Commentary

The Massive Disconnect Between CIOs, CMOs

CMOs and their agency partners continue to talk about more closely aligning with CIOs and Information Technology (IT) departments, but few know how to take the steps to make the dream a reality. When the two departments are at odds, the customer experience slips and so does data integrity.

This disconnect is clear in the study "Marketing and IT: Overcoming a Cats-and-Dogs History to Create a Seamless Customer Experience," commissioned by Rackspace and produced by research firm Edelman Berland. The study surveyed 201 U.S. IT and marketing leaders from companies spending $5 million or more annually on digital marketing. Only 14% of marketers and 17% of those in IT feel they align.

Both groups see a future with more integration of data and processes. Although 72% of CIOs and CMOs know working together breeds success, frustration lies in the way each leader runs their business. Some 46% of surveyed marketers say the slow pace in which IT works creates the most frustration, and 47% of IT leaders say marketing wants them to move too quickly, potentially compromising quality and security.

advertisement

advertisement

Some 44% of those participating in the survey believe IT does not understand marketing. About 41% believe IT does not think strategically, 32% believe IT does not cooperate with marketing, 29% think IT does not have skills to support new digital marketing initiatives, and 28% believe IT does not give marketers easy and unfettered access to data.

The study's findings suggest misunderstandings start with two sets of completely different personalities. Marketers see themselves as cooperative and extroverted, while IT folks are data-driven nerds. Of those surveyed, only 19 percent of IT leaders think marketing understands what they do, while fewer than one in 10 marketing leaders think IT leaders understand what they do.

 

Next story loading loading..