Best of Friends – A strong relationship between the CMO and the CIO may provide the keys to competitive advantage

Geeky. Cautious. Methodical. Those are just some of the words marketers use to describe their counterparts in the IT department. And technologists have a few choice words of their own for marketers: Flaky. Impulsive. Mercurial. No wonder the relationship between these two functions is traditionally strained. But like it or not, the geeks and the flakes face a growing need to work together, side by side.

Heeding the cry for greater accountability and rapid results, CMOs and their staffs are relying on technology as never before to achieve their goals. "There’s an urgency and a need for speed, accuracy and access to information," says Kim Feil, CMO at Sara Lee. "The first one to the best idea wins, and technology gives us that speed."

By Christopher Caggiano

Full Story: http://www.cmomagazine.com/read/110105/best_friends.html