Abstract
Marketing information systems, scale, scope, and functionalities have grown due to the substantial rise of new technologies such as the internet, mobile devices, and social media. This chapter aims to analyse the impact of implementing a marketing information system to manage marketing business processes in a multinational organization. Interviews were carried out with organizations using the same marketing information system. The interview structure and its questions were based on the information system's evaluation model, which is extensively used in this area of research. The results obtained were relevant not only from a benefits analysis perspective, but also from a system quality perspective, information quality and service quality matter.
TopIntroduction
Marketing Cloud Platform (MCP) is a cloud-based tool used to manage marketing business processes, with new features being launched on a quarterly basis. This platform aims to provide a real time deeper understanding of customers, through key performance indicators (KPI) and marketing campaign measures. MCP helps businesses getting to know their customers and interact with them, by sending personalized and relevant marketing communications.
Deciding on a marketing information system implementation is a high investment for an organization from a resource, time and money perspective. However, there are many reasons and motivations for a marketing information system implementation, such as getting to better know and understand their consumer database, capturing consumer interactions with the organizations brand, increase sales and brand awareness, and improving relationships with customers, amongst others.
Specially in these days where business is changing faster than ever, it is essential to have an information system able to follow the required innovation within marketing processes. Based on the interest on those areas, decision was taken to analyse the impact of implementing a marketing platform on a multinational organization, especially considering the marketing department and their users.
However, in digital marketing there must be a balance between obtaining information from customers, in order to better serve them, and guaranteeing the security and privacy of their data (Figueiredo et al., 2021). Companies need to mitigate potential issues related to data security and privacy, balancing their desire for innovation and advantage with consumers’ expectations and ethical norms (Sestino et al., 2020).
From an academic and research community point of view, it is an added value to add more knowledge on the recognized benefits of using a marketing platform to manage marketing business process and being able to understand what users consider to be the key functionalities and benefits to support them running their daily activities.
The research question of this study is: What are the benefits of implementing a marketing information system to manage business processes?
Based on this matter, the main goals were defined for this research, based on Gorla et al. (2010) model to measure the impact of information systems in organizations. As far as we were able to find, there are no studies in which this model has been applied to marketing information systems.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Information System: Any system that manipulates data and generates information, using or not using information technologies, can be generically considered as an information system.
E-Mail Marketing: E-mail marketing is a powerful marketing channel, a form of direct marketing as well as digital marketing, that uses email to promote your business’s products or services. It can help make your customers aware of your latest items or offers by integrating it into your marketing automation efforts.
Marketing Business Process: Marketing business process is the series of steps businesses follow to promote their products or services to potential customers. It involves identifying the target audience, creating a marketing strategy, implementing the plan, and capturing customer value. Essentially, it's the process of making people aware of what a business offers and convincing them to buy it.
Digital Marketing: Digital Marketing is any and all marketing that rely on electronic devices, and in extension, the internet. It’s the group of activities that a company (or individual) performs online to attract new business opportunities, create relationships, and develop a brand identity.