The evolving strategic union between marketing & IT

In this data-driven digital age, the relationship between marketing and IT appears to be undergoing a type of revolution, especially with organisations recognising the need to deliver more personalised consumer experiences. We take a look at the arrival of the chief marketing technologist, coupled with the growth of marketing IT.

A recent Harvard Business Review (HBR) article called ‘The Rise of the Chief Marketing Technologist’ explores how marketing is swiftly emerging as one of the most “technology dependent” functions in business. Enter the chief marketing technologist (CMT).

Gartner research published at the start of 2014 claimed that 81% of organisations have the equivalent of a CMT, a jump from 70% last year. What role does a CMT fulfil then? HBR describes a CMT as “part strategist, part creative director, part technology leader, and part teacher” as they strive to gain and maintain a competitive advantage for their organisations. This is coupled with targeted investment in technology in order to reach the always-on, connected consumer, particularly in this mobile era.

Growth of marketing IT in line with customer experience

And this is where IT comes into play. The recent Accenture report Cutting across the CMO-CIO divide: Digital drives a new wave of collaboration presents a telling picture of how chief marketing officers (CMOs) and chief information officers (CIOs) in organisations are interacting this year in greater numbers in order to enhance customer experience. Based upon its global survey of more than 1,100 senior marketing and IT executives, Accenture argues that a “sea change” is happening, with CIOs increasingly putting marketing IT at the heart of their digital agenda.

The survey found that, in 2014, 83% of IT executives saw the need to interact with marketing, with 69% of marketing executives in agreement. Additionally, 52% of CMOs now consider marketing IT to be at or near the top of their priorities. Why, then, is digital causing this upsurge in CMO-CIO interaction levels? Some of the reasons cited in the Accenture report include:

Access to customer insight and intelligence being crucial to organisations, especially in gaining a competitive advantage

Technology now “underpins and shapes” the overall customer experience

Availability and application of technology to marketing in new ways

Marketing and relevancy is driven by analytics.

Customer experience Customer analytics Social media Corporate website Other web development.

Of the CMOs and CIOs surveyed, they also appear to be in agreement on marketing IT priorities. Their top five were:

Check out the Accenture report in full here, while the following infographic gives a depiction of the evolving CMO and CIO alliance ...