CMO Advisory Best Practices Series: Marketing Shared Services

This IDC study provides an assessment of the current state of marketing shared services - analyzing the methodology, strategy, process, and technology involved in marketing shared services organizations as well as identifying industry best practices. Case studies from study participants are provided, as well as data results from IDC research and shared services process frameworks. The results of this study are based on interviews with marketing and shared services professionals in major technology companies, including Oracle, Microsoft, SAS, IDG, and Tektronix. Insights are also included from IDC's recent Marketing Operations Leadership Board meeting and IDC's annual Tech Marketing Benchmarks and Barometer Surveys.

"While the concept and value of a shared services model is fairly well known in finance, IT, and human resources, this model remains in its infancy across marketing organizations," said Seth Fishbein, senior analyst, IDC's CMO Advisory Service. "Vendors are beginning to recognize that leveraging a shared services model across the marketing organization offers the opportunity for improved service delivery, greater economies of scale, greater concentration and leverage of expertise, and more rapid and effective program/campaign execution. One of the key success factors for marketing, particularly in this downturn, is to identify those activities that are prime suspects for a shared services model (i.e., finding the duplicative marketing costs)." This book may contain less than 24 pages of technical content.