Marketing Leadership by Firm Size
Who’s driving your brand?

Marketing Leadership by Firm Size
Who’s driving your brand?

Last week, we (unwittingly) kicked off a new series on how leadership roles in AE firms need to evolve as your firm grows. The reader response made one thing clear—this topic hits home. So, we’re keeping the momentum going. Over the next few weeks, we’ll dig into how the core functions of your firm—marketing, finance & accounting, HR, and technology—should be led, staffed, and resourced at every stage of firm size.

This week, we tackle marketing.

Why start here? Because marketing in AE firms is both misunderstood and underpowered. Too many firms still treat marketing as “proposal support” when, in reality, it should be about driving growth, building brand, and creating visibility that pays off in robust pipelines. And just like leadership structure, the way you lead and equip marketing should look very different in a 50-person practice than in a multi-billion-dollar operation.

Let’s break it down.

Under 100 People: It’s All About Hustle

At under 100 people, marketing is about hustle. You don’t need a big team, but you absolutely need focus.

Leadership role: You don’t need a CMO yet. What you do need is a strong Marketing/BD Manager—or a senior coordinator who can be the glue between technical staff, principals, and your markets. This person needs to be nimble—one day cranking out a proposal, the next building relationships with teaming partners, and the next posting thought leadership pieces on social media.

Resources required:

• A small in-house staff (often one to three people) who can handle proposals, resumes, and building the foundation of an online presence.
• Outside freelancers or consultants for design, PR, and digital when needed.
• A CRM system (even basic) to track pursuits and clients—don’t rely on spreadsheets forever.

The job at hand: At this stage, the goal is simple. Help the firm win work—proposals, quals, and keeping your brand visible and credible in the market. Bonus points if your marketing person can help principals tell the firm’s story more effectively.

Common misperception: That marketing is an “overhead expense” until you scale up. Wrong. Done well, it’s a multiplier.

101-500 People: Think System

Once you cross 100 people, marketing needs to move from “support” to “system.” The volume of proposals increases. Your brand presence is registering. The firm can’t rely on one or two rainmakers to carry the load.

Leadership role: This is where you hire a Director of Marketing/BD—a legit leader who manages a team, sets priorities, and introduces process discipline. They may not sit in the C-suite yet, but they do have a direct line to the CEO and COO.

Resources required:

• A growing in-house team ranging from about four to eight marketers handling proposals, graphics, and pursuits.
• Dedicated sector or geographic marketing support (not everything can be centralized anymore).
• A CRM system that is actually used by technical staff, not just marketing.
• A marketing budget that includes client entertainment, sponsorships, and digital.

The job at hand: Marketing’s role expands from proposals to positioning. It’s about building the firm’s reputation in chosen markets, creating consistency in pursuits, and freeing principals to focus on relationships.

Common misperception: That every office or group needs its own “mini marketing department.” Strike a good balance—some decentralization for responsiveness, but enough central oversight to keep your brand unified and coherent.

501-1,500 People: Growth Engine

By the time you’re north of 500 people, marketing must be a growth engine, not just a service function.

Leadership role: You now need a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) or Chief Growth Officer—a peer to the CFO and COO. This person is responsible for market strategy, brand, client development processes, and major account management. They’re not just running proposals—they’re shaping how the firm grows.

Resources required:

• A sizable in-house team (10 to 20 people, maybe more) with specialties: proposal managers, graphic designers, digital strategists, content creators, PR specialists.
• Regional or market-based marketers embedded in business units.
• A serious CRM system with dashboards tied into forecasting.
• A marketing analytics capability to measure ROI on pursuits, hit rates, and client engagement.
• Budget for brand campaigns, conferences, thought leadership, and media relations.

The job at hand: Marketing is now about scale and predictability. You need a system that ensures every pursuit is managed well, every message is consistent, and every dollar spent on marketing generates measurable return. This is also the stage where firms begin to think about marketing as a way to differentiate, not just compete.

Common misperception: That the CMO is a glorified president of proposals. At this size, if your CMO isn’t driving strategy, you’re missing the boat.

1,501-5,000 People: Brand as Strategy

At this level, your firm is playing on the national—or even international—stage. Marketing must be elevated to a core strategic function.

Leadership role: An established CMO sits in the C-suite, formulating firm strategy alongside the CEO and CFO. They own brand positioning, national visibility, and major account strategies. They might be supported by a Vice President of Communications or Director of Pursuits to run day-to-day systems.

Resources required:

• A marketing organization that looks like an in-house agency, with staff spanning proposals, creative, digital, PR, and market research.
• Specialized teams for thought leadership, content marketing, and industry events.
• Dedicated account-based marketing programs for top 20-30 clients.
• Advanced CRM and marketing automation tools integrated with finance and operations.
• Significant budget for brand promotion, recruiting campaigns, and corporate social responsibility storytelling.

The job at hand: Marketing at this size isn’t just about winning projects. It’s about owning your space in the market. The goal is to become a recognized thought leader, attract top talent through brand power, and create a pipeline to match.

Common misperception: That marketing is a cost center. At this scale, it’s a growth driver. Period.

Over 5,000 People: National or Global Brand Machine

Over 5,000 employees, marketing is no longer a department. It’s an enterprise function that approaches those of Fortune 500 companies.

Leadership role: A National or Global Chief Marketing & Communications Officer runs a full corporate function with regional marketing leads throughout the organization. This role is as much about external visibility with investors, governments, and global clients as it is about proposals.

Resources required:

• Marketing professionals across the organization.
• Fully staffed internal creative agencies producing campaigns, videos, and digital assets.
• Global PR teams managing media, crisis communications, and reputation.
• Deep investment in analytics, AI, and digital targeting.
• Integration with recruiting/HR marketing to drive employer brand.
• A seat on the executive committee and often direct interaction with the board.

The job at hand: At this level, marketing is about national, or even global, prominence. It’s about shaping how the firm is perceived in every market it operates in—by clients, recruits, regulators, and investors.

Common misperception: That big firms can coast on reputation. The truth is, reputation is an asset that must be constantly fed, protected, and expanded—or it erodes.

Here’s the hard truth: While AE firms have made giant strides in the last 20 years, too many AE firms still lag behind when it comes to marketing. They stay stuck with a proposal-shop mentality long after their size demands much more. That’s a mistake you can’t afford in today’s environment.

Stay tuned: Next week we’ll tackle finance & accounting leadership by firm size, followed by deep dives into HR and technology.

—Mark Goodale