Landmark Study Reveals Influential Internet Strategists as Emerging Hybrid of Marketing and IT Disparity Exists between Influence of Internet Marketing and Recognition and Funding for Top Web Execs, Key Initiatives
Friday, 30 June 2006
A new survey of in-house corporate Internet strategists reveals a unique and emerging role that is a hybrid of marketing and IT disciplines, has the knowledge and skills of both and is increasingly positioned between those departments.
The study, conducted by the Internet Strategy Forum (ISF) in conjunction with Aquent, shows that the majority of Internet strategists have a professional background in either traditional marketing (31%) or traditional IT (29%). The majority of companies still drive Internet strategy out of the marketing department (58%) while the data shows a reduced role for IT (4% drive Internet strategy, down from 7% in 2005). However, 20% of companies have a stand-alone department that drives Internet strategy, an emerging trend.
The data comes via the ISF's second annual "Corporate Internet Strategist Survey," an in-depth look at a relatively young profession compared to traditional marketing and IT. The respondents, mostly ISF members, are the wizards behind the curtain of corporate web sites, online products and e-marketing initiatives that consumers and business people interact with every day. They translate business objectives into actionable strategies that leverage the Internet for maximum impact. Detailed results will be announced at the ISF's Executive Summit on July 13th in Portland, Ore.
"The new paradigm on the Internet is that interactive applications define brand experience for the customer. It's not just about design and content anymore," said Steve Gehlen, founder of the ISF. "The implication is that the practice of relegating design and content to the marketing department, with IT separately in charge of interactive applications and Internet production tools, needs to change. A hybrid approach is required in order to be competitive in today's marketplace. The ISF was created in part to facilitate dialog between marketing and IT to address this shift. The inter-disciplinary speaker roster at our Executive Summit event is a great example of that."
The opportunity in marrying these two disciplines is significant. A recent poll conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project (Internet Penetration and Impact, April 2006) shows that Internet penetration has reached 73% for American adults, up from 66% in January 2005. Also, in a survey of top marketing executives by WebTrends (2006 CMO Web-Smart Report, March 2006), 56% see the Web as the hub of their marketing strategy or that it will become the hub within the next year. Yet, another key finding of the ISF study is that Internet strategists face significant challenges in attaining the visibility, funding and staffing necessary to accomplish their mission.
"Many companies may need to recalibrate how they think about and fund Internet initiatives." said Gehlen. "When the dot-com bubble burst, many in-house corporate Internet groups suffered reduced budgets, staff, salaries and job title levels. The importance and usage of the Internet has grown significantly since then, but many companies have not kept pace with these changes by increasing their investments in Internet strategy. The risk is losing ground to competitors with a more savvy approach."
The ISF study suggests that companies should place a higher value on hybrid Internet strategy and increase funding for Internet resources and initiatives in a way that aligns with new customer realities. This is especially important in preparing to do business with "Generation I," young people for whom the Internet is woven into the fabric of everyday life.
To receive the full report once available, or to access last year's 2005 Corporate Internet Strategist Report, visit www.internetstrategyforum.org/research.