What matters most in marketing is the quality of information that your organization has and the capacity to transform it into knowledge. For this use, among others, technology consolidated as the most import important resource after human resources.
Companies are making big inversions in technology to have more efficient marketing. Resources like CRM, ERP, mobile applications and control programs and development of strategies, are fomenting commercial results of much interest that justify these inversions. The development of modern marketing joins its destiny with technological development, reason why it’s very advanced developments in the last years that would be impossible without the achieved level of technology. Thus, every time there are more advances in technology for commercial purposes, the repercussion in marketing has a strategic impact and not only in digital marketing as we might think.
At the strategic level, many companies are consolidating mergers, alliances, joint ventures, patronages and even purchases of technology companies. This is causing situations of markets and of business partnerships of different profile than the one we appreciate a few years ago, and it is that marketing has been put in the hands of technology to get levels of excellence. However, the inclusion of technology and development of this in marketing departments is not an easy task. In fact, sometimes it creates many more problems than benefits. Bellow I make some management recommendations and related to the inclusion of technology in your marketing department:
- The technology has to reach the department to be used. Employees are reluctant to include in their repertoire of responsibilities the use as a work tool and it is part of the company to provoke the fulfillment of this responsibility.
- Make the most of the potential that technology offers. In a recent study we could conclude that the level of technological use of the companies does not reach 60% of the possibilities that this generates.
- Customize the technology for the objectives and characteristics of the organization. Standard technological solutions usually result in inadequate information, knowledge of the company and even the control that is intended. Any application, program or technological resource is not valid for any company, even if it intends a standard mission.
If technology does not "sell" it to the commercial department as an ally and treat it as such, it will become a very detrimental enemy to its interests.
- Everything discussed has no validity if marketing is not the center and concern of top management. If there are other priority interests in the direction that do not satisfy the client of the company, the technology will become an independent marketing function and of less repercussion.
Technology is presented as a clearly differentiating value for commercial results and many organizations are looking for their competitive edge at a higher technological level. Therefore it will be its development and level of innovation that will mark the way of marketing and its efficiency. Many companies start investing more in technology than in marketing, which indicates that two functions, until recently distanced, have become two necessary complements to reach the commercial objectives.
By: Jose Manuel Lauck