Marketing Mistake #3: Not Defining what Marketing is Accountable For

26 Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

What We See Most Often

In many organizations, marketing is asked to be responsible for outcomes without being given clear ownership.

We frequently work with teams that are expected to drive growth, support sales, build brand awareness, improve retention, and launch new initiatives, often at the same time. When results fall short, marketing is scrutinized, yet the definition of success was never clearly agreed upon in the first place.

Without clear accountability, marketing becomes responsible for everything and accountable for nothing.

Why This Happens During Change

This mistake often appears during periods of growth or restructuring.

As businesses scale, expectations multiply faster than roles evolve. Marketing absorbs new responsibilities, supports additional teams, and takes on broader mandates without a corresponding reset in goals or metrics. In the absence of clear ownership, accountability becomes diffuse.

Leadership may assume alignment exists, while teams are left interpreting priorities on their own. Over time, this creates confusion about what marketing is actually responsible for delivering.

The Hidden Cost of Undefined Accountability

When accountability is unclear, progress becomes difficult to measure.

Teams may focus on outputs that are visible but not necessarily impactful. Success is framed differently depending on the audience. Performance conversations become subjective, making it harder to diagnose what is working and what is not.

This lack of clarity also makes it difficult to defend marketing’s work. Without agreed-upon outcomes, even strong execution can feel underwhelming to leadership.

What Works Better in Practice

Effective marketing organizations define accountability before execution.

Strong teams are aligned on a small number of outcomes marketing owns outright, along with supporting metrics that indicate progress. These outcomes are tied directly to business priorities and are understood across leadership, marketing, and adjacent teams.

When accountability is clear, decision-making improves. Tradeoffs become easier. Teams know where to focus and where to push back.

A Question Worth Asking

Before setting new expectations, ask:

What outcomes does marketing own, and how will we measure them?

If that answer is unclear, accountability will remain fragmented.

Why This Matters Now

Undefined accountability creates friction, slows decision-making, and undermines trust. Over time, it limits marketing’s ability to operate strategically.

Clarity about what marketing owns is not restrictive. It is what allows teams to do their best work and for the business to evaluate that work fairly.