Digital White Papers

27 WWW.ILTANET.ORG | ILTA WHITE PAPER MARKETING TECHNOLOGY The Evolving Role of Marketing accurately measure output will continue to be a focus in the coming years. This reliance on marketing team data will become more and more important when making decisions for the future. My role has shied a bit in recent years to one where I have more responsibility and focus on data management. There's been an increased focus on consolidation – making everything work together and finding ways to leverage existing data across multiple systems in order to generate opportunities and reporting so that we can make sound business decisions. It's no longer good enough to just have the tools up and running – now it's imperative to optimize our stack. I'm also inherently responsible for marketing data when it comes to compliance with the data regulations that have gone into place recently. How are all marketing positions changing with technology? Regardless of your role within marketing, it's nearly impossible to avoid technology. You now need some form of marketing soware in order to support your daily responsibilities, this could be as simple as sending an invitation for an event or as complex as building a microsite for a firm client. Savvy marketing and business development folks have seen this move towards analytics and big data, and are embracing it as an opportunity to pull up a seat at the table with our partners by JW PA SB identify trends, recommending specific courses of action, and tracking progress. Even within traditional marketing activities, you see this exhibited in more sophisticated email campaigns, targeted events, and promotional use of distribution channels. If something isn't providing ROI, there is more willingness to pivot and not do things the same old way they've always been done – and it's the technology behind that data which enable those decisions to be made with low risk. We are in the midst of a significant advancement in technology. A lot has already been wrien about the potential impact that the likes of AI will have in the legal space. It has the potential to revolutionize working practices and create real efficiencies. The theme of efficiency is where I see the biggest impact with marketing positions. We're increasingly asked to do more and more and need to be smarter about how we go about meeting objectives. Tools such as workflow management, campaign management and analytics (to name just a few) aid this effort and the requirement for marketing/BD professionals, of all disciplines, to be more technologically savvy will increase exponentially. How do you help your department adjust to new technology and change? Training is key. When we implement a new soware or make considerable enhancements to an existing system, I schedule several in-depth training sessions for our team. This allows TL PA SUNNY BANE Sunny Bane is the Director of Marketing Operations at DLA Piper, one of the largest law firms in the world. She oversees marketing-related technology, manages the department budget, and develops tools and programs designed to support the strategic growth and business objectives of the firm. A certified Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma, she is a frequent speaker on how legal marketing technology can create efficiencies and drive new business for law firms.

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