Tai Bonfliglio — April 3, 2017 In conjunction with Scott Brinker of Chiefmartec.com, Lenati recently interviewed marketing executives from companies of all sizes in all stages of their MarTech maturity. The central theme we heard over and over again was that investing in right technology stack to drive near-term revenue objectives while planning for the future is difficult.
As we dug deeper, we found that the response to four critical questions separated the MarTeach leaders from the laggards.
Question 1. How do MarTech Leaders decide which MarTech bets to make?
The biggest shift recently for leading marketing executives is approaching the MarTech stack as a strategic capability and asset, instead of as a set of tactical tools or “shadow IT.”
MarTech Leaders start by:
- Treating your MarTech stack like an investment portfolio by balancing utilization with innovation and experimentation.
- Seeking out the right strategic partners to extend expertise and manage risk.
- Designing for change by having an exit strategy if the unforeseen happens.
Question 2. As MarTech Leaders make those bets, how do they maximize their value?
Buying technology is easy. Change management is hard.
MarTech Leaders start by:
- Establishing a vision that the organization can rally behind.
- Setting KPIs and short-term wins into implementation status to build momentum.
- Building out a communications plan that opens dialogue with employees at all levels of the organization.
Question 3. How do MarTech Leaders recruit, hire, & nurture the right team?
As MarTech programs become part of a team’s core responsibilities, marketing executives must ensure they are staffing the right mix of skills to ensure maximum utilization.
MarTech Leaders start by:
- Staffing the right mix of skills across the entire team and then build the right organization structure to ensure the knowledge transfer is as seamless as possible.
- Maintaining that strategy and the art of storytelling is still critical to grab attention and drive desired business objectives.
- Organizing teams for information sharing to ensure critical learnings are shared quickly and individual strengths are optimized.
Question 4. How do MarTech Leaders drive innovation & stay in front of what’s next?
Today, it is not only critical for marketers to stay abreast of the latest trends in MarTech, but they must also welcome open discussions with their peers.
MarTech Leaders start by:
- Getting creative in seeking out the insights needed to make the right decisions quickly.
- Empowering everyone to be responsible in the success of MarTech and hold those accountable within the learning stage to drive faster adoption.
- Networking and staying connected with other marketing leaders.
The infographic below supports the questions above with key data points and outlines additional tips for MarTech success. (More detailed research findings can be found here.)
For more detailed research findings, download “Marketing Technology as a Strategic Asset.”
[This article was originally published on MarTech Today.]
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