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Match the right people, processes and technology in marcoms and your business can “really fly”.
But beware that you don’t move too quickly, build a disjointed system and create a ‘Frankenstack’!
That’s the view of Eric Jan C. van Putten, Vice President of Marketing at Dynamicweb, a leading e-commerce and digital experience management software provider to the mid-market and enterprise.
Integration can be risky – take time to build better systems
With technology having become more cost-effective and accessible over the last decade, integration can now be risky, Eric explains in an exclusive iResearch Thought Leader’s Voice podcast.
If you are not careful, the marcom stack – a set of technology tools that enable you to meet your -marketing goals as efficiently as possible – can become disjointed and disparate. Before you know it, you stack together ill-matching hardware and software and you have made a Frankenstein’s monster of mis-matched systems – or ‘Frankenstack’, as Eric calls it.
He tells iResearch’s Editorial Director, Rachael Kinsella, that as well as great business benefits, there are dangers in the rapid integration of marketing and technology.
“I absolutely love marketing technology, and how technology can help you drive business results – and those two don’t always go together.
“Although on the one hand, it really sounds fantastic that the ease of integration has grown, there’s actually a tremendous risk in that, because it’s so easy to add technology to the marketing technology stack and the martech stack and as more departments do it, before you know it you really create a Frankenstack and there are quite some dangers in that.”
The risk is that as individual systems are updated, the integration breaks down and you not only have to repair the system, but you have the added problem of missing revenue targets.
“If you are able to invest and have a strategic approach to get what you need and slowly build out from there you might actually not need 20 solutions talking to each other,” Eric says. So invest the time and the effort wisely in building that gradually and not trying to run before you walk.
People, Process and Technology: driving business value
“I’m a big fan of methodology related to people, process and technology. When you combine that trifecta, it is how technology can be successful – if you have the right people, but certainly the right process – it is a combination that will ‘make things fly.’”
Building effective marketing communications systems is not about having and applying the latest cool innovations, it is rather how technology can help drive business value.
“It is about a combination of driving value and it is about trying to drive that positive experience with your brand – and every person, every technology, every touchpoint can contribute to that.
“Just because you’ve heard that it might be a good idea, if it doesn’t apply to your business and if it doesn’t apply to your client base then leave it, because it still takes your time – it still takes your resources – and time is limited; let alone the cost of the headaches and the frustration.”
Marcoms can push value by knowing their customer and employing specific targeting, says Eric. “If you can have your message fit to the receiver, your click rates, number rates, open rate will absolutely get a very positive uptick definitely.“
Technology and marketing
Eric has a background in both technology and marketing and he believes that marketers benefit by having a solid understanding of technology.
“Technical-savvy marketers are absolutely growing – and there are plenty of people out there that can do a heck of a lot more than I can do – but at the same time, it is the ability also that gets you value -being able to speak the business language and knowing what is technically feasible.”
It was always wise to build to scale and keep your business goals in mind. “Almost anything is doable, but does it also make sense. And then build the priorities. And you need the right organisation for that. You need buy-in from the involved parties. You need to invest, to some degree. And you need to be able to translate why you are integrating your website into your CRM via this and that solution instead of just emailing stuff into your CRM.
“You need to be able to explain why you want to have this customer database gathering clicks, marketing information, views on the website, your CRM touchpoints for your sales – to build that 360-view. Because hopefully not many company owners/CEOs/leaders will have you spend tremendous amounts of time, making investments left and right, to get a really cool technical system. No one really cares about that unless it can be applied to get those insights.”
Secrets of marcoms success
Eric highlighted some secrets of success for marketers. The first is to be curious. “Try stuff out. Read. Make mistakes. Attend that extra meeting. Take a sales meeting with someone trying to sell you something. See what your market or your expertise is developing in. Stay curious.”
The second is to put in the effort and hustle. “I’m not saying to anyone that you have to work 60 hours a week, but do hustle, because if you are able to really hustle and work hard and put your back into stuff the results do speak for themselves. You are able to move mountains extra in that half an hour after everyone else has shut down their computers.
Then it is important to focus and prioritise – and always to view everything through the ‘commercial lens’.” Be crystal clear about that. which actions really matter and make the difference what drives the needle. I tell my team members is to focus on better and exactly what it means; tons of traffic – great! Tons of traffic from students – not great! More awareness – great! Awareness on the wrong audience – not great!” So whatever better means, focus on doing better.
“There’s a lot to gain when applying technology in the right way. There is a lot of opportunities ahead. It’s a fun world out there. There are endless possibilities. You can build almost whatever you want, but because you can, the big question is should you?
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