Good marketing can make or break any business. But what about PMOs? As an office focused on delivering value, does it make sense to market yourself? The short answer is—it depends. How you go about delivering and demonstrating value within your organization depends on what you’re trying to achieve. We’ll break down the pros and cons of PMO marketing so you can choose the best path for your team.
What does “PMO marketing” mean?
When working as intended, your PMO is a value center for your organization. It should serve a strategic role in supporting business objectives by carrying out projects that align with its overall goals.
PMO marketing is an effort to inform stakeholders and other team members about the office’s purpose and function. Teams use this strategy to draw attention to their projects and successes, raising awareness about their work and the value it provides.
How Marketing & Project Management Overlap
There’s considerable overlap when it comes to marketing and project management. Strategic marketing campaigns are projects in and of themselves, requiring detailed processes and procedures for successful execution. In many organizations, marketing teams and PMOs can often work hand in hand—designing, defining, and promoting its services or products.
This exchange of effort and ideas flows both ways. Where project management frameworks can improve marketing functions, PMOs might have something to learn about demonstrating value and persuading an audience.
Using PPM in Marketing
PPM software makes it easy to track and report key project metrics, providing data points that prove process efficacy and demonstrate tangible business value. Integrated software platforms allow marketing teams to visualize project success, identify weak points, and streamline their efforts to deliver consistent results.
For PMOs, having hard data to support their processes and decision-making can sway opinions and earn them positive recognition.
Is marketing the PMO a good idea?
There are opposing schools of thought about marketing a PMO, not only regarding strategy but also whether it’s even a good idea.
It’s important to determine how a marketing strategy can serve your PMO and what you might hope to achieve. Spreading awareness of your function may not be necessary, but for some teams, it can mean the difference between dissolution and continued success.
The Case for PMO Marketing
As with any marketing strategy, the goal of PMO marketing is to inform stakeholders of a PMO’s efficacy and success rate. This can mean showing clients a portfolio of completed work or demonstrating market value to leadership.
A well-thought-out marketing strategy can inform the leadership team how you’re using company resources and using them to generate value. For members of your organization who may not be privy to the workings of a PMO, it can increase your visibility and raise your profile with internal teams.
If you’re concerned that your PMO’s victories and inherent benefits aren’t recognized, internal marketing can earn you the recognition, resources, and support you need to continue producing results.
The Case Against PMO Marketing
In some cases, the arguments against PMO marketing are just as valid as the arguments for it. A chief concern is that if you have to constantly explain how the PMO provides value, it may not be serving its purpose. If the results of your work aren’t clear, there are probably bigger issues at play.
Another point of contention is the lack of competition within the organization. Unless multiple PMOs are vying for support (which is highly unlikely), then there is nobody to compare against. If there’s only one brand of soda on the shelf, why run the ads?
When it comes to demonstrating value, it may be best to focus on delivering successful projects rather than wasting time trying to convince others you can do it.
The Middle Ground: Demonstrating PMO Value Organically
The ideal PMO equation is relatively simple: resources go in, and results come out. There’s no better selling point than consistent, quality results. If your project wins can speak for themselves, there’s no need to spend time marketing your office and its operations to convince others of the quality of your work.
In some organizations, it may sometimes be necessary to make the case for your PMO. For others, boasting about your team’s success can actually draw attention away from your wins. Deciding to market your PMO depends on the future you see for your team and how you want to demonstrate success.
The most reliable option is to let the numbers speak for themselves. With optimized PPM software like Sciforma Vantage, your PMO can easily track, analyze, and report key metrics for anyone looking to evaluate project success.
Take advantage of adaptable, scalable software with strategic portfolio and project selection features, along with risk management tools that will help you make the best-informed decisions for your business.
Schedule a demo today to see how Sciforma’s platform can power up your PMO.