One could ask what does marketing have to do with the CIO and the IT organization as a whole? At the IBM Insight conference last week, this very issue came up on my interview on SiliconANGLE’s theCUBE. The short answer is everything. Marketing and the go to market (GTM) strategy are vital to a company’s strategy in delivering solutions.
Align with business
If IT is to play a significant role in a company’s growth, the connection between IT and marketing must get closer. Much closer. Marketing is just one organization that needs the true value of IT to flourish. But marketing is also one organization that is primed today for leveraging technology to further the effectiveness of the marketing efforts.
One challenge facing IT organizations is in their ability to react with speed. Meaning, how agile they are to changing business demands? This isn’t just a problem about technology, but rather one about process and people. There are technology solutions that assist with the move to a more agile organization. However, realize that it is the intersection between technology, people and process that gives many a moment of pause. Today’s problem is with enablement and engagement…and with speed.
Market of one and the long tail
For a long time, the emphasis was in determining the broader market interests. Where were the masses of customers and prospects moving and how could the company get ahead of the needs? Analytics, reports and bright minds were put to task to determine the best direction to take.
Fast forward to just a few short years ago. While mobile phones are not new, the advent of smartphones are relatively new. Couple that with mass adoption and a bevy of apps to do just about whatever is needed. The combination is a potent innovation cocktail that led many a company to righteous fortunes.
What was the secret sauce? And what does this have to do with the modern IT organization? Everything. The reality is that companies are now creating programs that target individuals, not just groups. The world is now about personalization and the market of one.
Technology gets intimate
If that headline doesn’t get your heart racing… The reality is that technology has become very intimate in multiple ways. Personalization and intimacy are hallmarks of today’s wearable device and smartphone. On a smartphone, we choose our own apps, alerts, settings and personalization through custom cases, wallpaper, etc. Wearable devices take it to the next level. Now there are devices that know what activities we do and when. Just think about that for a moment. They are monitoring a suite of sensors to watch our behaviors and provide feedback.
These are just simple examples of how the Internet of Things (IoT) is making its way into our everyday lives. And it is just the start.
Presence and timing
Mobile devices are now able to detect where you are and timing of different activities. For example, stores are able to determine where in the store you’re located and your purchase habits. Should the store offer you a coupon via the app or text message? Would that entice the customer to actually make the purchase they otherwise might have passed over? The concept of presence and timing with regards to mobile and data is becoming even more intertwined.
Putting it together
Bringing things full-circle, addressing the ‘market of one’ is simply not possible using traditional methods. These new ways of customer engagement require new ways of thinking…and new technology methods. Just about every company is moving to a data-centric model. But even that doesn’t tell the whole story.
The challenge is that IT organizations are buckling under the growing complexity. Not only do they need to move to a data-centric model, but fast. As they organize systems, processes and people in such a way, automation and enablement become more of the norm. Think DevOps.
From the IBM Insight conference, it was clear that we are only in the infancy of where our increasingly data-centric world is headed. If we (as CIOs) hope to drive toward a model of extreme customer engagement, change is needed quickly.
Think about it from the other perspective. We (as customers) are looking for personalization to our needs, when we want it. This is a great opportunity for the CIO and IT organization to participate in the process. Remember, it is about the long tail and the market of one.