In a recent survey by Teradata, one of their findings states that 50% of marketers say that marketing and IT are not strategic partners in their company. This disappointing result got me thinking back to a panel discussion with Atique Shah, Vice President Global Guest & Campaign Marketing at InterContinental Hotels Group, at the Teradata Big Analytics event in Atlanta.
One of the things Atique commented on extensively was the ownership of data and data access. He pointed out that the data does not belong to IT, nor does it belong to Marketing, it is an asset of the company that should belong to anyone. We talked some more about this last week and he gave some pretty interesting insights.
Not All Users Are Created Equal
As users clamor for more access, one of the biggest challenges is not understanding the data, and what users need, and what they can get out of it. In many cases, they think they know what they want, but they don't. That makes IT very sensitive – they need to know what you are solving for. Power users have specific needs for specific data, so it makes sense to open up that access. But for users who just want to get access and play around, they can forget it – they burn valuable hours and cycles.
Managing Use, Not Managing Data
The data belongs to whole organization, but who needs to police it? As Atique put it, it is like blood. It belongs to the whole body. Even pinkies and toes need access to the blood, not just the brain and the heart. It is generated as an asset. It is available as an asset. It is desirable to have a person or group that is dedicated to management of that asset and to the governance of the asset. Some organizations have established a Chief Data Officer. This role can report into CMO and CIO or COO. They own the policy, access and applicability, but not the management of the data. They are not the trucks on the road, but they are directing where those trucks (the data) go.
I asked Atique if these systems designed for marketing use? He said that in many cases they are not. And this is how he uses Alteryx - to extract, join and blend different datasets to get a picture of the entire customer interaction.
Bringing the CIO and the CMO Together
Atique often finds himself in the role of the glue between the CIO and the CMO. Because he understands both perspectives in terms of the need to access and to protect the data, and because he understands how to use the data effectively, he is able to drive real results that benefit both the CIO and the CMO. The ability to clearly express his goals and intentions, and his understanding of data issues, has made him someone who gets the access he needs in order to drive true understanding.
Brian Dirking Director of Product Marketing. |
Atique Shah Vice President Global Guest & |
