From Silos to Synergy: Create Marketing and IT Alignment

How Marketing and IT Leaders can Work Together to Drive Better Results.

Executive Brief

Analyst perspective

Shashi Bellamkonda
Principal Research Director
Marketing Advisory Services
Info-Tech Research Group

Marketing and IT departments face challenges when working in silos. More than ever, marketing needs support from IT and its leaders to be successful and navigate fast-paced changes. However, IT is traditionally focused on risk aversion, stability, and repeatability, which creates a disconnect between the two departments. These siloed systems lead to wasted resources, duplication of tools and platforms, and a bad customer experience.

Marketing is unable to use data to better optimize their campaigns, and silos create long project timelines, hindering marketing’s effectiveness. Marketing lacks confidence in IT which leads to outsourcing that may increase expenses and cause other technical issues. Working in isolation, marketing may also purchase software that does not integrate with the rest of the company, leading to security issues.

To address these challenges, marketing and IT leaders need to work together to drive better results. Leadership should care about fostering a collaborative relationship between marketing and IT because it leads to a more agile, secure, and customer-centric organization, ultimately driving better business outcomes and competitive advantage.

Executive summary

"Your tech team can create cool products, but they need to work with marketing to understand the market and determine product-market fit. The marketing team can help the tech team understand the pain points of the target audience so the tech team can build products that consumers really need and would be interested in buying.
– Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
(Forbes, 2019)

Marketing and IT often have conflicting opinions and goals

IT is being asked to help marketing navigate fast-paced changes with tight deadlines.

IT thinks…

• Marketing is moving too fast, experimenting quickly, and doesn’t understand the complexities and risks of technology.
• Marketing does not always understand risk mitigation.
• Marketing’s outsourcing may increase expenses and cause other technical issues (e.g. shadow IT).
• Marketing purchases software in isolation that does not integrate with the rest of the company, leading to security issues.

• Lack of alignment leads to wasted resources and duplication of tools and platforms.
• Silos create long project timelines and may prevent marketing from moving effectively.

Marketing needs support from IT and its leaders more than ever to be successful.

Marketing thinks…

• IT does not create and deliver valuable services or solutions that resolve marketing pain points.
• IT does not provide innovative solutions to marketing’s business problems, challenges, or issues.
• IT blocks marketing’s efforts to drive the business forward using innovative technology solutions.
• IT does not advocate for marketing’s needs with the decision-makers in the organization.

• Siloed systems create bad customer experiences.
• Marketing is unable to use data to better optimize their campaigns.

Close the gap in perception between IT and marketing teams

The danger of a perception gap is discord in IT and marketing.

78%

of IT think they are being very collaborative, but…

58%

Only 58% of marketers agree that is the case.

Source: MarTech, 2022

Marketing technology is at the heart of marketing strategy and critical to meeting business goals, 71% of marketers say.

Source: LXA, 2024

Info-Tech Insight

Typical factors contributing to the gap in perception between IT and marketing are a lack of collaboration, absence of regular meetings, and a misunderstanding of objectives.

Not One-Size-Fits-All: Understand the Diverse Roles of CTOs and CMOs

Company Size, Industry, and Culture Shape CTO and CMO Responsibilities.

The relationship between IT and marketing increases as the company grows

IT and marketing’s needs and alignment will change over time as the organization and each department mature.

Your roles will evolve with the maturity of your organization

Maturity achieved when scaling

Companies in the early stage are still trying to figure out their product, so tech resources are focused on product development. Marketing is still figuring out the go-to-market strategy and must fend for itself. IT and marketing begin to work together as the company scales and more systems and processes are established.

Alignment and exchange of strategies between marketing and technology leaders can be game changers in today’s fast-paced marketing world. By collaborating with technology leaders, marketing leaders can ensure that their marketing strategy remains in lockstep with cutting-edge advancements, which is crucial for staying ahead of the competition.

There are typically two scenarios that describe the challenge of emerging organizations

While the IT and marketing responsibilities of midstage and at-scale companies are more defined, start-ups and growing companies face unique challenges when building the IT and marketing relationship.

Scenario 1

In the hectic environment of an early-stage technology company, marketers often find themselves without dedicated tech support, which can hinder their marketing efforts and force the marketing leads to take more ownership of marketing technology.

Scenario 2

As they begin to establish a team, marketers might encounter a situation where IT has already stepped in and constructed a tech stack that doesn’t match their preferences or requirements, leading to potential misalignments.

Scenario 1: Managing with limited IT resources in early-stage companies

In a company’s early stages, marketing teams often need to be resourceful and self-sufficient. Having limited IT resources means that marketing may not have the immediate support they need for certain initiatives. This can be attributed to several factors:

• Speed and agility: Early-stage companies prioritize speed and agility, and waiting for IT to implement new marketing tools can be seen as a bottleneck.
• Limited IT resources: Small start-ups often have limited IT resources, making it impractical to involve them in every marketing initiative.
• Marketing expertise in technology: Some marketing professionals, especially in tech companies, may have the technical skills and knowledge to implement basic marketing tools themselves.
• Cost considerations: Hiring additional IT staff or outsourcing IT services can be expensive for early-stage companies, making self-service marketing tools a more cost-effective option.

Advantages:

• Faster time to market: By using readily available marketing tools, marketing teams can quickly launch campaigns and reach their target audiences without relying on IT's often-slower development cycles.
• Increased autonomy and control: Marketing teams gain greater autonomy and control over their campaigns when they manage the technology themselves.
• Reduced reliance on IT resources: This frees up IT staff to focus on critical tasks related to core product development and infrastructure.
• Cost savings: Using self-service marketing tools can be cheaper than hiring additional IT staff or outsourcing services.

Disadvantages:

• Security risks: Marketing teams may lack the technical expertise to properly secure their data and systems, increasing the risk of cyberattacks or data breaches.
• Integration issues: Different marketing tools may not integrate seamlessly with each other or with the company's existing systems, leading to data silos and inefficiencies.
• Technical limitations: Self-service marketing tools may have limitations on features and functionality compared to custom solutions developed by IT.
• Scalability challenges: As the company grows, self-service tools may not be able to scale to meet the increasing demands of marketing campaigns.

• Early-stage companies need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of bypassing IT when choosing marketing technologies.
• Communication, collaboration, and clear guidelines are key to ensuring success in this approach.
• The right balance between autonomy and collaboration is crucial for maximizing the benefits of marketing technology.

Scenario 2: Navigating a tech-centric landscape

IT may have picked and managed the marketing software before the marketing leader was hired. The new leader must adapt and share ownership with IT.

Technical control over platforms and data:

• Limited marketing platforms: The IT leader might choose platforms based on technical or security factors, not on reaching target audiences.
• Data access and personalization: IT might restrict customer data, affecting marketing's ability to tailor campaigns and analyze customer behavior.
• Delayed marketing tools: IT might postpone installing or configuring marketing tools due to internal priorities, hurting campaign timelines and results.

Limited understanding of marketing objectives:

• Technical metrics prioritized over marketing goals: IT and marketing may be misaligned on which metric goals to target.
• Value of creativity and brand consistency underestimated: IT is likely to focus on automation and templates over creativity.
• Dismissive of marketing's expertise: IT may disregard marketing's knowledge of customer preferences and trends, leading to misaligned campaigns.

Internal power dynamics and politics:

• Leveraging budget control for influence: IT may adopt IT-favored solutions or projects without considering marketing’s needs.
• Lack of clear roles and responsibilities: Sharing ownership could lead to overlapping responsibilities or unclear decision-making.
• Personal biases and territorialism: Personal conflicts or a distrust between IT and marketing can lead to power struggles and influence one department over the other.

Advantages:

• IT leaders have a strong technical background, which can be beneficial when choosing and implementing marketing tools.
• IT leaders can ensure the marketing tech stack aligns with the company's IT infrastructure, leading to better integration and security.
• IT leaders may have a better understanding of the company's budget constraints and can make cost-effective decisions when selecting marketing tools.

Disadvantages:

• IT leaders may lack a deep understanding of marketing strategies and customer needs, leading to suboptimal tool choices.
• IT leaders may prioritize technical aspects over marketing goals, leading to conflicts and inefficiencies.
• The focus on growth and customer acquisition may be diminished if there is no marketing leader to balance the IT leader's perspective.

• Limiting channels and data access or prioritizing technical metrics can hinder marketing’s reach and goals.
• Inconsistent or inauthentic marketing efforts can erode brand trust and customer satisfaction.
• Constant power struggles and lack of collaboration can stifle creativity and efficiency within both departments.

Marketing and Technology Alignment

Benefits of marketing and IT synergy

• Increased innovation and business agility
• Improved customer experience and retention
• Reduced duplication of tools and wasted resources
• Better data utilization and security
• Enhanced communication and collaboration

What CTOs say about the CMO-CTO relationship

“Effective product marketing requires a fusion of technical understanding and storytelling prowess. While engineers possess deep product knowledge and passion, marketing teams excel at crafting compelling narratives. A collaborative approach bridges the gap between these disciplines, ensuring that the final message resonates with consumers on both an emotional and informative level. This synergy not only elevates product marketing but also fosters a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the unique strengths each team brings to the table.”

Krish Subramanian
Cloud Strategy, Global CTO
Office & Head of Products,
Platform Services
IBM Consulting

• Business transformation: A collaborative CMO-CTO relationship sets the stage for business transformation by creating additional revenue opportunities, improving company culture, and creating a shared vision among the C-suite.
• Tech stack alignment: CMOs and CTOs should work together to align their tech stack through a clearly defined communication strategy, ensuring a seamless digital experience for end users.
• Shared accountability: CMOs and CTOs should be equally accountable for the business outcomes they seek and work toward a united front when approaching company objectives.
• Product marketing collaboration: Involving the product marketing team in engineering discussions can create a compelling narrative, igniting the marketing team with the engineering team’s enthusiasm.
• Bridging the disconnect: Recognize that misunderstandings between the engineering and marketing teams about each other’s roles can cause tension, highlighting the need for better mutual awareness to promote the product effectively.
• Driving innovation and growth: CMOs and CTOs should work together to bridge the disconnect between IT and marketing and drive innovation and growth for their organizations.

What CMOs say about the CMO-CTO relationship

“The gaps between CTOs and CMOs often stem from a lack of understanding and poor communication, leading to deprioritized projects and uncoordinated product launches. Bridge these gaps by establishing trust, aligning priorities, and increasing collaboration – essential aspects of a harmonious and effective partnership”

Chief Marketing Office of a SaaS software company $25M to $50M ARR

• CMOs need to establish trust and communication with CTOs: CMOs should speak the technical language of CTOs and include them in marketing actions to create alignment.
• CMOs should be mindful of the security and compliance issues of CTOs: CMOs should not endanger the security and privacy of the data and tools they use for marketing.
• CMOs and CTOs should work together on product development and rollouts: CMOs should take part in product creation and launch and align their marketing strategies and schedules with CTOs.
• CTOs should be involved in CMOs' tool selection decisions: CMOs should not pick new tools and software without talking to CTOs. Ask for advice on software choice, compatibility, security, and compliance issues.
• Agility and flexibility are key for CMOs in large corporations: CMOs can benefit from adopting informal and social channels to collaborate with CTOs in big organizations. By maintaining a strong rapport and using discreet, swift methods, they can expedite processes and foster a more dynamic work environment.
• CMOs should try AI and work with tech experts: CMOs should join forces with CTOs on new initiatives such as the use of AI for marketing.

Focus on these principles to align marketing and IT

• Business transformation

  Collaboration between the CMO and CTO can drive business-wide transformation, fostering new revenue streams, enhancing company culture, and unifying the C-suite's vision.

• Tech stack alignment

  Both the CMO and CTO stress the importance of uniting their tech stack with a clear communication strategy to enhance the digital experience for end users.

• Shared accountability

  The CMO and CTO must share accountability for desired company outcomes and present a united approach to company goals.

• Product collaboration

  Involving the product marketing team in engineering discussions can create a compelling narrative, igniting the marketing team with the engineering team’s enthusiasm.

• Bridging the disconnect

  Misunderstandings between the engineering and marketing teams about each other’s roles can cause tension, highlighting the need for better mutual awareness to promote the product effectively.

• Driving innovation and growth

  The CMO and CTO should work together to bridge the disconnect between IT and marketing and drive innovation and growth for their organizations.

Solving differentiating goals: two case studies

Case Study 1

Challenge

A midsize SaaS company was facing issues with low net revenue retention (NRR). IT was releasing new features and changes without a communication process. Leadership meetings were contentious, with leaders blaming high call volumes on tech release problems.

Solution

• The CEO changed the bonus plan criteria for all executives to these KPIs:
  • NRR above 105%
  • Net promoter score of 35
  • Cross-functional project release plan/team implemented

Case Study 2

Challenge

An early-stage cybersecurity company was meeting growth goals. Then a new CTO joined and ran product releases independently of the marketing and CX teams. The resulting high call volumes and low customer satisfaction lead to product fails and leadership churn.

Solution

• All new product releases should be discussed with the leadership team. Work backward from customer communication plans, marketing plans, and the training needs of customers and employees.

Info-Tech’s methodology for marketing and IT alignment

Insight summary

Achieving growth and company goals through collaboration between IT and marketing

In today’s fast-paced marketing world, technology is a game changer and can unlock advantages such as high-speed innovation, data-driven decisions, and agility. Collaboration between CMO and CTO can lead to business transformation, tech stack alignment, shared accountability, innovation, and growth

Phase 1 insight

Successful collaboration between CTO and CMO depends on a common vision, which means having a clear sense of priorities, agreeing on targets, working on joint projects, and measuring outcomes with shared indicators. This enables ongoing learning between the two departments, resulting in a more efficient way of reaching business goals.

Phase 2 insight

CMO and CTO silos hinder product launches and martech adoption. Bridging this gap unlocks success. Collaborative planning, joint launch ownership, and streamlined martech processes create a unified force for winning rollouts and a marketing edge.

Tactical insight

IT can help marketing by understanding their goals and timelines.

Tactical insight

Marketing should use IT as an internal subject matter expert to help innovate new ideas faster.

Blueprint deliverables

Key Deliverable

Create Marketing and IT Alignment Presentation

A presentation by the CTO and CMO to convey plans to increase alignment and collaboration

CTO-CMO Alignment Survey

A tool to assess the current level of alignment between the CTO and CMO