Rated: Marketing and IT Sitting in a Tree
Last year, author Misty Walsh wrote a post entitled, Marketing and IT Sitting in a Tree as part of Centric’s series on the Top 14 Business and Technology Trends of 2014. Now, more than a year later, Misty explores the accuracy of that prediction.
Prediction:
Just like the old playground song, “First comes love, then comes marriage…,” Marketing and IT will be bound together like never before in 2014.
Analysis: Nailed it!
The intersection of marketing and IT is certain.
Now, more than ever, marketing and IT teams know they need each other. CMOs realize that in order to be truly effective and keep up with the real-time expectations of customers, they need insights and tools that IT provides. On the other hand, CIOs recognize the need to better understand the customer, and the insights marketing can offer are invaluable in that effort.
Even though recognition is the first step, the prediction from 2014 still holds true. It will be messy for the next few years as organizations try to figure out the best operating and technology models to execute an effective online strategy.
While figuring out the customer journey is a task within itself, both groups also have to deal with their two different mentalities – the fast-paced marketer who looks for the next new tool or tactic and the IT leader who looks for solutions with staying power.
Certainly, a digital strategy that outlines all levels of customer engagement is essential. And with that well-outlined plan needs to be a shift in culture as both marketing and IT learn to better understand and work with each other. Nurturing the relationship between marketing and IT must begin at the top. In other words CMOs and CIOs must develop a strong working relationship that can be emulated by their respective teams.
Essentially, it comes down to the fundamentals of any successful marriage – trust and commitment.