The evolving power dynamics between Marketing and IT
As digital transformation accelerates, the lines between marketing, technology, and business strategy are blurring. Today’s digital leaders must be part technologist, part content strategist, and part marketer. But with talent shortages and rising expectations, many are carving out their own IT domains to get things done.
The Shift: From IT Ownership to Digital Autonomy
Traditionally, IT owned everything technical – software, hardware, networks, communications, and support. In the late 1990s, this expanded to include bespoke applications, web platforms, and enterprise architecture.
But now, marketing and digital teams are driving the agenda. They’re under pressure to:
- Leverage data
- Launch new platforms
- Expand across digital channels
- Deliver measurable outcomes fast
And IT? Often, it’s struggling to keep pace.
The Tension Between Marketing and IT
From our experience delivering digital transformation projects client-side, we’ve seen this tension firsthand. CMOs, Marketing Directors, and Boards are demanding agility, innovation, and speed – while IT is still bound by legacy systems, risk aversion, and resource constraints.
Gartner predicted that by 2017, CMOs would outspend CIOs on technology. That prediction has come true.
And it’s not slowing down:
67% of marketing functions plan to increase their tech-related spend over the next two years.
Who Controls the Digital Platforms?
As marketing digitises – not just in channel, but in process – control over digital platforms becomes a battleground.
Digital managers are increasingly:
- Procuring their own tools
- Building internal tech teams
- Managing platforms independently of IT
This creates agility – but also fragmentation.
The Rise of Hybrid Talent
The real challenge? Finding professionals who can bridge the gap.
We need a new breed of talent—people who understand:
- IT infrastructure
- Software and application development
- Marketing strategy and execution
But are our universities, colleges, and industry bodies equipping professionals with these hybrid skills? Not fast enough.
The Glue Between Executive and IT
Professionals with cross-functional expertise are becoming the glue that holds digital delivery together. They help:
- Marketing leaders adopt and optimise emerging tools
- CIOs and IT teams prioritise requests and manage resources
- External providers align strategy and technical delivery
Final Thought
Digital managers aren’t building fiefdoms out of ego – they’re doing it out of necessity. Until organisations rethink how they resource and govern digital, this divide will continue to grow.
