Same Customer, Different Teams? Building Smarter Campaigns Across Departments

Marketing and development often work from different calendars, use different metrics, and operate with different mindsets. But here’s the thing: they’re talking to the same people. 

That disconnect creates real consequences: duplicated asks, disjointed messaging, audience fatigue, and, ultimately, lost revenue. And it’s not because teams don’t care. It’s because they aren’t speaking the same segmentation language. 

In this blog, we explore what happens when marketing and development stop working in silos and start learning from each other. When that shift happens, everything changes: campaign timing aligns, messaging becomes more relevant, and results start to improve. 

Learning Across the Aisle 

You don’t have to tear up your campaign calendar to start working better together. As this clip from the latest episode of Leading the Way shows, the first step is curiosity. A bit of mutual learning goes a long way. 

When marketing learns how development builds donor pipelines, and development understands how marketing manages volume, deadlines, and channel mix, shared challenges emerge. So do opportunities.

One Customer. Two Departments. One Strategy. 

Siloed teams often create overlapping or even contradictory communications. A donor may receive an urgent year-end appeal from development and a discounted ticket offer from marketing in the same week. Neither message lands well, because of the timing of the other. 

When teams align on segmentation (shared definitions of new vs. lapsed, engaged vs. inactive, multi-buyers & subscribers) they stop stepping on each other’s toes and start amplifying each other’s efforts. 

Shared segmentation turns campaign planning from a turf war into a team sport. 

Syracuse Stage’s Integrated Approach 

At Syracuse Stage, marketing and development leaders Ana Díaz-Diez and Joanna Penalva are breaking down silos with shared strategy, and seeing results. 

Together, they’ve implemented six smart practices to align their teams, including: 

• Unified branding across all communications, from mailings to emails, so the organization speaks with one clear voice 
• Coordinated messaging cadences to avoid overwhelming patrons with competing asks 
• A shared database that helps both departments strategize using the same segmentation insights 

By collaborating on timing, messaging, and audience journey, Syracuse Stage has grown its donor base by nearly 10%; a direct result of departments working from the same strategy, not separate silos. 

Their approach shows what's possible when segmentation isn’t owned by one team, but shared across the organization. 

Learn more about Syracuse Stage’s approach to breaking down departmental silos

The Result? Clarity for Your Audience, and Your Team

Start by asking: 

• What customer behaviors do both teams need to understand? 
• How can we coordinate timing across appeals and promotions? 
• Where are we duplicating effort, or worse, undermining each other? 

Then go one step further: sit in on each other’s planning meetings. Walk through campaign timelines together. Share segmentation schemes and see where you overlap. 

You don’t need to overhaul your systems to start working better… you just need to start talking.

Watch: How Shared Segmentation Turns Siloed Teams into a Single Strategy

In Episode 3 of Leading the Way, our team unpacks how segmentation can become the connective tissue between departments, driving clearer communication and better campaign results. 
 
Watch now to learn how collaboration starts with a common language, and leads to better patron relationships.