Should Marketers Go Back to the Office?

Do marketers need to return to the office?

To drive creativity, collaboration, and agility, maybe WFH is a non-starter.

A new McKinsey report found that data-driven marketing “works best in agile settings, where teams can test and iterate in sprints.”

When marketers work from home, it is a challenge to create a fast-paced atmosphere and “effective cadence.” 

“In the past, we used to go all-in on marketing opportunities by having a command-center-like war room,” a Fortune 100 CMO said. “But, with everyone working remotely, we haven’t been able to react as fast as we have in the past.”

As a creative, I can see how ideas emerge, flourish and turn into campaigns when people work together.

It is energizing to sit in a room surrounded by enthusiastic and excited marketers and messy whiteboards.

Maybe it makes sense for marketers to be together rather than using Zoom, Slack, WeChat, and email.

But here’s the question; do all marketers need to work at the office? Are there marketers (e.g., SEO and Facebook advertising geeks) who can happily work from home?

When offices reopen, there will be colossal HR challenges about who works where, taking into account roles, responsibilities, productivity, and temperament.

Creating a marketing “divide” will be a tough road to navigate.

Personally, I think WFH will not stick as much as people think.

Google, for example, just announced that employees would begin returning to offices in a “limited” capacity in April. After Sept. 1, people who want to work remotely for more than 14 days per year will need to apply formally.

A good read: Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. A user-friendly book to improve how you work and live.