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VOLUME 45 | ISSUE 5 | SEPT/OCT 2025
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By Krystle English, FSMPS, CPSM, PCM, CF CL APMP
FEATURE
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Building Cohesion Across Diverse Marketing Teams

Vision is more than just a statement on a wall (or a website) - it’s the compass that guides every strategic decision. For marketing teams, aligning with a company’s vision ensures consistency, clarity, and impact. Over the past six months, I’ve worked with my internal leadership team to develop a marketing strategy that unites our team around a shared purpose. This process revealed a critical question: How do you unite a team with varying levels of experience to deliver marketing that reflects the firm’s vision?

The Challenge: Diverse Experience Levels Across Marketing Teams

Marketing teams often bring together professionals with varied backgrounds—some seasoned, others new to the AEC industry. This diversity is a strength, but it can also create fragmented approaches, inconsistent messaging, and missed opportunities for collaboration. Without a strong connection to the company’s vision, marketing efforts risk becoming reactive instead of strategic.
I’ve spent much of my career in that reactive space. Taking a step back to identify where we can be more intentional—even when reacting—has been eye-opening. It’s given me a clear roadmap for leading my team toward a future that’s both strategic and aligned. 
My team spans different generations and experiences. Some members are around my age, bringing backgrounds in graphics, hospitality, and product development. Others are younger—some with expertise in social media and design, and a few fresh out of college with new ideas and energy. This mix of ages and skill sets gives us a unique advantage: we approach challenges from multiple angles while learning from each other. By aligning our diverse strengths with the firm’s vision, we turn those differences into a cohesive, collaborative marketing team. I make it a priority to create space for open communication and shared learning so every voice is heard, and every perspective adds value.

Why Vision Matters

Vision provides direction – it’s your roadmap. It answers the “why” behind every bid, proposal, and client interaction. When marketing strategy aligns with the company vision:
  • Consistency strengthens the brand across offices and markets.
  • Teams work toward shared goals, reducing duplication and inefficiency.
  • Clients experience clarity, reinforcing trust and credibility.
In short, vision transforms marketing from a series of tasks into a unified strategy.

Strategies for Building Alignment

Communicate the Vision Clearly
I schedule regular check-ins with both my team and leadership to ensure alignment and progress toward our goals. These meetings not only keep us on track but also help identify potential roadblocks early, creating an opportunity to collaborate on solutions before challenges escalate.
Create Shared Goals
Aligning individual responsibilities with firmwide goals strengthens collaboration and drives results. Each marketing team member partners with specific engineering teams, moving relationships beyond transactions to strategic partnerships. This approach builds trust, deepens expertise, and ensures marketing efforts support broader objectives. By understanding each team’s unique challenges and priorities, we align strategies, deliver consistent messaging, and position marketing as a true partner in advancing the firm’s vision.
Empower Through Education
I make sure my team has access to a variety of learning tools to expand their experience. Beyond my guidance, they can access other leaders in the office for training and support. This ensures that if I’m focused elsewhere, they still have resources to rely on. By giving a diverse marketing team the chance to learn from a diverse group of leaders, we strengthen alignment with the firm’s vision and create more opportunities for collaboration.
Leverage Collaborative Tools
I’ve been exploring ways to make collaboration easier for our team. Since many of us already use Microsoft tools, I’ve focused on maximizing what we have to create solutions that align with our vision. By building a marketing tech stack within these tools, we’ve improved efficiency and streamlined delivery, especially as inboxes become increasingly cluttered with requests and notifications. This approach has strengthened team alignment and boosted productivity by reducing friction and keeping everyone connected through familiar platforms.

Turning Vision into Action

Vision-driven marketing isn’t just aspirational, it’s actionable. When we communicate clearly, set shared goals, and use tools that foster collaboration, we break down silos and deliver strategies that truly reflect our firm’s identity and values. The payoff? A stronger brand, a more connected team, and marketing that drives long-term success. As a leader, I focus on creating clarity and empowering my team to see the bigger picture—so every action ties back to the vision and moves us forward together.
Krystle English, FSMPS, CPSM, PCM, CF CL APMP, is a Marketing Director at KPFF Consulting Engineers, where she oversees and directs marketing and business development efforts for the Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin, and New York Civil Engineering offices. She has over 18 years of experience in the AEC industry and is passionate about helping others find their creative potential and telling stories through great design and architecture. She is also a national speaker and writer who has published multiple articles in the SMPS Marketer Journal and other platforms. She holds several volunteer roles, including serving on the SMPS Marketer Editorial Committee.
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