ITSMA Research Shows that Technology Marketers with Strategic Responsibilities Have a More Significant Impact on the Business

Key findings will be explored at ITSMA’s Annual Marketing Conference on November 15-16

LEXINGTON, Massachusetts—October 30, 2006—New research from ITSMA shows that services and solutions marketers who have responsibility for offer development, portfolio management, charting business strategy, and ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty have more impact on the business than those who focus primarily on generating awareness and creating and communicating thought leadership.

Fifty-three marketers from ITSMA member companies, including Accenture, Cisco, EMC, HP, IBM, Nokia, Tata Consultancy Services, Unisys, and Xerox, participated in the study. When asked to indicate the overall impact of their marketing organization on the success of the business, 34% of the respondents said their impact is significant; 64% indicated that they have “some” impact.

How Can the Marketing Department Have More Impact on the Business?

• Develop new offers. Of those whose marketing departments are having a significant impact on the business, 100% claimed that marketing either takes a leadership role or is a primary contributor to developing new offers. In comparison, only 57% of those whose departments have some impact on the business made the same claim.
• Manage the portfolio. Eighty-nine percent of the marketers who have a significant impact on the business said their department either takes a leadership role or is a primary contributor to managing the portfolio. Only 53% of those who have some impact do the same.
• Chart business strategy. Ninety-five percent of the respondents reporting significant impact on the business either take a leadership role or a primary contributor to charting business strategy. 57% of those reporting some impact on the business made the same claim.
• Ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty. Sixty-seven percent of those who have a significant impact on the business either take a leadership role or are a primary contributor to ensuring customer loyalty. Meanwhile, only 34% of those who have some impact on the business do the same.

“This new data confirms something we at ITSMA have been talking about for quite some time,” said Dave Munn, president and CEO of ITSMA. “Marketing departments that have responsibility for more strategic activities such as offer development and portfolio management bring greater value to the business than departments with a narrower focus on communications work.”

Full Research Results to Be Unveiled at ITSMA’s Upcoming Conference

The results of this study will be made public at ITSMA’s Annual Marketing Conference, Driving Value: Marketing’s Advancing Role, on November 15 and 16 at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA. Along with a featured presentation by ITSMA president and CEO Dave Munn, the conference will highlight a panel of marketing executives from SAP, Xerox, and Cognizant that will further explore the study implications.

In addition, the conference will feature a keynote speech from Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator’s Dilemma, and case study presentations from AT&T, CA, IBM, HP, Satyam, and more.

For more information about the conference, visit www.itsma.com/conference.

For more information about the research, contact us at 781-862-8500 or info@itsma.com

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ITSMA specializes in helping companies market and sell services and solutions more effectively. We work with the world's leading technology, communications, and professional services providers to generate increased demand, strengthen customer relationships, and improve brand differentiation. ITSMA annual program clients include business leaders such as Avaya, BT, Cisco, Deloitte, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, and Tata Consultancy Services, among others. Our comprehensive research, consulting, and training on topics including ITSMA Account-Based Marketing℠, Brand Positioning, and Solutions Development provide the insight and experience companies need to improve business results. ITSMA is based near Boston, and has offices in London and Tokyo. Learn more at www.itsma.com.