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Theresa KushnerMaria Villar

Marketing and IT :Forging a Unique Partnership

June 9, 2009

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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?

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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

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15 years DBM12 years Marcom,Marketing OperationsAuthor

External Recognition:TDWI best practice 2008 NCDM Gold Winner-AnalyticsWho’s Who in B2B 2007

Background

Theresa KushnerMaria Villar

12 yrs IT Management15 yrs SW Product DevOwner, MCV LLCAuthor

External Recognition:TDWI best practiceHispanic Engineer awards

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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

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Session objectives

Why IT-Marketing partnerships are difficult 4 steps to a successful partnership Can you maximize your partnership?

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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

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IT and Marketing differences

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)

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)

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4 steps to creating an effective partnership

Know your partner Develop a relationship Define roles and responsibilities Open a communication channel

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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

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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

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Define roles, responsibilities

Caution: Don’t pick the technical solution

Marketing Roles IT Roles• 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

• 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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

Constantly ask for feedback

Formal: surveys, write-in comments, web Informal: one-on-one discussions at all levels

of the organization

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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

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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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Question and Answers?

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