A Common Vision for IoT
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CMO TRENDS
Michael Voellinger
Principal Executive, IoT Scorecard
We all know both IT and marketing have been “disrupted” relentlessly for the better part of 25 years, and it’s accelerating. We also know the endless reams of prose about the massive disconnect between IT and marketing, driven by all of this rapid change. As a long-time marketer and passionate technology advisor, I have always believed the argument is miscast. And after spending the last few years helping clients leverage the ClearBlade Novi platform to drive new opportunities in their business, my belief has been confirmed.
“A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
- Dr. Grace Murray Hopper, US Navy Rear Admiral, developer of COBOL
It’s clear we need to collectively rethink how we’re using the tools and technology we have today, and how they map to the mission we’re trying to achieve. It’s not the IT-marketing relationship that’s broken or misaligned, more often it’s the context and desired solution. And paramount to working towards a solution is a real foundation shared by marketing and IT: strategies, systems, data and opportunity all working together - and centered on the customer.
That’s a tall order when you consider the drag of legacy infrastructure; rogue IT, changing customer expectations, unruly startups and the pace of new technology. Here’s the short list of key points and concepts I use with our clients and partners, aimed at helping to flush out a better strategy and new foundation:
Accept that you don’t control change
Yesterday it was the Internet, mobile apps and social. Today? The Internet of Things. Beyond that, who knows. What I do know is every generation of change puts the business further away from controlling the forces that will shape the future of that business. Both IT and marketing need to reflect this in strategy, organization and execution. Think about this point in terms of evolving the disruptive cycles:
Weave a strong fabric of integrations
What marketing or IT builds today will quickly be outdated; we’re not striving for an “end game” anymore. The solutions and services we build need to be treated as puzzle pieces rather than a completed picture, and integrations lie at the heart of building a foundation that yields a competitive business. Build systems, data structures, apps and more that natively share and use open standards, decreasing the complexity of adoption and making them valuable over longer periods of time. It’s the bedrock of competitive advantage.
Make data the priority
No matter what type of business you’re engaged in, data is the key now and in the future. And this means more than just “big data” and all the great buzzwords that surround it. This means seeing the capture, analysis and sharing of data as the core value and requirement for any technology or customer experience investment.
Innovation as a shared responsibility
Unless you’re a scientist, nothing exciting happens in a vacuum. Span of control, ownership of process and budget, and other classic obstacles need to be aligned across the customer journey and experience – not org charts. Organizations doing this well are quickly capturing new opportunities and revenue, while laggards are falling behind.
What’s happening in your organization? We’d love to hear from you, and continue the conversation about innovation and the journey of your business.
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