Happy to share how we’re structured, but I don't think there is one optimal way (would be awesome if there was 🤣). It really depends on your company’s stage and priorities.
At earlier-stage companies, customer marketing often leans heavily into advocacy because it aligns closely with building brand and demand. But as companies mature and new logo growth slows, there’s usually a bigger need to invest in onboarding and adoption marketing to drive retention and expansion.
Another major factor is whether there’s buy-in on shared OKRs across functions. For example, onboarding and adoption success can’t sit solely with customer marketing—it requires tight alignment (and resourcing) from CS, Product, and Marketing. We’re lucky to have two dedicated team members in CS focused on the customer journey and experience at scale, which makes cross-functional execution much more realistic.
So, the optimal structure really depends on the org, company culture, etc. I’d start by aligning team roles to your company’s biggest initiatives—and making sure you have cross-functional accountability to support them.
