The Practical CIO: A Common Sense Guide for Successful IT Leadership

Chapter 8. Manage and Market the IT brand

Executive Summary

IT is a product and like any other product, it cannot speak for itself. That is where you, the CIO, come in. You must put a face on IT, you must explain to the world what IT does and how it creates value. In other words, you must sell IT. But before you can sell IT, you must learn how to market IT. To the amusement of your colleagues in the marketing department, you are likely to discover that marketing a complicated product such as IT is harder than it looks.

Telling the IT Story

Unless you have been stranded on a desert island for the past 80 years, you must have absorbed some basic understanding about marketing. Even if you have never taken a business course in college, you are doubtlessly aware of the significant role that marketing plays in modern societies. It does not matter whether you are living in a society that is based on capitalism, communism, socialism, or totalitarianism—marketing is an inescapable fact of daily life.

Most successful marketing strategies are built around a simple concept—the brand. Your brand defines what you are and what you have to offer. Your brand tells your story. Ideally, your brand inspires trust and confidence. It makes people want to keep coming back to you for more.

Your brand creates a sense of familiarity. It reduces the fear that most people instinctively feel when they confront something that is new or different. Your brand makes it easier for you to accomplish your objectives, especially ...