Though chief information officers and chief marketing officers are working more collaboratively on digital opportunities, they remain at odd on a number of issues involving how to drive integrated digital market solutions for their customers, according to a new study by Accenture.
According to ‘Cutting Across the CMO-CIO Divide’, 43 per cent of marketers and 50 per cent of IT leaders think their relationship with the other has improved over the past year.
However, 40 per cent of CMOs believe their company’s IT team does not understand the urgency of integrating new data sources into campaigns to address market conditions – an increase of 6 per cent from last year’s survey. Additionally, 43 per cent of CMOs now say the technology development process is too slow for the speed required for digital marketing, up 7 per cent.
On the other hand, CIOs are increasingly frustrated by shifting goals and a perceived lack of vision from their marketing counterparts. More than four out of 10 (43 per cent) of IT executives said marketing requirements and priorities change too often for them to keep up, and one out of four CIOs believe that CMOs lack the vision to anticipate new digital channels, compared to 11 per cent last year.
“Getting this relationship right is critical for delivering seamless, omni-channel experiences for customers,” said Brian Whipple, senior managing director of Accenture Interactive.
“The CMO needs to develop a vision and strategy for how customers experience the brand while the CIO needs to deliver the tools and technology to bring those experiences and campaigns to life. Together, they need combined processes and perhaps even organisations to make this happen. If one works without the other in a silo, customers will feel the impact and switch brands.”
More than half (54 per cent) of CMOs and nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of CIOs report they are prepared to pursue digital marketing opportunities, but they also believe they face significant challenges in executing on their strategies. More than two out of five of all respondents (44 per cent) said they have encountered problems in implementing marketing solutions or IT projects that further marketing effectiveness.
In addition, senior marketers and IT leaders alike are struggling to get the multi-channel experience right, as they follow their customers who are using mobile devices more often. More than four out of 10 (42 per cent) of CIOs and CMOs say that technology is siloed and too cumbersome, which makes it difficult for them to craft cross-channel experiences for their customers, up 8 per cent from last year.
Although 43 per cent of CIOs believe it is important to develop a consistent and relevant cross-channel experience, 45 per cent say the complexity of channel-specific experiences precludes them from being able to provide one platform to manage it.
