BFA #012 | Marketing doesn't have to hate you

What's happening Fraud Fighters?

Fraud teams have notorious reputations for brining bad news for why new markets, product launches, or features will bring on too much risk.

Honestly, no one wants this reputation. But how do we get this reputation in the first place? Misalignment.

But marketing doesn’t have to hate you…

Let's investigate further.

Read Time: ~3.7 Minutes

Here Comes Brian with Bad News

I prepared for our recurring strategy meeting. It was my duty to protect the company from potential risks and threats, ensuring the stability and safety of our business.

The conference room buzzed with excitement as the Marketing Team prepared to present their latest proposal for a new product and launch campaign.

I sighed inwardly, knowing that once again, I would need to serve as the voice of reason in a room filled with enthusiastic dreamers.

I took pride in my ability to identify and mitigate risks that others often overlooked. However, my cautious approach to business decisions had earned me a notorious reputation within the company.

We were going about it all wrong. It was me vs them. Fraud vs marketing.

We were misaligned.

Lessons Learned from Misalignment

A lot of the lessons learned and struggles we went through were completely avoidable, but that’s what lessons are for. Many challenges came from being misaligned, but here are the main five:

1. Inability to adapt - In a rapidly evolving business landscape, it is essential for teams to be agile and responsive to change. When teams are misaligned, it becomes challenging to respond to market shifts or seize new opportunities, putting the company at a disadvantage.

2. Wasted resources - When both teams are not working in harmony, it can lead to delays in project implementation, increased back-and-forth communication, and wasted resources. Ever work in a queue without knowing a new launch was coming? Yea I have.

3. Broken trust - A lack of alignment between teams can create an atmosphere of mistrust and misunderstanding, as each team may feel that their goals and priorities are being disregarded or undervalued by the other. This can lead to resentment, poor collaboration, and ultimately, a toxic work environment.

4. Increased risk exposure - If the marketing team bypasses the fraud team's concerns or if the fraud team fails to communicate potential risks effectively, the company may be exposed to increased fraud and abuse.

5. Conflicting priorities - Misalignment between the fraud and marketing teams can lead to conflicting priorities, making it difficult for the company to establish a clear and cohesive strategy. This can result in a lack of focus, making it challenging to achieve key business objectives.

At this point, it’s probably safe to say marketing hates you.

The Revenue Team

Being misaligned was causing plenty of issues. We needed a solution. Introducing the Revenue Team.

It is essential for both the fraud and marketing teams to establish clear communication channels, foster a culture of collaboration, and work together to balance innovation and risk management.

The only way to achieve long-term, sustainable success is by aligning the marketing and fraud team’s priorities and goals. But that’s a lot easier said than done - even if all parties say they want it.

The tough part is there will still be people who push for alignment so they can have stronger influence to push their own priorities. Unfortunately, that’s the way it goes sometimes. Being aware of this behavior is your advantage.

Aligning the marketing and fraud teams, despite their seemingly polar priorities, is possible with careful planning and execution. So what are practical steps to bridge the gap from fraud vs marketing to the Revenue Team?

1. Stop referring to yourself as fraud and marketing. Create a collective unit as the Revenue Team (or whatever you want to call it).

2. Set common goals. Establish shared objectives that both teams can work towards.

3. Look for hybrid roles or assign liaisons. These liaisons can help bridge the gap between the teams, facilitate communication, and resolve any conflicts that may arise.

4. Walk a day in each other’s shoes. No better way to understand someone’s role than doing it yourself.

5. Over communicate. Create an environment where both teams feel comfortable sharing their concerns, ideas, and perspectives.

6. Create clear processes. Develop well-defined processes for how the marketing and fraud teams should work together, including guidelines for evaluating and approving marketing campaigns, addressing potential risks, and sharing feedback.

7. Monitor impact. Regularly review the progress and effectiveness of the alignment efforts, and make adjustments as necessary. Identify any ongoing challenges or areas of misalignment and address them proactively.

It's funny how sometimes we lose sight of the fact that we're all on the same side, right? We tend to become so absorbed in our own incentives, priorities, and those ever-persistent egos that we lose sight of our collective goals.

Now marketing doesn’t hate you anymore.

What’s New This Week?

Other than my regular scheduled LinkedIn content, I didn’t write anything else for you all this week. Instead….

Have you ever wondered why there are no fraud and trust & safety job boards?

Yea me too. So I built one.

Introducing: The only job board for fraud fighters. Find the best fraud, trust, payment, and risk jobs to build the career you deserve.

Share it with a friend who may be looking for their next opportunity.

See you again next Friday in your inbox.

​Brian

ps did you know you can unlock rewards by simply sharing this newsletter with a friend, a fraud fighter, or your arch nemesis? Check it out below 👇️