Marketing technology has definitely thrown a monkey wrench into the cogs of the normal corporate structure. Many CIOs found themselves in a position where their company’s Chief Marketing Officers were making technology related decisions. CIOs found that with marketing technology, the focus tends to be on innovation and function, as opposed to security and reliability. In the end, CIOs were concerned for the safety of their entire network. The emergence of the Internet of Things and skyrocketing popularity of marketing automation mean that it’s time for CIOs and CMOs to begin working together.
Turf-War
As the vast majority of marketing is digital, it’s easy to see how the line between IT and Marketing has become blurred. Using mobile devices to share and promote business over social networks, has become commonplace, even for large companies. That means that IT departments need to have mobile device policies in place, as well as network security. Marketing is about being constantly connected, and IT’s job is to keep that connection safe.
An interesting study showed that while CIOs felt that the most important goal of technology was improving customer experience, CMOs felt that gaining insight into clients was most important. One of the biggest issues CIOs/CMOs faced was that they felt the other didn’t understand their goals. The first step to rectifying this divide is to make sure that each department understands and can facilitate the goals of the other department.
What the CIO Wants
- Programs
- Stability/Security
- Long Term IT Strategy
- Risk Avoidance
What the CMO Wants
- Marketing
- Innovation
- Integration
- Collaboration
Finding Common Ground
If you think about it, the tension between the CIO and CMO role have one major thing in common. They both want to see technology improve business operations. The underlying issue causing a division of marketing and IT is: Marketing is about leveraging new technology innovations and rapidly implementing them to stay ahead of the competition while IT wants to make sure that the technology was properly tested and vetted, keeping the integrity of their network’s security.
CMOs and CIOs Working Together for the Greater Good
Instead of any type of contention, marketing and IT recognize that putting their expertise together and playing off their strengths will help internal relations which will, in turn, benefit the organization as a whole. Once CMOs and CIOs begin to collaborate on a regular basis, their partnership will drive business operations and improve the customer experience. Setting clear goals will help fuel the CIO/CMO partnership. CIOs can even help CMOs create a technology strategy for marketing.
Despite what some people think, the roles of CMO and CIO aren’t that different. A little bit of compromise, and understanding the needs and wants of both departments, will help bridge the divide. Offering the best services and product possible will only happen when marketing and IT form an alliance.
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