8. How Should IT Interact with Marketing?
What we saw in 2011: “There will need to be, if not a merging of IT and marketing roles, certainly a more collaborative and trusting relationship between the two areas.”
What happened in 2012? The consumerization trend only made the marketing and IT relationship more important during the past year. Technology-driven customer experience is becoming a priority in all lines of business, suggests Sarah Pang, senior VP, corporate communications at Chicago-based commercial carrier CNA, and driver of the company's digital initiative. "Commercial lines clients can have the same expectations as personal lines customers and if not today, they will tomorrow," Pang says. "We are 100 percent committed to independent agents and brokers, and it’s about making experience better for both producers and their clients."
CNA's digital strategy marries insurance processes digital non-financial, non-insurance best practices, Pang relates. CNAA has identified key digital personas with whom the company interacts and has crafted and rigorously tested customer experiences suited to them. Pang stresses the need for personalization and explicit recognition of an ongoing relationship with the individual customer. "Creating an experience on par with what customers experience in other interactions is important for today and positions you for what’s next," she elaborates. "It becomes annoying if you don’t recognize people who deal with you, and that’s just going to become more important."
This component was contributed by Anthony O'Donnell.
