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Marketing and IT : Forging a Unique Partnership. Theresa Kushner Maria Villar. June 9, 2009. Before we get started…. How many marketing technologists in the audience? How many people are highly dependent on IT for marketing operations? Metrics?
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Marketing and IT : Forging a Unique Partnership Theresa Kushner Maria Villar June 9, 2009
Before we get started… • How many marketing technologists in the audience? • How many people are highly dependent on IT for marketing operations? Metrics? • How many feel that to be successful in marketing they need to be more and more technical?
Why is it important? • Marketing’s move to link tighter with sales puts greater pressure on Technology • CRM/Customer Data Integration • Modeling and Forecasting • Web Analytics • Social Media • Strong partnership required for project success and business ROI • Economic crisis demands better, faster, cheaper solutions • Marketing must constantly prove relevance
Maria Villar 12 yrs IT Management 15 yrs SW Product Dev Owner, MCV LLC Author External Recognition: TDWI best practice Hispanic Engineer awards Background 15 years DBM 12 years Marcom, Marketing Operations Author External Recognition: TDWI best practice 2008 NCDM Gold Winner-Analytics Who’s Who in B2B 2007 • Theresa Kushner x
Collaboration track record • 8+ years working together • Collaborated at IBM • Co-authored a book • Written joint articles & presentations • Ongoing professional activities Track record based on mutual respect & appreciating the unique value we each bring to the partnership x
Session objectives • Why IT-Marketing partnerships are difficult • 4 steps to a successful partnership • Can you maximize your partnership?
Quiz : On a scale of 1 - 5 • What is the level of IT-Marketing partnership at your company? • 1: Poor -- Communicate only when necessary through formal projects and emails • 3: Average -- A few project successes and individual partnerships exist but majority of the time, relationship is strained • 5 : Ideal -- Equal partners, constant communication, shared successes, shared mistakes
IT and Marketing differences Fundamental differences in thought process, culture and priority “The breakdown in communication between the sciences and humanities will be a major hindrance to the world’s problem.” C P Snow (1959) • IT thinks: • Marketing doesn’t know what they want or need • Not structured (right brain) or project disciplined • Does not have time to understand the IT challenges • Marketing thinks: • IT does not understand what we need • Too slow; too expensive • Don’t deliver on their schedules or promises • Too structured and bureaucratic (left brain) x
4 steps to creating an effective partnership • Know your partner • Develop a relationship • Define roles and responsibilities • Open a communication channel
Establish your starting point: Know your partner • Past experience with IT or marketing projects • Partnership history: What is it? • Friends of Partnerships • Know it All : “I am superior, I know best” • Doesn’t care: “Why are you bothering me” • Boss’s experience with IT and marketing Knowing your starting point will provide a view of the time & effort the partnership will take
Developing a relationship • Attend each other’s meetings • Participate in A “Day in the life” • Report IT analyst into Marketing units or vice versa • Understand the details of a challenge the other is having • Show public appreciation • Report jointly to management
Marketing Roles IT Roles Define roles, responsibilities • Define business, data, performance, quality and value requirements • Enhance marketing processes • Approve application and data business rules • Procure external data; partner with IT to consolidate for corporate use, manage contract relationship • Translate business requirements into IT specifications • Select best technical solution (Make vs Buy analysis) • Define the IT architecture and standards • Project manage IT solution • Maintain technical HW/SW infrastructure according to SLA • Define/Track/Meet IT availability, quality, cost of ownership, value metrics • Train and support users Caution: Don’t pick the technical solution x
Define roles, responsibilities Management roles (both) • Set realistic expectations and measures • Set example for partnership behavior • Encourage the use of IT tools • Commit to multi-year efforts; set metrics • Establish governance forum • Think and act strategically • Resolve cross team issues -- quickly • Ensure appropriate resource allocation
Open communication • Regular project status forums • Regular strategy sessions • “Dream the same dream” • Joint Metrics • Business: ROI, process improvements • IT: availability, DQ, cost of ownership
Mitigate the Middleman • Our advice: Don’t have them • But if you must: Agree on roles and responsibilities of the middleman • Define requirements • Conduct/evaluate testing • Participate in lessons learned • Provide ongoing maintenance • Continue to attend project status meetings • Maintain final sign-off to requirements, changes, user interfaces and reports the business will use
Constantly ask for feedback • Formal: surveys, write-in comments, web • Informal: one-on-one discussions at all levels of the organization How are we doing? What are we doing right? What could we do better? Are we improving from last time? Are you seeing value from our projects? How can my team help you succeed? x
Key points to remember • Partnerships are fundamentally based on people • Organization partnerships take their lead from their leaders • Appreciate the value each group brings to the table • Don’t try to do the other’s job • Don’t have a middleman in the partnership • Shared successes and shared mistakes make for true partnerships
Can you maximize your partnership? • Do you know….. • What will make your partner successful? • How is he or she measured? • What keeps he or she up at night? • What ignites their passion for work? • If there are any issues that they are fighting internal to their organizations that prohibit the partnership from working? • If their management supports your partnership?
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