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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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