Businesses today are increasingly reliant on technology for almost every aspect of their operations. As such, it is essential that marketing and IT departments work collaboratively to ensure the successful delivery of business objectives. However, differing perspectives and cultures can create tension and lead to friction between the two departments. This article will explain the key sources of friction and provide strategies for fostering effective collaboration between marketing and IT.
The main sources of friction between marketing and IT arise from their contrasting outlooks. IT departments are focused on creating stable and dependable processes that can be repeated consistently, while marketers thrive on experimentation and innovation. This fundamental difference can create tension, but can also present an opportunity for the two departments to complement each other.
Another issue is the difference in timetables. Marketing departments often operate under tight deadlines, driven by the urgency of campaigns and promotions. In contrast, IT projects often face delays due to complexities, resource constraints and unforeseen challenges. To bridge this gap, it is important to establish clear schedules, as early in the process as possible, with a clear statement of deliverables and deadlines.
The different perspectives of marketing and IT can also lead to friction. IT professionals prioritize the technical aspects, focusing on system integration, server resources, security implications and long-term maintenance, whereas marketers are looking at success metrics, visual aesthetics, user experience and adaptability. To avoid such issues, it is essential to be upfront about expectations from the outset.
In addition, there are several general sources of friction that can arise if the two departments are not working collaboratively. These include half-baked ideas, emergency projects, a lack of communication and collaboration, constantly changing requirements, inadequate testing and quality assurance, unrealistic or unclear expectations and insufficient data.
To foster effective collaboration between marketing and IT, it is important for marketing to develop a degree of technological literacy and for IT to have someone on staff who understands the marketing department's goals and priorities. Marketers should understand the basics of server-client dynamics, templates and databases, apps, caching, databases and web-based analytics tools, as well as HTML and style sheets, cookies, user tracking, email systems and ad management systems.
It is also important to take a diplomatic approach and to be aware of the cultural gap between the two departments. Communication should be done through the right channel, such as a Jira board or marketing work management platform, and IT should be involved in projects from the outset. Furthermore, marketers should provide IT with sufficient detail in the form of a requirements document, so they can figure out which systems will be affected and the scope of the project.
Finally, it is essential to understand the kind of people you are dealing with. Some IT professionals may be perfectionists, while others will be ready to take risks. Knowing this can help to ensure effective communication and planning.
In conclusion, collaboration between marketing and IT is essential in the modern business landscape. To ensure successful collaboration, it is important to be aware of the sources of friction and to take a diplomatic and technological approach. By understanding each other’s perspectives, establishing clear schedules and objectives, and involving IT from the outset, marketing and IT departments can work together to maximize their capabilities and achieve business objectives.
Originally reported by Martech: https://martech.org/how-to-foster-effective-collaboration-between-marketing-and-it/
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