As we more closely examine digital convergence, we gain a better understanding of how emerging technology and the merging of media and content on single, accessible platforms is challenging the sense and sensibilities of  traditional marketing and communications industries. I find myself looking back at my own experience, having witnessed first hand how Digital Convergence broadened scope of responsibility for marketing departments, it’s also had a tremendous impact on the size and make up of a modern marketing team and infrastructure.

In five short years, the marketing and communications division for the large non-profit I worked for nearly quadrupled in size. Many of those new positions were added specifically to address new demands in areas like mobile marketing, social media, video and media production – all very heavily rooted in new media. While most of that growth in personnel was dedicated to strategists and creatives, we took a proactive approach by adding our own technical expertise as well.  However, this is where many marketing leaders miss the mark, failing to make the proper investment in technology. And even when they do, they leave the management and support of that technology to outside IT experts.

Gartner analyst Laura McLellan predicts that by 2017, chief marketing officers will spend more on IT than CIOs. – Jeffrey Bussgang, Working Knowledge

Digital Convergence demands that marketers pay much closer attention to technical infrastructure of their own divisions and form even stronger working relationships with their IT partners.  But, it is even more necessary that marketing chiefs close the gaps where typical IT divisions may not have expertise or even interest. While the cost of these creative technology solutions make them more accessible, adding new technology is not the sole answer. The role of creative technologist, now often called marketing technologist, has become a critical for marketing operations trying to maximize impact through the use of newer digital channels.  These specialists bring not only a technical expertise, but an understanding of the creative development and production process – allowing them to better serve the technological needs of marketing divisions.

But beyond the investment in technology and staff – the responsibilities of Chief Marketing/Communications Officer and Chief information Officer are merging into a new role -Chief Marketing Technologist. The CMT takes a holistic view of technology from the marketing perspective but with the expertise of a traditional CIO. Scott Brinker and Laura McClellan expand on this in their article, Rise of the Chief Marketing Technologist

What do you think? What’s the best approach for addressing the growing demands of digital convergence and the need for technological expertise in the communications and marketing space?