Who Manages MarTech: IT or Marketing?

After finishing a consulting assignment, I took time to reflect on some valuable insights into the debate over who should manage marketing technology, or "MarTech." Should IT, with its technical expertise, be in charge, or should the marketing department, which uses these tools daily, take the lead?

Who’s in Charge?

Marketing technology is now crucial to any marketing strategy. Marketing teams depend on MarTech to send emails, manage social media, and create engaging content for customers. While marketing knows its goals, IT often understands how these technologies work.?

As companies shift towards digital-first strategies, providing a great customer experience becomes a top priority. This responsibility often falls on marketing teams, who manage customer interactions through content and communication channels. However, the complex tools they use, like CRMs and social media analytics, require technical know-how, which traditionally resides within IT departments.

The Skills Gap

In my final assessment for my client, I highlighted a skills gap in MarTech expertise within both their marketing and IT teams. This gap is mainly due to the rapid growth of MarTech and the digital transformation of marketing in recent years.

As a MarTech expert, I’ve seen how technology evolves so quickly that there is often a skills gap as people struggle to keep up with new tools and systems. This raises the question: Should IT take over MarTech because of this gap?

Marketing Takes Charge

Despite the skills gap, I found that having marketing in charge of MarTech reflects a shift from past trends, indicating that marketing's role and influence are growing.

In the early days of the internet, IT held more control because websites fell under their domain. However, as digitally savvy generations moved into influential positions, the balance shifted towards marketing.

The Need for Collaboration

Using MarTech effectively can be challenging, as noted by a guest on a recent podcast from TheAssociation.ai. These systems require expertise, and marketing has yet to invest sufficiently in developing this expertise. I compare it to accounting: accountants need time and training to master financial systems, and the same should be true for marketing technology.

Since marketing teams are the ones who use these tools daily and are accountable for the outcomes, they must develop the skills and knowledge to use MarTech effectively. Marketing also needs a say in choosing the right technology, as the tech stack’s effectiveness is crucial to the strategy.?

Finding a Balance

A leader with the right experience can foster a collaborative approach, suggesting a healthy balance between IT and marketing. With MarTech impacting multiple teams across an organization, collaboration is essential.

I emphasize that MarTech’s strategy shouldn’t belong solely to IT or marketing. It requires collaboration across teams, including IT, marketing, and others. Marketing often manages the customer experience, while IT handles compliance, data privacy, and security.

Cooperation between IT and marketing is crucial, often facilitated by a marketing technologist. This role bridges the gap between marketing strategies and technical understanding, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.?

Upskilling is Key

To maximize tech investments, marketers need to enhance their MarTech knowledge and skills. Organizations should also invest in training to bridge skills gaps and empower marketers to achieve their goals with the tools at hand. Ultimately, managing MarTech requires a blend of marketing insight and technical expertise, supported by ongoing collaboration and education.

Is your marketing leadership ready for this shift?