OKR at Already Media: Brand Marketing Goals Planning, Team Motivation, and Results Evaluation

While working on a completely different project a few years ago, my colleagues and I faced a common challenge—our teams were losing focus. Tasks kept piling up, priorities became unclear, and it felt like we were constantly “putting out fires” instead of moving toward strategic goals. That was the moment I first came across OKR—a system that helps set ambitious goals and track progress precisely.

Since then, this approach has become an essential part of my work. Today, as the CMO of Already Media, I want to share how we use OKR to drive brand growth. I’ll break down how we define our goals, what results we achieve, and why I recommend this method to any team looking to escape task overload and gain clarity.

What is OKR, and Why Did We Choose This Approach?

OKR (Objectives and Key Results) is a goal-setting framework that helps organizations focus on strategic priorities and measure success. This methodology structures objectives and makes them measurable. As a result, it is easier to adjust to changes.

Why Do Marketing Teams Need OKR?

Focus on What Matters Most – We concentrate only on goals that significantly impact brand growth.
Measurability – We define success clearly and track progress toward key targets.
Transparency – Every team member understands how their work contributes to the company’s success.

Key OKR Principles We Follow:

Goals should be ambitious yet achievable.
Key results are clear and measurable indicators that help track progress toward achieving a goal.
Transparency ensures that everyone—designers, PR managers, and event planners—understands company goals and how their tasks align.

How We Set Brand and Marketing Goals

At Already Media, the process starts with defining the company’s strategic objectives. Then, we break them down into specific tasks and key results (KRs) for individual teams.

For example, one of our long-term brand goals is to enter the EGR Power 50 Affiliates ranking by the end of 2024.

Marketing Goal Example for Q2 2024:

Objective 1: Increase brand awareness

KR1: Increase website traffic by 30%.
KR2: Grow social media followers by 25%.
KR3: Boost Instagram reach by 30%.
KR4: Publish five interviews featuring brand representatives.

These steps helped the team focus on actions that directly influenced brand visibility. When working with OKR, we follow a strict rule—no more than three objectives and a maximum of four key results. This keeps the team focused on priority tasks.

As a result, by the end of the year, we made it to the Sports Affiliates shortlist at the EGR Awards 2024 – EGR Awards Shortlist.

Putting into Practice: How OKR is Integrated into Our Workflow

Once objectives are set, we use Jira to provide detailed task breakdowns and sprint planning. This allows us to monitor progress and adjust strategies when results don’t meet expectations.

Example of a Task in Jira:

Task: Increase social media engagement by 30%

Sprint 1: Analyze past engagement metrics.
Sprint 2: Develop new content formats based on insights.
Sprint 3: Launch a targeted campaign with influencers.

The OKR’s Flexibility

One of OKR’s greatest strengths is its adaptability. If a strategy doesn’t bring the expected results, we can adjust. For example, if a PR campaign fails to generate the expected number of brand mentions, resources can be reallocated to partnership collaborations.

Team Organization: Scrum and Sprints in Jira

To efficiently manage the brand and teams, we use the Scrum methodology. Each sprint (two weeks) is dedicated to tasks that align with our OKRs.

Regular SCRUM Meetings:

Daily Stand-ups – Quick updates to synchronize efforts (less than an hour).
Sprint Planning – Setting tasks for the next sprint (60–90 minutes every two weeks).
Retrospectives—These meetings Review achievements and challenges from the previous sprint. They last about two hours and involve not just the marketing team but also other departments contributing to brand development. Sometimes, we use a Miro board for remote collaboration—let me know if you’d like the link!

How OKR Motivates the Team and Boosts Productivity

OKR shifts the focus from tasks to measurable outcomes. Each manager sets tasks that contribute to company objectives and has the flexibility to determine the best performance method. This eliminates the necessity for excessive tracking tools, which can often be demotivating as they put the focus on processes rather than results.

OKR completion is directly linked to financial bonuses at the end of each quarter. Department goals cascade down to individual team members, ensuring clear accountability. If goals are met, employees receive bonuses, fostering trust and motivation. Many companies consider achieving 70–80% of OKRs a strong performance.

This approach is a “win-win” system: company transparency and employee motivation.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Implementing OKR in our department has improved teamwork and productivity. We not only define clear objectives but also measure performance effectively.

However, the key to success lies in a detailed explanation of the benefits to the team. These range from increased transparency and results-driven focus to professional growth opportunities and financial incentives.

Many leading companies, including Google, LinkedIn, Amazon, Microsoft, Twitter, and Netflix, use OKR. Their success demonstrates the way this approach transforms businesses and strengthens team dynamics. These real-world examples are a testament to the impact of a well-implemented OKR system.

Recommendations:

Start small—implement OKR within individual teams first.
Set ambitious yet achievable goals.
Use tools like Jira to track progress effectively.
Hold regular meetings and retrospectives to review outcomes.

P.S. Huge thanks to my team for their сonsistant openness to change and flexibility in adapting to new processes. Their ability to embrace and implement innovations is what keeps us moving forward!