| | May 20178CIOReviewSetting Direction in an Era of Continuous TransformationBy Robert Walden, CIO, EpsilonSetting strategic direction for an effective marketing plan has always been difficult. Aligning technology strategy with that marketing plan during one of the most disruptive, transformational times in modern history is an incredibly daunting task. We are operating in a world of unparalleled uncertainty and risk, yet performance expectations on every front are at higher levels than ever. We are collecting and processing data at volumes and rates that once seemed unfathomable, we are dealing with cybersecurity threats on a level of complexity and scale that once seemed possible only in science fiction, and we are trying to manage our people through a seismic shift in the way they are doing, and will do, their jobs.No matter the interaction, our primary goal as marketers and advertisers is to deliver the right content, to the right audience, in the right location, at the right moment. Ensuring the content is structured correctly, the audience has been properly identified, the location is accurate, and the timing is ideal has traditionally been the responsibility of the CMO or marketing function. Ensuring that the applications, workstations, servers, storage devices, network equipment, data centers, connectivity, and service providers are all available and performing as expected, to allow the CMO or marketing function to reach their customers in this way, has traditionally been the responsibility of the CIO or IT function.The two worlds have become inseparably bound, and determining where one function begins and the other ends continues to evolve and vary wildly from one organization to another. CMO's are becoming more heavily involved with technology decisions deeper into the application and infrastructure stack, and CIO's are becoming more savvy marketers. What has also become inseparable are marketing and technology strategies. Regardless of how the functions and roles define themselves, in the end we still need to ensure that Robert WaldenIN MY OPINION
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