Marketing Project Management skill

Marketing Project Management

Step 0 (always first): Load brand context

Before producing any deliverable, look for a brand-context.md file in the user's project root (also check ./.claude/brand-context.md and ./docs/brand-context.md). It holds the company's ICP, positioning, messaging pillars, citable proof, voice, banned words, and compliance constraints.

• If it exists: read it in full and treat it as binding for this run. Hand its contents to every specialist agent you route work to, alongside the task brief. Its "Rules for agents reading this file" section overrides an agent's own defaults.
• If it does not exist: say so, point the user at the template (templates/brand-context.md), and offer to generate a filled draft by interviewing them or by reading their website and existing content. Then proceed with explicitly-labelled assumptions — never silently invented ones.

Non-negotiable regardless of which path applies: do not invent customer names, metrics, funding, integrations, certifications, or outcomes. Only proof recorded in brand-context.md (or supplied directly in the request) may be used as fact. Where a claim would help but no evidence exists, emit a [NEEDS INPUT: …] marker in the deliverable rather than a plausible-sounding guess.

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What This Is

Marketing Project Management brings together campaign coordinators, client success managers, resource allocators, and agile marketing coaches to execute campaigns with precision and keep teams focused on high-impact work. This skill orchestrates the operational side of marketing—breaking down campaign complexity into manageable tasks, allocating constrained resources efficiently, running agile marketing sprints with clear outcomes, managing client expectations and deliverables, and ensuring teams don't get bogged down in busywork. Whether you're coordinating a multi-channel product launch, running a quarterly business review with a customer, building a resource allocation plan, or implementing agile marketing practices, Marketing Project Management routes your request to the right specialist and ensures your team ships quality work on time.

The Team: 4 Specialist Agents

#	Agent	File	What They Do
1	Campaign Coordinator	agents/pm-campaign-coordinator.md	Plans and executes campaign campaigns end-to-end, breaks down complexity into tasks, manages timelines and dependencies, and ensures quality deliverables on schedule
2	Resource Allocator	agents/pm-resource-allocator.md	Analyzes team capacity, prioritizes high-impact work, allocates resources fairly across competing demands, and identifies bottlenecks limiting throughput
3	Marketing Ops Scrum Master	agents/pm-marketing-ops-scrum-master.md	Coaches teams on agile marketing practices, runs sprint planning and retrospectives, removes blockers, and maintains sustainable pace
4	Client Success Manager	agents/pm-client-success-manager.md	Manages client relationships and expectations, ensures deliverable quality, runs QBRs with clients, and identifies expansion opportunities

How to Use

Routing User Requests

Campaign Planning & Execution → Campaign Coordinator

• "Plan the go-to-market execution for our Q3 product launch"
• "Build a project plan for a multi-channel demand generation campaign"
• "Create a timeline and task breakdown for content creation campaign"
• "Manage dependencies and coordinate across design, content, and promotion teams"

Team Capacity & Resource Allocation → Resource Allocator

• "Build a resource allocation plan for next quarter"
• "Analyze team capacity and identify bottlenecks limiting campaign throughput"
• "Allocate designers, writers, and other resources across competing campaign demands"
• "Identify which campaigns should be deprioritized given current team capacity"

Agile Marketing & Sprint Execution → Marketing Ops Scrum Master

• "Implement agile marketing practices (sprints, daily standups, retrospectives)"
• "Coach marketing team on sprint planning and estimation"
• "Design sprint cadence and work planning for marketing department"
• "Help team maintain sustainable pace without burnout"

Client Success & QBRs → Client Success Manager

• "Manage our relationship with [customer], ensure deliverable quality and satisfaction"
• "Prepare and run a quarterly business review (QBR) with key customer"
• "Review customer success metrics and identify expansion opportunities"
• "Handle escalations and ensure customer expectations are managed"

Execution Model

Campaign Execution (6-16 weeks depending on scope)

Phase 1: Campaign Planning (Week 1-2)

• Campaign Coordinator works with marketing leadership to define campaign objectives, target audience, channels, timeline
• Break down campaign into key workstreams (demand gen, content, creative, analytics)
• For each workstream: identify deliverables, dependencies, resource requirements, timeline
• Build detailed project plan with tasks, owners, due dates, dependencies
• Get stakeholder alignment on timeline, dependencies, and resource requirements
• Identify critical path (dependencies that constrain overall timeline)

Phase 2: Team Mobilization & Kick-Off (Week 2-3)

• Resource Allocator confirms resource availability and allocates team members to campaign
• Campaign Coordinator runs campaign kick-off: brief team on objectives, timeline, roles, how success is measured
• Establish weekly cadence: status meetings, decision-making process, escalation path
• Marketing Ops Scrum Master: if using agile, run sprint planning meeting to build sprint backlog
• First deliverables assigned with clear due dates

Phase 3: Execution & Tracking (Week 3-14)

• Campaign Coordinator: weekly status tracking, deadline management, dependency coordination
• Weekly status meetings: report progress, identify blockers, adjust timeline as needed
• Marketing Ops Scrum Master: daily standups (15 min), sprint reviews (if using sprints), remove blockers preventing progress
• Resource Allocator: monitor team capacity, reallocate if bottlenecks emerge
• Quality reviews: Campaign Coordinator ensures deliverable quality before shipping
• Risk management: identify risks, adjust timeline/scope as needed

Phase 4: Launch & Measurement (Week 14-16)

• Campaign Coordinator coordinates simultaneous launch across all channels
• Ensures all tracking is properly implemented (UTM parameters, conversion pixels, event tracking)
• Monitoring dashboard: setup real-time tracking of campaign performance
• Daily monitoring: first week post-launch, check for technical issues, optimize based on early performance
• Campaign Coordinator documents launch readiness checklist and sign-offs

Phase 5: Post-Campaign Analysis & Retrospective (Week 17)

• Performance Analyst: performance review against KPIs and benchmarks
• Campaign Coordinator: operational retrospective (what worked in execution, what we'd change next time)
• Marketing Ops Scrum Master: team retrospective (how team performed, sustainable pace, learnings)
• Document learnings and apply to next campaign

Resource Allocation Framework

Capacity Planning Process (Quarterly)

1. Inventory team capacity by role

   • Designers: 40 hours/week available, estimate hours per deliverable (landing page 16 hrs, ad creative 8 hrs, infographic 12 hrs)
   • Writers/Content: 40 hours/week available, estimate hours per deliverable (blog post 12 hrs, email sequence 8 hrs, case study 20 hrs)
   • Project managers: 30% capacity for coordination/meetings
   • Marketing ops: 30% capacity for analytics/tracking/reporting

2. Inventory competing demands

   • Campaigns in flight (ongoing demand gen, nurture, retention)
   • New campaigns launching next quarter (product launch, new audience, new channel)
   • Ongoing operational work (landing page maintenance, analytics reporting, tech updates)
   • Strategic/future work (positioning, new product evaluation, process improvements)

3. Estimate effort required for each initiative

   • High effort: 100+ hours (product launch, major campaign redesign)
   • Medium effort: 40-100 hours (feature launch, content campaign)
   • Low effort: <40 hours (optimization, small refresh, one-off deliverable)

4. Prioritize ruthlessly

   • Tier 1: must-do campaigns (product launch, board initiatives, enterprise customer needs)
   • Tier 2: should-do campaigns (optimizations, new channels, strategic initiatives)
   • Tier 3: nice-to-have (polish, innovation, exploration)
   • Only commit to Tier 1 + some Tier 2 (likely 60-70% of available capacity)
   • Hold 20-30% capacity buffer for urgent requests, blockers, revisions

5. Allocate resources

   • Assign team members to Tier 1 campaigns (primary focus)
   • Assign team members to Tier 2 campaigns (secondary focus, lower priority)
   • Leave 20-30% unallocated for flexibility and unexpected demands
   • Document allocation: who is assigned to what, % of time, timeline

Agile Marketing Model

Sprint Structure (1-2 weeks)

• Sprint planning (day 1, 1 hour): team reviews backlog, estimates effort, commits to sprint
• Daily standup (10-15 min): what did I do yesterday, what am I doing today, any blockers
• Sprint execution (days 2-9): team works on committed tasks, no new work added mid-sprint
• Sprint review (day 10, 1 hour): demo completed work, celebrate wins, capture feedback
• Sprint retrospective (day 10, 45 min): what went well, what could improve, commit to actions
• Next sprint planning: planning kicks off for next sprint

Agile Metrics

• Velocity: how many story points team completes per sprint (trend over time)
• Burndown: visual tracking of work remaining vs. days remaining in sprint
• Capacity planning: velocity × number of sprints per quarter = how much work team can commit to
• Cycle time: average time from task creation to completion (indicates efficiency)
• Blockers: number of blockers per sprint and how quickly they're resolved

Backlog Prioritization

• Product backlog: full list of potential work (features, optimizations, fixes) prioritized by impact
• Sprint backlog: work committed for current sprint
• Prioritization criteria: business impact, customer impact, team velocity, dependencies
• Backlog grooming: weekly review of backlog to ensure prioritization is current

Client Success & QBR Model

Client Relationship Tiers

• Tier 1 (Enterprise/Strategic): monthly check-ins, quarterly QBRs, dedicated account manager
• Tier 2 (Mid-Market): quarterly business reviews, group check-ins, assigned project manager
• Tier 3 (SMB): annual review, group events, email support, self-service resources

QBR Preparation (4 weeks before)

• Client Success Manager: schedule QBR, confirm attendees, set agenda
• Gather deliverables completed last quarter: projects shipped, campaigns executed, results delivered
• Gather performance metrics: pipeline generated, ROI delivered, quality of leads/results
• Client Success Manager: identify expansion opportunities: what's working well that we could expand, what new services would help client
• Build presentation: narrative arc of success, metrics achieved, client testimonials, ROI delivered, next quarter roadmap
• Prep executive sponsor: brief company executive on client relationship, key metrics, expansion opportunity

QBR Execution (60 min meeting)

• Open (5 min): relationship appreciation, confirm agenda, desired outcomes
• Previous quarter review (15 min): deliverables shipped, metrics achieved, client feedback
• Analysis/insights (15 min): data storytelling on what's working, what changed, competitive positioning
• Expansion discussion (15 min): what's working well that we could expand, new services aligned with client goals
• Next quarter plan (10 min): roadmap for next quarter, resource allocation, investment level
• Close (5 min): confirm next steps, expansion decision, schedule next check-in

Client Success Metrics

• NPS (Net Promoter Score): customer satisfaction survey (9-10 promoters, 7-8 passives, 0-6 detractors)
• Retention rate: percentage of customers retained year-over-year
• Expansion rate: percentage of customers expanding services or budget
• Time to value: how quickly customer achieves ROI or first business outcome
• CSAT (Customer Satisfaction): satisfaction with deliverables and outcomes
• Effort score: how easy is it to work with our team and get support

Routing by Work Type

Multi-Channel Campaign (3-6 month timeline)

• Campaign Coordinator leads planning and execution
• Resource Allocator allocates designers, writers, strategists, analysts
• Marketing Ops Scrum Master runs agile sprints if using sprint model
• Campaign Coordinator coordinates weekly status, manages dependencies, ensures quality
• Success metrics: campaign ships on time/budget, all deliverables meet quality standards, campaign achieves performance goals

Ongoing Demand Generation (monthly cadence)

• Campaign Coordinator: monthly planning, prioritization of campaigns
• Resource Allocator: sustainable resource allocation preventing team burnout
• Marketing Ops Scrum Master: sprint cadence with predictable rhythm (e.g., 2-week sprints)
• Weekly execution with daily standups
• Success metrics: consistent monthly pipeline generation, high team morale/retention, predictable delivery

Strategic Initiative/Transformation (6-12 month timeline)

• Marketing Ops Scrum Master: organize large program into manageable phases and sprints
• Campaign Coordinator: coordinate dependencies across multiple teams
• Resource Allocator: manage resource constraints, ensure sufficient capacity allocated
• Quarterly reviews: assess progress, adjust timeline/scope as needed
• Success metrics: program ships on schedule, business goals achieved, team maintains sustainable pace

Enterprise Client Engagement (ongoing)

• Client Success Manager: primary relationship owner, quarterly QBRs
• Campaign Coordinator: execution of agreed deliverables, maintains timeline
• Resource Allocator: ensures resources allocated to client campaigns
• Monthly check-ins on progress, quarterly business reviews, annual relationship reviews
• Success metrics: 95%+ client retention, high expansion rate, strong NPS, customer testimonials

Output Standards

Project Plan Quality Checklist

Completeness

• All deliverables clearly defined: what is being created, format, success criteria
• Task breakdown: deliverables broken into ~5-40 hour tasks (manageable chunks)
• Owners assigned: every task has clear owner and due date
• Dependencies mapped: what tasks depend on completion of prior tasks
• Timeline realistic: accounts for discovery, design, review cycles, buffer for rework

Clarity

• Objectives clear: why this project matters, success criteria defined
• Assumptions documented: what must be true for timeline to work (budget approved, team fully allocated, no changes to scope)
• Risks identified: what could go wrong, mitigation plan
• Communication plan: how team stays informed (daily standup, weekly status, monthly reviews)
• Escalation path: who to escalate to if timeline/quality at risk

Stakeholder Alignment

• Key stakeholders identified: who approves, who is impacted, who needs to be informed
• Feedback loops: when do stakeholders review/approve (discovery review, design review, final review)
• Change control: how out-of-scope changes are handled and approved
• Success metrics: how success is measured and communicated

Deliverable Specifications

Project Plan Document

• Executive overview: project objectives, timeline, key dependencies, resource requirements
• Timeline: high-level Gantt chart showing phases, milestones, critical path
• Workstream breakdown: by workstream (design, content, analytics), deliverables, owner, timeline, dependencies
• Task breakdown: detailed task list with owner, due date, dependency, effort estimate
• Resource plan: team allocated, roles, capacity %, timeline
• Risk plan: identified risks, impact, mitigation strategy
• Communication plan: status cadence, stakeholders, reporting format
• Quality plan: quality review process, approval gates, success criteria

Resource Allocation Plan

• Team capacity inventory: by role (designers, writers, strategists, analysts), available hours per week
• Demand inventory: all campaigns/projects, effort required, timeline
• Allocation table: team member, role, project assignments, % allocated, timeline
• Capacity utilization: total allocated % by role (target 70-80%, leave 20-30% buffer)
• Risk assessment: bottlenecks, resource constraints, contingency plans
• Quarterly plan: allocation by quarter, how to flex for peaks/troughs

Sprint Plan

• Sprint goal: what are we trying to accomplish this sprint (1-2 sentences)
• Sprint backlog: list of user stories/tasks, estimated effort, assigned to team member
• Sprint capacity: total capacity available (e.g., 80 story points), total committed
• Dependency map: what blocks what, external dependencies
• Acceptance criteria: definition of done for each story
• Risk: potential blockers or challenges for sprint

Campaign Kickoff Deck

• Campaign overview: objectives, target audience, timeline, budget, success metrics
• Roles & responsibilities: team members, roles, decision makers, escalation path
• Timeline: key milestones, deliverable due dates, approval gates
• Channels & tactics: what we're doing, by channel/tactic, timeline
• Creative strategy: messaging, customer proof, creative direction
• Measurement: how success is measured, KPIs, reporting cadence
• Weekly cadence: status meetings, decision-making process, communication

Client QBR Presentation

• Executive summary: relationship status, key achievements, outcomes
• Previous quarter review: deliverables, performance vs. KPIs, customer feedback
• Customer success story: specific wins, customer ROI, testimonial
• Analysis & insights: what's working, competitive landscape, market trends
• Expansion opportunity: what's next, how to expand, investment required
• Next quarter plan: timeline, deliverables, investment, expected outcomes
• Appendix: detailed metrics, case studies, supporting data

Quality Review Process

Before launching any project or campaign:

1. Completeness Check: Are all deliverables defined? Are all tasks assigned and dated? Are dependencies clear?
2. Realistic Timeline: Is timeline achievable given team capacity and complexity? Are there buffers for discovery/review?
3. Stakeholder Alignment: Do stakeholders understand timeline, dependencies, and their role in approvals?
4. Risk Assessment: What could go wrong? Do we have mitigation plans?
5. Resource Verification: Do we have committed team capacity? Do team members agree to assignments?
6. Success Criteria: Is success clearly defined and measurable? Will we know if we achieved it?

Success Metrics by Program Type

Campaign Execution

• On-time delivery: 90%+ of deliverables delivered by due date
• Budget management: actual costs within 10% of budget estimate
• Quality score: 95%+ of deliverables pass quality review on first submission
• Scope control: 90%+ of campaigns shipped with minimal out-of-scope work
• Team satisfaction: team reports manageable workload and sustainable pace

Resource Allocation

• Capacity utilization: 70-80% allocated, 20-30% buffer for flexibility
• Bottleneck reduction: eliminate resource bottlenecks limiting campaign throughput
• Team retention: high retention rate, low burnout indicators
• Allocation accuracy: actual allocation vs. planned allocation within 10%
• Prioritization adherence: 90%+ of work completed is from prioritized backlog

Sprint Execution (if using Agile)

• Velocity consistency: sprint velocity stable (±10%) quarter-over-quarter
• Commitment achievement: 85%+ of sprint commitments completed
• Cycle time: average task completion time <5 days
• Blocker resolution: blockers resolved within 1 day
• Team sustainability: team maintains velocity without burnout

Client Success

• Retention rate: 95%+ customer retention year-over-year
• Expansion rate: 30%+ of customers expand services or budget
• NPS score: 60+ (9-10 promoters minus 0-6 detractors)
• CSAT score: 4.0+ out of 5.0 on deliverables satisfaction
• Time to value: customer achieves ROI within 90 days of engagement start

Tools & Systems

Project Management Tools

• Task management (Asana, Monday.com, Linear for task tracking and timeline)
• Gantt charting (MS Project, Smartsheet for complex timeline visualization)
• Collaboration (Notion, Confluence for documentation and knowledge sharing)
• Time tracking (Toggl, Harvest for actual vs. estimated effort)

Agile Coaching Tools

• Sprint planning (Jira, Azure DevOps for sprint backlog and velocity tracking)
• Standup tools (Slack integrations for daily standup automation)
• Retrospective templates (digital whiteboards like Miro for remote retrospectives)
• Velocity tracking (burndown charts, velocity trends)

Resource Management

• Capacity planning (spreadsheet model or dedicated platform like Kimble)
• Workload visualization (Asana's portfolio view, team calendar views)
• Skills matrix (who has what skills, capacity by skill)
• Utilization reporting (are we allocated efficiently)

Client Management

• CRM integration (Salesforce for client relationship tracking)
• QBR toolkit (presentation templates, success metrics templates)
• Client portal (shared workspace for deliverables, feedback, communication)
• NPS/CSAT surveys (SurveyMonkey, Typeform for client satisfaction tracking)

Team Health & Sustainability

Sustainable Pace Indicators

• Weekly hours: target 40-45 hours/week (avoid chronic 50+ hour weeks)
• Overtime: <10% of team in overtime any given week
• Vacation usage: 90%+ of team takes full vacation allocation
• Burnout indicators: monitor stress levels, retention, engagement scores
• Delivery quality: maintain quality standards without cutting corners

Capacity Planning Guardrails

• Never overallocate: cap allocation at 80%, keep 20% buffer for unexpected work
• Prioritize ruthlessly: use prioritization framework to say no to lower-priority work
• Scope control: freeze scope mid-project to prevent timeline creep
• Buffer time: build 15-20% schedule buffer into project timelines
• Team rotation: rotate team members across projects to prevent bottlenecks

Communication Standards

• Status cadence: weekly status meetings (15 min), monthly reviews with leadership
• Transparency: share blockers and risks early, don't hide problems
• Decision-making: clear process for approvals, who decides, timeline for decisions
• Escalation: clear escalation path for blockers, risks, scope changes
• Learning: retrospectives after each major project/sprint to capture learnings