Trade marketing has always been complex.
Various markets.
Tight schedules.
Production.
POS-materials.
Agencys.
Suppliers.
Internal stakeholders.
And yet, something has changed in recent years.
It is not that the projects have become more difficult.
Rather, it is the framework conditions.
Fewer staff. Same expectations.
Many companies now operate with significantly smaller teams.
Vacant posts are often not filled.
Budgets are under greater pressure.
At the same time, campaigns are to be rolled out more quickly than ever before.
The result:
It is not uncommon these days for one person to handle a workload that used to be shared between two or three people.
That works – as long as everything goes to plan.
It’s only when the pressure’s on that things get critical.
Holiday season.
Cases of illness.
Another launch.
A production delay.
A supplier who fails to deliver.
Suddenly, bottlenecks arise.
And that is precisely when it becomes clear that operational management is not something that can be taken for granted.
After all, complex projects need someone to keep track of everything.
Not just strategically.
But operationally.
Why an external senior project manager is often the more cost-effective solution
Many companies initially consider taking on a new recruit.
However, particularly in the case of temporary peaks, this is often not the most sensible solution.
An external senior project manager offers a number of advantages:
• available immediately
• no lengthy induction period
• quick integration into existing teams
• Experience gained from a wide variety of projects and sectors
• Support provided precisely for the period when it is needed
Once the project has been completed, there will be no long-term staff costs.
This can be a decisive advantage, particularly in trade marketing.
External project managers are no substitute for teams.
They take the pressure off her.
That is an important difference.
A good in-house team knows the brand.
An experienced external project manager ensures that this team remains able to function effectively even under heavy pressure.
He sets his priorities.
Coordinated.
Presented by.
Prepares decisions.
And ensures that projects continue to run smoothly and in a structured manner, even under time pressure.
When external support is particularly worthwhile
In my experience, these are often precisely the situations where:
• several parallel campaigns
• international roll-outs
• Peak periods during the summer or at the end of the year
• short-notice absences
• Projects that stall just before launch
That’s exactly when operational experience counts.
Not in theory.
But rather in putting it into practice on a daily basis.
Conclusion
Successful trade marketing projects are not just the result of good ideas.
They are created by people who are able to establish structure even under pressure.
External senior project managers are therefore not a stopgap solution.
They have now become an integral part of flexible project organisation for many companies.
Not permanently.
But precisely when operational support makes the biggest difference.