CMOpinion: Tech literacy as a marketer is non-negotiable
Regardless of which marketing school of thought you support, the requirement for marketers to be tech literate is no longer a choice, it is a baseline skill, writes Diana Di Cecco in her regular column for Mumbrella.
A Marketing dichotomy has unfolded over the past two decades. On one hand, the theory, principles and discipline remain stable, having stood the test of time. On the other hand, technological developments have significantly changed almost everything else…..the media mix, mental availability, our ways of working and have also cultivated a cheeky obsession with metrics. Whether we like it or not, factors exist out of our control that will continue to impact and change our operational environments. What shall we do about that?
I do not recall a time where this once unlikely intersection between Marketing and Information Technology (IT) has been more apparent—20 years ago, these two concepts were antagonists—today, they play in concert. In some ways, we could be entering the precipice of a chief marketing officer, chief information officer, and chief technology officer integration; could these roles come together one day? Whatever the future looks like, it is clear Marketing is becoming increasingly technical and as with most developments, these aspects are not covered in academia; we’re either learning on the job or researching whitepapers. So, rather than doing a Hail Mary and hoping your brand skills will get you through, here are three areas marketers should become familiar with if they’re going survive the 21st century.
MarTech
I recently had a senior marketer pull me aside to ask what MarTech was. And while I was momentarily shocked (big props for asking though), I acknowledged that if you work in certain organisations, you might not be exposed to it. If you’re wondering the same thing, here’s my definition. MarTech, the abbreviation for marketing technology, refers to the software and tools marketers use to optimise their efforts and achieve business objectives—the latter could refer to anything from improving communications and customer experience, to maximising sales and revenue opportunities. It includes but is not limited to; CRM software, SEO tools, marketing automation software, social media management tools, eDM software, content creation apps, asset management portals, e-commerce platforms, and digital analytics tools. Assessing and selecting them can be overwhelming as there are literally almost 10,000 MarTech solutions currently available. While there is no need to use them all, it is a growing landscape, and it is unlikely there isn’t something available to make your life easier and more efficient. When you do go down this path and decide to purchase, guess which department you will probably need to help with installation and integration? That’s right, your trusty IT team! In some cases (business dependent), IT might even need to sign it off (not ideal but it happens). Take it from me, this is a much easier process if both teams speak the same language—the most important aspects you must comprehend and articulate and are the benefits the technology will deliver, and the data sets required. The lesson here is you don’t need to build the data architecture, but you need to be tech stack literate—understand your platforms, know how they communicate with each other and recognise there will be complexities, especially if legacy systems are involved.
New technologies
Every industry has been impacted by the fourth industrial revolution—at the heart of it sits the Internet, connectivity, datafication and advanced technologies. There are aspects of development that we readily deal with today—predictive analytics, econometrics, device evolution, surveillance technology, edge computing, and hyper-automation, to name a few. We’ve had to learn how to launch, adopt and use these over time. There is a new generation of technologies coming, and in some businesses already here—I am referring to the use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, blockchain, robotics, and virtual/augmented reality—what do you know about these? If you have already been exposed, bravo. If you have not, at some point, you should start learning more about them, at the very least. Not in an effort to become a full-stack or data engineer—more so to become a better marketer. Advanced technologies will inevitably continue to disrupt how we do business—it is up to us to decide how well or poorly it hits. For example, when using AI for automated decision-making (which will become the norm), how familiar are you with managing algorithmic bias? Will you use a human rights framework with a focus on equality and non-discrimination? How will oversight mechanisms be applied? It can get complicated quickly so rather than be in catch-up mode, start to consider how (and when) new technologies might hit your industry.
New channels and platforms
Every now and then, new comes along— advertising software, social media platforms, search capabilities etc, and we all go wild for the latest thing. But do you or do you just nod and agree? Let’s use TikTok as an example. Have you used the platform? Do you know how it works as a user and/or as an advertiser? Do you know what information it collects and what access it has? Have you heard about the app’s excessive data collection and connections to mainland China, or do you know? How many ad types are available? What do they look like and which better suits brand vs tactical messaging? To answer most of these questions, you need to use the app and see for yourself. Same goes for AdTech—if you use a media agency, have them take you through it. You need not be proficient enough to run it, but it would pay to see how it works. POV: If the marketing budget was your own money, wouldn’t you want to know exactly how it was being spent? Same goes for voice search. Why wouldn’t every marketer assign a small budget to it and start collating the best evidence-based data for your category? You get my drift— be inquisitive.
There is something I am particularly proud of—I have never (and will never) be “that” marketer who says “I don’t have <insert new social platform>” because my ethos is to know exactly how things work. This applies whether the platform, app or something else, is one I advertise on or not—basically, I choose to open an account everywhere—I use it, I watch, I learn, I scrutinise ads. Try it—you don’t have to be active; you can simply observe. And if you’re concerned about being seen, I will let you in on my little secret; create an alias (or 10) so you can be “undercover.” You’re welcome.
One would need to be impaired at some level not to notice how digitisation has led to higher levels of technical sophistication—we live and breathe it every day. Despite my enthusiasm, I am not suggesting marketers need to become their IT counterparts or vice versa. But I do believe they need to be able to have more meaningful, tech-savvy conversations—I don’t think we’re there yet overall but hope that exposure to small explanations like this column, will help navigate marketers in the right direction. Perhaps the inner nerd in me is drawn to the technological advancements more than others—I own that. What concerns me is when marketers disregard or are disinterested in the tech. Newsflash—we don’t have a choice—get involved and never stop being curious.
Diana Di Cecco, The Fractional CMO @ Ministry of Mktg
Marketers should have wider media literacy in general. Your media budget will be your largest expense and you need to be able to explain to stakeholders why you are spending money on channels that will drive both long-term and short-term results. I’ve worked with marketers who are so obsessed with digital which steers them into only invest in activation tactics that will drive only short-term results but fail to grow their brand in the long-term. I think your time is better spent creating a clear strategy and writing better briefs for your agencies so they can help you deliver on your business objectives. If you already have a digital team or digital specialist on your marketing team then surely give them ownership of driving those in-depth conversations with agencies?
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