Top Challenges of an IT and Marketing Collaboration
-
Cozy Arrangement, Part I
55% of surveyed advertising and marketing execs said they're collaborating more closely with tech leaders within their company than they did three years ago, while just 3% said they're collaborating less closely. -
Cozy Arrangement, Part II
One-third of surveyed CIOs said they're collaborating more closely with creative/marketing leaders within their own company compared to three years ago, as opposed to only 5% who said they're collaborating less closely. -
Challenges in Collaborating With IT: New Lingo Challenges
"Understanding their tech terms. They're forever changing." -
Challenges in Collaborating With IT: Select Company
"Getting their attention. Professionals in IT are often only accustomed to working with other professionals in IT." -
Challenges in Collaborating With IT: Clock Management
"Figuring out if they have time to even get involved with what we're doing." -
Challenges in Collaborating With IT: Lacking Consensus
"Tech pros think it's all about the tools and creative pros think it's all about the ideas." -
Challenges in Collaborating With Advertising/Marketing: Wish List
"Managing expectations because they want things that don't exist." -
Challenges in Collaborating With Advertising/Marketing: Jumping the Gun
"They sometimes make decisions and put things in process without asking for input from the people who actually make the technology work." -
Challenges in Collaborating With Advertising/Marketing: Clarity Counts
"Communicating technical details concisely and making sure they understand what those details mean." -
Challenges in Collaborating With Advertising/Marketing: Budget Strapped
"Being able to afford what it is they'd like."
CIOs and IT teams are working more closely than ever with their companies' advertising and marketing executives, but they face significant challenges to ensure these collaborations produce meaningful results, according to a recent survey from The Creative Group and Robert Half Technology. Many of the challenges, of course, are rooted in the "Odd Couple" dynamics of these relationships: While well acquainted with metrics, advertising and marketing professionals still often consider themselves as creative types who don't want their ideas limited by tech or budget realities. But IT departments are all about understanding what tech is actually available for use, and how much it will cost. (Not to mention the logistics of any associated implementations.) However, by identifying their differences, tech and advertising/marketing teams can then work together to bridge the gaps. "The success of an organization's digital strategy and initiatives is dependent on a strong partnership between creative and IT colleagues," said Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group. "It's imperative for business leaders to encourage teamwork and ongoing dialogue between the two groups, especially since there is so much crossover in key roles, such as user-experience professionals, Web designers and mobile application developers." With this in mind, we're presenting the following most common "things advertising/marketing and IT professionals say about each other" with respect to the challenges, as compiled from the survey research. An estimated 400 U.S. advertising and marketing execs and 2,400 CIOs took part in the research.