How to Find the Right “Who” for Your Marketing Strategy: Expert Insights from Katie Gray
Why the “Who” Matters More Than the “What” in Your Marketing Strategy
When most businesses think about marketing, their focus often lands on what they should be doing: Should we be on TikTok? Do we need more blog posts? Should we invest in paid ads?
But according to Katie Gray, founder and principal of Kinetic Marketing Communications, the better question to ask is: Who should actually be doing the work? Katie joined host Mary Czarnecki on the Sticky Note Marketing Show to unpack why the “who” behind your marketing efforts may be the most overlooked — and most important — factor in your success.
"Marketing is a lot like the medical field.”
Marketing is Like Medicine: You Need Specialists
“Marketing is a lot like the medical field,” Katie explains. “You wouldn’t ask your primary care doctor to do heart surgery.”
The same is true for your marketing team. Each discipline — PR, paid media, copywriting, social strategy, content development, technical writing — requires its own expertise.
Too often, businesses expect a single person (or a small team) to wear all the hats. The result? Stalled growth, underperforming campaigns, and burned-out teams.
Instead, Katie emphasizes the need to align the right people with the right roles, whether in-house or outsourced.
Why Traditional Agency Models Fall Short
Unlike traditional agencies that need to “feed the mouths” of a large staff, Katie’s women-owned marketing collective, Kinetic, takes a different approach.
Her model allows businesses to:
Fill critical skill gaps with experienced specialists
Scale flexibly without unnecessary overhead
Work with seasoned experts, not interns or junior staff
This way, companies get the talent they need, when they need it — without paying for roles that don’t serve their goals.
Spotting the Gaps in Your Marketing Team
So how do you know if your business needs outside help? Katie suggests looking for these signals:
Overstretched staff — when “stretch” turns into overwhelm
Repeated burnout — team members cycling out due to workload
Missed opportunities — lack of expertise in key areas (like content strategy or paid media)
Misalignment — relying on generalists when specialists are needed
The key, Katie says, is to consider talent as a core resource in your strategy planning — just as important as your ad spend or budget for creative.
The Power of Human-Driven Marketing
While AI can be useful for shortcuts and efficiency, Katie reminds us that buying is 95% emotional. And emotions are human.
That’s why experienced strategists and creatives are still critical. Crafting the right message, positioning, and delivery requires nuance, empathy, and a deep understanding of people.
“Marketing success is all about having the right humans in place,” Katie shares.
Finding Joy in the Work
When asked how she stays motivated, Katie’s answer is simple: she loves what she does.
By building a culture rooted in respect, collaboration, and empathy, she’s created an environment free of toxicity — one that allows her and her team to thrive.
Her reminder? Life is too short to do work that drains you. Surround yourself with people and work that bring joy.
Connect with Katie Gray
If Katie’s insights sparked some new questions for you, she’d love to connect. You can find her here:
LinkedIn: Katie Gray
Company Page: Kinetic Marketing Communications, LLC
Website: kineticcoms.com
💡 Takeaway: Don’t just focus on what you’re doing in marketing. Ask yourself — do you have the right who in place to make it happen?
