No More Siloed Thinking: Why Marketing and Operations Need to Eat at the Same Table

In an industry where margins are razor thin and customer expectations are insanely high, the divide between marketing and operations is no longer sustainable. These two functions have always been interdependent, but few brands take advantage of the opportunities of those functions actually working together.

It’s shocking, really.

Everyone knows marketing defines the brand promise and operations should deliver it. But if either side breaks down, or worse, works in isolation, customers feel it immediately and stop coming back. So, why are so many brands missing the mark?

Some of it comes down to legacy thinking. Marketing and operations grew up on separate org charts. They report to different people. They speak different languages. One talks about awareness and reach; the other talks about throughput and labor cost. But the modern customer doesn’t care about org charts. They care that the experience matches what they were promised. That what they saw on Instagram is what they get in the store. That the app works. That the food’s right. That the service is smooth. That it all just works.

Let’s not forget: a great marketing campaign can get someone in the door once. But it’s mostly operations that determine whether they come back.

Let’s not forget: a great marketing campaign can get someone in the door once. But it’s mostly operations that determine whether they come back. And vice versa: you can have the best systems, the cleanest stores, the most consistent execution, but if no one knows about it, you’re just quietly running a great restaurant in a world full of loud ones.

The best brands already know this. Domino’s has long understood the power of marketing-operations alignment. The now-famous Pizza Tracker wasn’t just a marketing idea, it was a deep operational shift. Their agency helped shape the concept, but it was Domino’s internal teams who figured out how to make it real. That required software integration, new workflows, employee training, and buy-in from the frontlines. (Not to mention a marketing department savvy enough to reach out to operations after the creative presentation.) The result? A marketing promise that became a product experience and a key driver of customer loyalty, as well as a marketing idea that solved a big operational pain point. 

Chipotle is another brand that gets it. When they leaned into digital ordering and “Chipotlanes,” it wasn’t just a marketing pivot. It was a total rethinking of their kitchen layout, real estate strategy, and digital infrastructure. Their marketing team now has a really interesting story to tell, and told well enough, could confidently promote speed and convenience because their operations team had done the hard work of making those things true. No gimmicks. Just alignment.

And then there’s Dutch Bros Coffee, a company that’s mastered community-driven marketing paired with consistent, friendly service. Their entire brand ethos is vibrant, welcoming, optimistic, and only works because the people handing you the coffee embody it. Their operations team isn’t just making drinks; they’re delivering on brand personality. The marketing is inseparable from the experience.

And vice versa: you can have the best systems, the cleanest stores, the most consistent execution, but if no one knows about it, you’re just quietly running a great restaurant in a world full of loud ones.

But what about the brands that aren’t at that level yet? Where are the missed opportunities?

Let’s start with loyalty. Most loyalty programs are designed by marketing and handed off to operations as an afterthought. But what if the two teams built it together from the ground up? Imagine a rewards system that isn’t just points and discounts but is built around service moments that recognize staff, improve wait times, or incentivize off-peak visits. Marketing could craft the narrative, but operations could shape the mechanics to make it work better for both guests and teams.

Or consider product launches. Many brands still roll out new items like a game of telephone with marketing promoting it and operations figuring it out later. But what if new menu development was a joint sprint from day one? With marketing understanding kitchen constraints, and operations understanding customer insights? You’d end up with ideas that are easier to execute, easier to sell, and more likely to succeed.

Even something as simple as hours of operation could be a strategic collaboration. Operations may cut hours to manage labor. Marketing may want to push late-night offerings. But together, they could use customer data to identify the most profitable windows and create messaging that explains changes in a way that builds trust rather than confusion.

The truth is, we’re past the point where these departments can afford to act separately. The brands that win today — and tomorrow — will be the ones that operate as one team, aligned around customer experience, not departmental boundaries.

That means integrated planning cycles. Shared KPIs. Weekly stand-ups between marketing and ops. It means agencies sitting in on operations meetings, and GMs giving feedback on campaign performance. It means moving from a handoff model to a handshake model, where every decision is made with both execution and storytelling in mind.

Marketing can’t rescue a bad experience. Operations can’t scale invisibility. But together, they can build brands that are not only memorable, but repeatable.