Growth Marketer, Onuorah Chidozie, breaks down Cross-functional Collaboration in Marketing
Onuorah Chidozie, a Leading Performance and Growth Marketer, has highlighted the importance of individuals from different departments in an organization with different areas of expertise coming together to enhance business profitability and improved growth.
With more than six years of vast experience in the sector, John Onuorah has developed into a renowned expert in the marketing field, working with top brands like Edukayo (Edutech), Garmspot, Peppa, Gidbank and Food Court.
Using data as one of the key elements in measuring growth and performance, John Onuorah has established himself as the go-to person for enhancing marketing growth for discerning business brands, who want to conquer their climes and communities.
Speaking recently in an interview with reporters, John Onuorah said, “when we talk about successful marketing, it often goes beyond having a skilled marketing team or a large advertising budget. For tech entrepreneurs and developers working in Nigeria, marketing is a multi-layered operation that thrives on collaboration”.
According to Onuorah John Chidozie, “Cross-functional collaboration in marketing is critical in nurturing an environment where different teams, such as product, sales, and customer support, work together toward a common goal. For developers and founders building fintech or Web3 products, understanding this approach could be the difference between a well-executed product launch and one that fails to gain traction.
” The idea behind cross-functional collaboration is simple: marketing doesn’t work in a vacuum. It relies on inputs from various departments to create strategies that resonate with users, solve real customer problems, and drive long-term growth. A marketer in fintech would need insights from the product team to fully understand the unique selling points of a new financial app before they can start promoting it. And that collaboration doesn’t stop at understanding the features”, added John Onuorah.
He said, “the marketing team also requires input on potential roadblocks users might face, especially in an environment like Nigeria, where internet access, regulatory compliance, and financial literacy levels vary greatly across the population.
“In countries like the United States, companies have long recognized the value of cross-functional collaboration, and the data shows the impact it has on performance. Businesses with high levels of collaboration between teams were twice as likely to meet their financial targets as those with low collaboration”.
Narrowing down to the home front
John Onuorah said, ” the Nigerian fintech sector is experiencing rapid growth, and the stakes are equally high. A company offering digital payment solutions has to work closely with the sales team to understand how to position the product for different types of customers—urban consumers with smartphones, rural merchants with feature phones, and everyone in between. This kind of collaboration ensures that marketing messages are tailored, relevant, and effective”.
To achieve the above, John Onuorah said, “collaboration between marketing and product development is not just about getting the messaging right but also about improving the product based on user feedback. When customer support teams share pain points with marketing, that information can then be used to adjust both the product and the way it’s marketed. Brands like ASOS, a fashion tech in the United Kingdom, constantly update their product descriptions, size guides, and customer communications based on feedback from their customer support teams. This cross-functional loop means that every department is working from the same playbook, ultimately leading to better customer experiences and stronger brand loyalty.
“In Nigeria’s fintech sector, the same principle applies. A mobile wallet startup might find through customer support feedback that many users are confused by the app’s sign-up process. Instead of launching more ads or promotional campaigns, the marketing team, in collaboration with the product development and customer support teams, can create step-by-step tutorials or in-app guides to solve the problem directly. This saves money, retains users, and reinforces the brand’s commitment to addressing user pain points.
“Sales and marketing collaboration is another key component, particularly in fast-paced sectors like Web3. Marketing teams rely on the sales department to understand buyer behaviors, identify objections, and determine which messages resonate most during the sales process. Imagine a Web3 platform offering decentralized finance (DeFi) services. The marketing team’s initial assumption might be that users will be excited by the idea of cutting out traditional financial institutions. But if the sales team reports that potential users are more concerned about security and privacy than institutional independence, that insight needs to influence the marketing narrative immediately. The faster marketing adjusts its campaigns based on these insights, the more effective it will be at converting leads into paying customers”.
Speaking on how the collaborative aspect goes both ways, too. Sales teams benefit from marketing’s insight into broader market trends, user demographics, and buyer personas. The Nigerian tech market, especially in fintech and Web3, is highly diverse. Marketing might uncover that older users are more inclined to adopt fintech solutions when they feel reassured about security, while younger users prioritize speed and user interface. This kind of data, shared between departments, enables sales teams to approach different customer segments with strategies tailored to their specific concerns.
“Cross-functional collaboration is especially important in markets like Nigeria, where customer trust is hard-earned but easily lost. In fintech, regulatory requirements change frequently, and customers are wary of sharing sensitive financial information. A strong collaboration between the marketing, legal, and compliance teams is essential. Marketing can’t simply run campaigns that promise speed and convenience without also highlighting how the company complies with local regulations or safeguards user data. Legal and compliance teams provide the necessary guardrails to ensure marketing stays within the boundaries while still promoting the product effectively.
” One of the most visible examples of successful cross-functional collaboration is found in the product development process itself. In tech sectors like Web3, products are often launched. in a series of iterations, based on feedback from various teams and customers. Take Ethereum’s 2020 network upgrade, which required input from multiple teams—developers, marketers, customer support, and legal. This large-scale project involved months of collaboration to ensure users understood the changes, developers could implement them smoothly, and legal teams could handle any compliance issues. In Nigeria, this approach can be equally effective, whether you’re launching a new fintech product or expanding a Web3 platform’s functionality. Collaboration across departments ensures a smooth rollout, fewer customer complaints, and a stronger product-market fit.
“Let’s look at global examples of cross-functional success. Amazon’s cross-departmental approach has been studied extensively, especially in its ability to blend marketing, logistics, and customer service into a seamless operation. Amazon’s North American division saw an increase in customer retention because of its ability to improve same-day deliveries and offer personalized shopping recommendations—two features made possible only through tight collaboration between marketing, logistics, and customer service teams. The lesson here is that collaboration isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity for staying competitive”.
He said that, ” as Nigerian tech companies seek to grow in the highly competitive fintech and Web3 sectors, they can’t afford to silo their departments. If marketing and product development aren’t communicating effectively, the product could miss the mark, leading to wasted resources and lost customers. If sales and marketing aren’t sharing insights, opportunities will be missed. If legal and compliance aren’t in the loop, costly mistakes could occur. For companies looking to make an impact, cross-functional collaboration isn’t just beneficial—it’s fundamental to long-term success.
“Collaboration between teams ensures that the company moves in unison, aligning goals and sharing knowledge to create a cohesive customer experience. Whether it’s marketing, product development, sales, or legal, the departments in a tech company must work together to build a product that’s not only innovative but also meets the real-world needs of customers. As more Nigerian tech entrepreneurs venture into fintech, Web3, and other fast-growing sectors, adopting a cross-functional approach to collaboration will help create products that resonate with their target markets while maintaining a strong competitive edge”.
