More than 100 services marketers representing a broad cross-section of
top technology firms gathered at ITSMA's ninth annual MarketingServices
conference October 14-16 to review the state of the field and explore
new strategies and tactics to generate profitable growth in 2003.
Assuming only a modest technology spending rebound next year, conference
participants delved deeply into the implications of a slow growth future
for IT services. In this context, said ITSMA president and CEO Dave Munn,
the top challenges for services marketers in 2003 are to move beyond the
crisis and cutback mode of the past year and a half, and to orient marketing
more fully around the business value of IT solutions.
As conference speakers and participants discussed "marketing's new
reality," five objectives for 2003 emerged:
- Ensuring brand relevance
- Demonstrating business value
- Improving marketing communications
- Aligning marketing and sales
- Justifying the value of marketing
Marketers are confident that despite the myriad pressures and constraints
they're facing internally and externally, they can make substantial strides
in the coming year to build more effective and value-oriented organizations.
The IT market might be maturing, as Dave Munn noted, but there remain
tremendous opportunities for firms that put forward compelling solutions
to customers' core business challenges.
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