By Arko Chandra Published on : Nov 2, 2022
The equation between marketing and IT is getting complicated by the second with constant and rapid changes in technology and market dynamics. IT and marketing need to work on their relationship to tackle the increasing volatility.
Here are some tactics to fill the gap between marketing and IT.
Marketing and IT teams need to be integrated, especially in terms of data management. Many organizations in search of shortcuts duplicate their IT capabilities in the marketing team or vice versa. For instance, the marketing team creates an IT function for data management, or the IT department segregates the team into roles, turning it into an IT marketing team. Organizations need to stop this ritual.
The collaboration of marketing and IT can bring about the intended results when both stick to their respective responsibilities and assist each other without encroaching on each other’s roles and work. IT generates significant value for marketing by creating databases and infrastructures to manage data.
Situations may arise when marketing is in need of new solutions to market effectively, but IT might not be able to build the same in the given timeframe. In such cases, marketing can engage with external agencies while ensuring that IT is in the loop all along for hassle-free integration, support, and maintenance.
Collaboration between marketing and IT sounds easy, but there’s a lot behind the scene as each team is busy keeping up with its own schedule and deadlines. However, there are certainly some ways to create room for collaboration.
A separate collaborative team can be created with a few members from IT and a few marketers to work on a dedicated project. That way, the whole of IT and marketing don’t waste time on a single task, and only the adept members with enough expertise in the project dynamics work on it.
Another space for collaboration is weekly sessions for the marketing head and IT head to sit together to decide on the respective week’s to-do’s, evaluate the progress on ongoing projects, and find new opportunities.
The most common point where the chores of marketing and IT overlap includes data, and each of the teams has its own approach to it. Marketing craves customer data so that they can better channel their marketing moves and influence the target audience. However, the data they need is not at their disposal to use but is usually stored in a CRM or ERP system that’s under the control of IT.
Now, IT needs to abide by a heck of data security and protection compliances. Even though marketing is aware of these limitations, its primary concern is to get data in one way or another. To tackle this dilemma, many organizations are establishing a chief data office from where all the data of an organization flows into different functions. It’s even better to incorporate a marketing focus into the data office for the marketing team to effectively use the data while ensuring an organized IT capability.
Both marketing and IT need to have initiatives and assess the challenges from each other’s perspective to make it work. Transparency, communication, and collaboration will ensure the ever-changing market doesn’t affect the bond between IT and marketing.
By Arko Chandra
Published on 2nd, Nov, 2022
The equation between marketing and IT is getting complicated by the second with constant and rapid changes in technology and market dynamics. IT and marketing need to work on their relationship to tackle the increasing volatility.
Here are some tactics to fill the gap between marketing and IT.
Marketing and IT teams need to be integrated, especially in terms of data management. Many organizations in search of shortcuts duplicate their IT capabilities in the marketing team or vice versa. For instance, the marketing team creates an IT function for data management, or the IT department segregates the team into roles, turning it into an IT marketing team. Organizations need to stop this ritual.
The collaboration of marketing and IT can bring about the intended results when both stick to their respective responsibilities and assist each other without encroaching on each other’s roles and work. IT generates significant value for marketing by creating databases and infrastructures to manage data.
Situations may arise when marketing is in need of new solutions to market effectively, but IT might not be able to build the same in the given timeframe. In such cases, marketing can engage with external agencies while ensuring that IT is in the loop all along for hassle-free integration, support, and maintenance.
Collaboration between marketing and IT sounds easy, but there’s a lot behind the scene as each team is busy keeping up with its own schedule and deadlines. However, there are certainly some ways to create room for collaboration.
A separate collaborative team can be created with a few members from IT and a few marketers to work on a dedicated project. That way, the whole of IT and marketing don’t waste time on a single task, and only the adept members with enough expertise in the project dynamics work on it.
Another space for collaboration is weekly sessions for the marketing head and IT head to sit together to decide on the respective week’s to-do’s, evaluate the progress on ongoing projects, and find new opportunities.
The most common point where the chores of marketing and IT overlap includes data, and each of the teams has its own approach to it. Marketing craves customer data so that they can better channel their marketing moves and influence the target audience. However, the data they need is not at their disposal to use but is usually stored in a CRM or ERP system that’s under the control of IT.
Now, IT needs to abide by a heck of data security and protection compliances. Even though marketing is aware of these limitations, its primary concern is to get data in one way or another. To tackle this dilemma, many organizations are establishing a chief data office from where all the data of an organization flows into different functions. It’s even better to incorporate a marketing focus into the data office for the marketing team to effectively use the data while ensuring an organized IT capability.
Both marketing and IT need to have initiatives and assess the challenges from each other’s perspective to make it work. Transparency, communication, and collaboration will ensure the ever-changing market doesn’t affect the bond between IT and marketing.
