Hamy Anthony Hai is charismatic, innovative leader with over 20 years’ experience in large technology. As a business centered CIO, Hamy A. Hai has a relentless focus on business alignment and value, partnering with CEOs and CMOs, creating a roadmap to achieve revenue and expense targets. In the following article, Hamy Hai discusses the relationship between business CIOs and CMOs in business, and how they are more aligned than previously thought.
As technology continues to play a greater role in marketing, the connection between Chief Information Officers and Chief Marketing Officers has become inextricably linked. Whereas in the past, the two positions played vastly different roles within the business, one must now work in tandem with the other to generate effective digital content, drive online sales, and transform storytelling into reality explains Hamy Anthony Hai.
By collaborating with each other, CIOs and CMOs can better support business objectives and effectively apply technology to improve sales. However, the inter-office partnership must happen intentionally and balance both the creative eccentricities of marketing with the analytic approach of information tech. Hamy Hai discusses below how these two divisions can better align and how their relationship can benefit a business.
Technology-Driven Digital Market Has Intertwined CIOs and CMOs
The Internet has brought the world closer together and given rise to a new digital landscape where businesses must market themselves. In order to stay afloat and ahead of the competition, Hamy Anthony Hai says that businesses must now employ big data and utilize cutting-edge technology to understand their consumers. This has resulted in a much closer relationship between the CIO and CMO.
In the past, the CIO was responsible for the back-end infrastructure while the CMO focused on the front-end, customer-facing activities. However, as the internet has become more integral to marketing, the two positions have become more intertwined, and the two divisions must now work together to create a cohesive digital strategy says Hamy A. Hai.
CIOs must now be able to provide the necessary infrastructure and support to handle the large amounts of data being generated by marketing initiatives. At the same time, CMOs must have a deep understanding of how technology can be used to reach and engage consumers.
Collaboration Must Be Intentional
In order to successfully collaborate, Hamy Anthony Hai says that CIOs and CMOs must first understand the strengths and weaknesses of each other’s departments. CIOs are often seen as analytical and process-driven while CMOs are seen as creative and customer-centric. However, both sides must be able to see the value in each other’s approach in order to create a successful partnership.
The key to collaboration is communication. CIOs and CMOs must be able to have open and honest conversations with each other in order to understand the business objectives and how technology can be used to achieve those objectives according to Hamy Hai.
It’s also important to note that collaboration must be intentional and not organic. In other words, CIOs and CMOs must make a conscious effort to work together instead of waiting for opportunities to arise. Otherwise, the differences between the two parties will act as a barrier but, by being proactive, the two sides can avoid silos and better support each other.
A Mutual Understanding of Roles Helps to Balance Tensions
CIOs and CMOs must also have a mutual understanding of each other’s roles within the company to balance the tensions that can often arise between the two departments. For example, CIOs must be willing to give CMOs the flexibility they need to be creative and experiment with new ideas. At the same time, CMOs must be willing to trust the CIOs to provide the necessary infrastructure and support.
Hamy Anthony Hai says that it is also important for CIOs and CMOs to understand that they are not competing with each other. Instead, they should view each other as partners with complementary skill sets. By working together, they can provide the business with a well-rounded perspective that incorporates both left-brain and right-brain approaches.
The Relationship Between CIOs and CMOs is Beneficial to Business
Hamy A. Hai explains that the relationship between CIOs and CMOs is beneficial to business because it allows for a more holistic approach to problem-solving. By collaborating with each other, they can provide a well-rounded perspective that accounts for both the creative and analytical sides of the equation.
This type of collaboration is essential in today’s technology-driven landscape where businesses must effectively utilize big data and cutting-edge technology. Only by working together can the two divisions effectively reach and engage consumers. On the CIO side, Hamy Anthony Hai says that analytics provide a foundation and technological framework for the CMO side to build a more targeted and intelligent marketing design.
The Bottom Line on CIO and CMO Alignment
Although the two positions were once seen as separate and specialized entities, CMOs and CIOs have become more aligned today than at any point in the past. As businesses have gone online, Hamy Anthony Hai says that tech-centered digital marketing has required creatives and computer scientists to work together in the same arena. But to be successful, the two divisions must collaborate intentionally and remain mindful of the other’s needs.
