Harnessing the Marketing and IT relationship for Better Digital Experiences
In a world where the quality of the customer experience is make-or-break for brands, marketing departments have never been more dependent on technology to be effective. New research from Digital Doughnut sister company London Research looks at how organisations can empower marketing and IT functions to work together as effectively as possible.
This article explores some of the key findings from the Seizing the Digital Experience Opportunity report, the first of two new white papers from London Research and Jahia.
Foster collaboration between IT and marketing based on a shared vision
It has become widely accepted within the world of business that customer experience (CX) is critical for sustained customer loyalty and business success, rather than a ‘nice-to-have’. According to the 2020 Global Customer Experience Benchmarking Report, 82% of companies agree that CX gives them a competitive edge, and more than half regard it as their primary source of competitive differentiation.
With so much of the customer experience now hinging on the quality of digital interactions, organisations have become increasingly reliant on chief technology officers and their teams in order to deliver against customer expectations for seamless engagement across both digital and physical touch points.
If marketing and IT teams are to work in harmony, there needs to be full buy-in and commitment to customer-centricity at the top of the organisation so any silos can be broken down and company politics put aside.
Customer data is the common ground
An organisation’s approach to customer data is pivotal to success, and an important starting point for successful collaboration between marketing and IT.
“Data is an easy place to begin working together towards a shared goal, but with different agendas,” says Andrew Campbell, Martech Director at The Home Agency and another expert interviewed for this report.
While IT departments will have security and customer privacy foremost in their thoughts, they will also understand that customer data needs to be shared not only across the marketing stack, but also between different business systems and departments.
Real-time data is increasingly a battleground for brands trying to ensure they give prospective and existing customers the right information at any particular moment and at any stage of the customer lifecycle. CMOs and CTOs need to work together to ensure that data is as accessible as possible across the business, rather than stuck in a marketing or business platform which is out of reach.
Choice of technology is key for a successful relationship
The report identifies flexibility, agility and simplicity as among the key attributes of a marketing technology stack that is fit for purpose in the digital age.
Marketers need their martech to adapt to changes in market conditions, competitive activity and customer behaviour, and they need to respond quickly with a technology system that is agile rather than slow and unwieldy.
IT professionals meanwhile need marketing technology that is easily integrated. Interoperability is key. When new software is added to the martech stack, it needs to be a simple process rather than a headache to ensure that relevant customer data can be shared with other parts of the system. Any new technology must be fundamentally stable, while also complying with company security requirements in line with relevant data protection laws.
To learn more, download the Seizing the Digital Experience Opportunity – Why the Marketing-IT Partnership is Crucial, produced by London Research in partnership with Jahia.
London Research has also recently published Customer Data – Marketing’s Secret Weapon, also produced by London Research in partnership with Jahia.