There’s a chasm in every modern company. On one side is the traditional corporate IT department, backlogged with projects and inundated with “quick questions” while trying to stay proactive with new technology decisions on a limited budget. On the other, the marketing department, with more than double the budget, is hungry for holistic customer data and location analytics to fuel their strategies.
The bridge? WiFi analytics.
MSPs, Meet the Marketing Department
Traditionally, managed service and other IT solution providers built relationships with CIOs, or those that manage day-to-day operations. IT departments are the technology experts and therefore are consulted for any new project that another department deems technical. Due to the IT department time and budget constraints, many valuable projects may get thrown out or set on the infamous back-burner and never come to fruition.
Cloud computing and cloud storage have awakened every department’s desire for new solutions. It is not uncommon now for an HR executive to bring a talent management platform to the IT department. The message is clear: “I want this…make this happen for my team.”
And nowhere is this truer than the marketing department. Driven by creativity and fueled by data, if there’s a platform that would make their jobs easier or their strategies more effective, the marketing department wants it and will open up their budget to get it. Over 40% of the average marketing budget is used for marketing analytics. (source)
The desire now is to continuously collect, track and analyze omnichannel data. How often are guests visiting our venue? What are their first movements within our space? How does their on-location behavior mimic or differ from their online interactions? What promotions work online, versus on site? And, most important, how do we leverage all of these answers into better, more effective marketing strategies.
This is a golden opportunity for MSPs. The marketing department needs analytics, they have the budget to pay for it, and with a Smart WiFi solution, you have the platform that delivers.
It’s the next step in the “service” model, delivering value and solutions straight to the departments that need them. It’s a smart sales tactic, too, driving your sales efforts toward the stakeholders with the most pressing need and the biggest budgets.
Bridge the gap and deliver on the company’s true need by leveraging your existing relationship with IT clients to get in front of the CMOs and directors of marketing. This also means the marketing department’s budget can pull double-duty as an agent of needed infrastructure change.
WiFi Solutions Drive Infrastructure Change
Exponential growth and use of IoT devices are driving the need for more efficient WiFi technology, such as 802.11ax. Enterprises of all sizes need to look seriously at upgrading their infrastructure for cybersecurity and compliance measures as well.
Bringing solutions into the utilizing department — be it marketing, logistics, or human resources — uses their department dollars while increasing IT’s access to new technology.
By building a relationship with marketing leaders and empowering them to spend budget dollars on solutions that answer their need, MSPs can help the IT department reserve their limited budgets to redo infrastructure, so those smart marketing solutions can be used to their fullest potential.
