In a previous blog post, we discussed how important a close relationship between IT and Marketing teams has become, and how the legacy relationship between the two teams is not as collaborative as it could be, due in large part to the significant support that Marketing typically requires from IT in order to be successful.
We listed three ways to draw these teams closer: selecting the right marketing platform, implementing it smartly, and optimizing the ongoing enhancement and support processes. In this post, we’ll dig deeper into why a customer data platform (CDP) is the best marketing platform to bridge the gap between Marketing and IT.
First, some background. A CDP is a data management system that provides a single, 360-degree view of the customer and continuously and automatically updates as new data becomes available. For marketers, here’s the cool part – a CDP is owned and manipulated by Marketing, not IT, and becomes the single point of truth about customers interactions with your brand. It provides a way for marketers to harness their customer data from every relevant source, regardless of format, and put that data to use.
A CDP Implementation Requires Marketing and IT to Collaborate
Even though a CDP is owned by Marketing, depending on the complexity of the implementation, IT may need to be involved and work closely with Marketing to:
· Identify the main stakeholders.
· Define the business and functional requirements.
· Specify ongoing administrative support.
· Plan for an end-user knowledge transfer process.
A successful implementation requires Marketing and IT to work together to identify the right requirements and come up with the best solutions. Working at cross-purposes will not allow the organization to get the most value out of the CDP.
A CDP Reduces Marketing’s Reliance on IT
Traditional IT-managed databases had a built-in resource bottleneck, and both marketers and IT have frustrating tales of endless information requests and delays. A CDP gives Marketing the ability to query their customer database without needing to know SQL, therefore reducing their reliance on IT. In addition, less time doing SQL queries for Marketing means that IT now has more time to focus on more impactful projects. The result? IT and Marketing can be friends again!
A CDP Allows Marketing and IT to Work Together to Move the Business Forward
Finally, Marketing and IT can work together with a CDP to solve advanced and challenging business problems, rather than being bogged down by small technical issues. Working together, a CDP can help eliminate internal data silos, personalize customer interactions, and drive real-time, dynamic customer journeys – thereby allowing the organization to better meet the demands of their customers and power revenue growth.
