Need to increase marketing efficiency and effectiveness? Start with your content processes

A vision ahead of its time 

More than a decade ago, while leading marketing strategy and digitalisation at SSAB, I had a vision: a a unified content flow - spanning ideation, creation, and publishing - supported by smart processes and seamless collaboration across regions and brands. At the time, content was fragmented, tools were limited, and manual management was still manageable. Yet the idea of evergreen content that was easily discoverable and reusable remained out of reach - a vision rather than a reality. 

Fast forward to today: 

• The volume of content has multiplied exponentially 

• Channels have diversified 

• Microtargeting and personalisation are now standard 

• Marketing teams spend over 60% of their time in meetings (source: McKinsey), and collaboration demands have surged 

Yet many organisations still struggle with fragmented content workflows, siloed teams, and lost assets. 

The opportunity: Content marketing platforms and process integration 

The biggest gains in marketing operational efficiency today come from better content processes. When content creation, management, and distribution are connected across teams and geographies, the results are transformative: 

• Improved visibility into ongoing campaigns 

• Faster collaboration across countries and brands 

• Centralised access to reusable assets and evergreen content 

• Streamlined publishing across multiple channels 

Modern Content Marketing Platforms (CMPs) are designed to support this orchestration. They enable marketing organisations to scale content production, maintain brand consistency, and drive measurable impact - without burning out their teams. 

Why it matters? 

By rethinking your content processes, you don’t just make marketing operations more efficient – you make them more effective. Teams can focus their energy on creativity and strategy rather than repetitive tasks. Content can be designed for reuse and adaptation, extending its value across campaigns and regions. And leaders gain greater control and insight into what’s working, what isn’t, and where to optimise further.  

Ultimately, it’s not about doing more with less – it's about doing the right things, in smarter ways, to unlock both efficiency and effectiveness.