As we wrap up our M.A.R.T.E.C.H. metamorphosis, we are reminded that marketing technologists are serving others.  The “H” in MarTech is hero, as in, make somebody else look like a hero.  You are NOT designing incredible campaigns, writing great content, or creating awesome products that solve market problems, that is not your role.  Marketing technologists are advising, guiding, enabling, informing and powering these decisions by supporting the teams that create all that amazing stuff with technologies that execute marketing functions at scale.

Culture may be near the end of our M.A.R.T.E.C.H. competency framework but it is absolutely the foundation for a marketing technologist to be successful. I attended the WorldBlu Freedom at Work Summit in Miami and you need to look no further for cultural direction than the environment that WorldBlu has created.  Traci Fenton has been helping transform cultures using organizational democracy since 1997.  Marketing technologists would thrive in freedom and the WorldBlu 10 principles of organizational democracy provide a structure to advance our “C” in the M.A.R.T.E.C.H. competency framework.  

As we continue shaping our M.A.R.T.E.C.H. competency framework we find ourselves in need of an entrepreneurial spirit for marketing technologists to be most effective.  The entrepreneur competency in MarTech is again, a metamorphosis that is attainable if we put forth the effort to make it happen.  A marketing technologist needs to have an entrepreneurial-like ownership with a passion and pride to make sure things run properly.  The following are 6 traits shared by entrepreneurs and marketing technologists.

How much technical knowledge do we need as part of our M.A.R.T.E.C.H. competency framework? A range of technical expertise lies somewhere between your parents think you're really good at technology stuff and you can operate the quintillion supercomputer. Fear not, on this spectrum it is much closer to what your parents think of your technology savviness. I think about my own career journey from understanding printed-and-bound matter to marketing technology as a way to advance your technical competency in the interest of your metamorphosis into a marketing technologist.

Advancing our resourcefulness is part of our M.A.R.T.E.C.H. competency framework because you are not alone on your quest for more money and more people. Since more money and more people may not be coming anytime soon and you still need to reach your goals, a progression in your resourcefulness will serve you well.

Our M.A.R.T.E.C.H. competency framework requires agility. When we talk about agility in this sense we are referring to a methodology and not just the ability to move quickly. The agility of our marketing efforts and supporting cast will help on our metamorphosis to the marketing technologist role. Just as we offered some practical applications of advancing marketing competencies, we offer a few practical applications of advancing agile methodologies in the marketing world.

As we identify with the previously disclosed M.A.R.T.E.C.H. competency framework and agree this is a way to advance our knowledge, we need to figure out how to make this practical within the workplace. Let’s flutter to the first MarTech competency, or the M in M.A.R.T.E.C.H., to figure out what things we can do to advance marketing knowledge.

All this talk about a mythical creature relating to the role of a marketing technologist may make it seem like this role is untouchable. Fear not, being a marketing technologist is absolutely within your grasp; it’s less of a unicorn and more of a butterfly. However, this professional metamorphosis requires a set of competencies to guide us. 

OPEN LETTER

Widen Is Adding Qualified Digital Asset Managers to Growing Team

Dear Digital Asset Enthusiast,

Your unending quest to organize marketing content is met with great appreciation across the digital asset management (DAM) community and beyond. You create beauty within the digital asset experience by establishing engaged marketing and creative teams, meaningful metadata, educated user communities and a constant analytics stream that informs future digital asset decisions.

When relationships end, it’s tough for both parties. An emotionally difficult time; usually hardest for the one that hears those soft-but-harsh words, “it’s not you, it’s me.” As much as you may not like to be on the receiving end of that statement, it’s true. You’re just not qualified to be in a relationship with us and it’s better that you know that now.