CMOpinion: Tech literacy as a marketer is non-negotiable

A Marketing dichotomy has unfolded over the past two decades. On one hand, the theory, principles and discipline remain stable, having stood the test of time. On the other hand, technological developments have significantly changed almost everything else…..the media mix, mental availability, our ways of working and have also cultivated a cheeky obsession with metrics. Whether we like it or not, factors exist out of our control that will continue to impact and change our operational environments. What shall we do about that?

I do not recall a time where this once unlikely intersection between Marketing and Information Technology (IT) has been more apparent—20 years ago, these two concepts were antagonists—today, they play in concert. In some ways, we could be entering the precipice of a chief marketing officer, chief information officer, and chief technology officer integration; could these roles come together one day? Whatever the future looks like, it is clear Marketing is becoming increasingly technical and as with most developments, these aspects are not covered in academia; we’re either learning on the job or researching whitepapers. So, rather than doing a Hail Mary and hoping your brand skills will get you through, here are three areas marketers should become familiar with if they’re going survive the 21^st century.

MarTech

I recently had a senior marketer pull me aside to ask what MarTech was. And while I was momentarily shocked (big props for asking though), I acknowledged that if you work in certain organisations, you might not be exposed to it. If you’re wondering the same thing, here’s my definition. MarTech, the abbreviation for marketing technology, refers to the software and tools marketers use to optimise their efforts and achieve business objectives—the latter could refer to anything from improving communications and customer experience, to maximising sales and revenue opportunities. It includes but is not limited to; CRM software, SEO tools, marketing automation software, social media management tools, eDM software, content creation apps, asset management portals, e-commerce platforms, and digital analytics tools. Assessing and selecting them can be overwhelming as there are literally almost 10,000 MarTech solutions currently available. While there is no need to use them all, it is a growing landscape, and it is unlikely there isn’t something available to make your life easier and more efficient. When you do go down this path and decide to purchase, guess which department you will probably need to help with installation and integration? That’s right, your trusty IT team! In some cases (business dependent), IT might even need to sign it off (not ideal but it happens). Take it from me, this is a much easier process if both teams speak the same language—the most important aspects you must comprehend and articulate and are the benefits the technology will deliver, and the data sets required. The lesson here is you don’t need to build the data architecture, but you need to be tech stack literate—understand your platforms, know how they communicate with each other and recognise there will be complexities, especially if legacy systems are involved.