In any successful consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) company, there have always been a few creative marketing integrators who made it tick. They are the brand managers and category managers, the key-account executives and geographic leaders who played starring roles, pulling the levers at the center of complicated businesses. From product development to consumer interactions—and including advertising, strategic planning, and operations planning—they ensured that all the parts came together and that the right products made their way to the right markets.

But CPG companies and their markets are growing increasingly complicated, and the complexity endangers the effectiveness of these critical integrators. CPG companies are selling more variations of products in more places to more types of customers. The number of ways customers can learn about products has exploded—including digital and social media, which aren’t directly controlled by companies. And retailers expect CPG companies to make more customized marketing offerings.