What's the Point?
What’s the Point? is the podcast for founders, marketers, and talent leaders who want straight-talking advice that drives business growth.
Hosted by three seasoned marketing leaders with deep roots in recruitment, tech, and scaling businesses, we cut through the noise to ask the tough questions, and share what actually works.
From marketing myths and AI hype to talent strategy and commercial realities, we bring honest conversation, practical playbooks, and the occasional rant - all to help you lead smarter and grow faster.
For people who care about impact, not just influence.
What's the Point?
#10 How to Build a Business Case for Marketing Spend
Q4. Planning season. The spreadsheets are out, finance is calling, and marketers everywhere are bracing for the same question: “So… what’s your budget for next year?”
In this episode, the team breaks down how to turn marketing from a cost centre into a commercial growth driver by building a rock-solid business case for spend.
They explore how marketers can link creativity to commercial reasoning, how to structure a marketing budget that earns trust, and how to have smarter conversations with leadership teams about ROI, data, and business impact.
Expect honest discussion and practical guidance on:
- What a marketing business case is — and what it isn’t
- How to plan ahead without losing agility
- The difference between activity and strategy in budget planning
- How to work with your CFO (not against them)
- Understanding controllables vs non-controllables in marketing budgets
- Balancing people, operations, and tech for long-term success
- Why marketers need to speak the language of growth, not cost
Building a business case for marketing isn’t about defending spend - it’s about proving value, forecasting outcomes, and showing how marketing fuels the business engine.