conditions change.

As marketing becomes more data-driven and multidisciplinary, the overlap between marketing and project management will only grow. A strong grasp of project management principles can help marketers navigate complexity, stay on schedule, and ultimately drive better results.