The 3rd in our 4-part series investigating the difficulties between IT and Marketing.
How to solve the friction and make the world a better place
We’ve seen four approaches that can work really well to solve the IT vs. Marketing conundrum.
1. Let One Group Lead and Take Ownership
We’ve seen this work but it can be really tricky. If Marketing takes ownership but doesn’t correctly care for the technical nuance of their endeavor they can end up making a mess of the site. While it might look pleasing and strategic, there are often gaping holes in technology interrelation, scalability, and/or weak security, to name a few common serious issues.
If IT takes the lead, the site might be built using the safest and most stable technologies but be extremely difficult for non-technical teams to manage. If they are not careful, IT could lock the site down in a “holding pattern” for years with no meaningful strategic readjustments or fresh content.
2. Partner IT and Marketing with Aligned Incentives and Common Goals
Have the project purpose and KPIs clearly defined so that all sides know where they are aiming. If there is maturity of leadership and a desire for success, this can certainly be a successful partnership.
3. Amalgamating IT and Marketing Together
For new companies and startups, it is common to no longer see a clear delineation between IT and Marketing. We think this can be a really enlightened approach if your business model will support it.
4. Third-Party Vendor Approach
A third-party vendor can be a solid bridge between IT and Marketing. Whether their role borders on U.N. Peacekeeping or is simply to be an interpreter for competing goals – a third-party vendor can bring much needed freshness to communication that has become stalemated in mature companies. At LimeCuda, we often find ourselves being “the vendor”.
A firm like ours is a hybrid mix of both IT and Marketing which means we are sensitive to the needs and concerns of both. Sometimes we work exclusively with Marketing-type folks and we play the role of “IT”. Other times we work closely with IT to integrate existing systems and alleviate their procedural and security concerns.
We are biased but an optimal solution may be a neutral third party both sides view as an expert.
Need a firm to help align IT / Marketing and coordinate your efforts on the web? We’d be happy to chat.