The one framework your CMO must share with your CIO
So many marketing solutions are available that it is very difficult for marketers, chief digital officers, and CIOs to have a holistic view of what they have, what they need and why. IDC has recently created a tool to help – The 2014 Strategic Framework for Marketing Technology. This tool provides a visualization of the different technologies needed to support different marketing organizations no matter how small or large, digital or non digital, modern or not. Pictured below is the whole map which presents solutions in four broad categories:
- Interaction: The primary function of these solutions is to be customer facing
- Content: The primary function of these solutions is to facilitate the production and management of marketing content
- Data and Analytics: The primary function of these solutions is to store and produce insights from customer, operations, and financial data
- Management and Administration: The primary function of these solutions is to provide internal communications, workflows, budgeting and expense tracking.
IDC’s Strategic Framework for Marketing Technology
v1.0 = 78 categories
We have found that the complexity of technology requirements can be defined around a few factors:
- Company size
- Business model (eComm, B2C, B2B direct, B2B indirect)
- Vertical industry
- Mission of marketing (awareness, demand generation, etc.)
Using these factors, the map can be easily customized to show the current state, recommended next steps, and long term vision for just about any marketing organization. If you’re a pure eCommerce company the advertising and digital commerce areas will be much more important and sales enablement would disappear. If you’re a B2B direct company digital commerce might be a very low priority and sales enablement would loom large in your plans. Regardless of whether you’re CPG, Health Care, Financial Services, startup or global enterprise, we can build a map to get your marketing, IT, and executive teams on the same page with respect to your marketing technology requirements.
For more information on our framework and the services we offer around it, please contact me at gmurray (at) idc (dot) com.