Role Overview: IT Marketing Manager

The lack of marketing in IT is obvious when we take a look at the changes in how IT is perceived. Back in 2006 when Forrester asked how IT's perception had changed, 50% of the respondents stated that IT was viewed about the same as one year before. Forty-five percent said that the IT organization was viewed more positively than one year before, and they attributed this to improvements around processes, automation, and service management, which all certainly have impacted the perception of IT. However, IT always forgets to focus on the people aspect. We've seen a past emphasis on the business relationship manager, which is a necessary but insufficient role. We feel organizations need to go one step further and institutionalize the role of marketing. Enter the role of an IT marketing manager — sometimes referred to as an IT sales and marketing manager — which is a critical role responsible for developing and implementing an IT marketing plan to truly align IT with the business.