Digital marketing projects may be held back by structural disconnects between businesses’ marketing and IT teams. Research from the Robert Half Technology and The Creative Group found that 42 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) surveyed said their company does not have the structure to support the seamless integration between marketing and IT for digital marketing projects. Advertising and marketing executives were more optimistic, with only 24 percent saying the same.

The survey, which features responses from 2,500 CIOs in 25 metropolitan areas and more than 400 U.S. advertising and marketing executives, also asked respondents what their companies were doing to support a digital marketing strategy. In the top response, 47 percent of CIOs and 68 percent of creative executives said that they were tasking employees in IT and marketing to collaborate more closely. Bringing in talent with technical and marketing skills to focus on digital strategy and using outside digital marketing agencies were the second and third most common responses among both groups of respondents.

“Digital marketing requires close collaboration between cross-functional teams that view initiatives through different lenses,” says John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology. “Successful integration programs often entail bringing in people with new skill sets who can help bridge the gaps between the technology and marketing departments.”

Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group, says, “Many organizations benefit from creating cross-functional teams that blend full-time staff, consultants and freelancers to tackle digital initiatives. Doing so helps eliminate an 'us versus them' mentality and ensures everyone is working toward a shared goal.”

Click here for an infographic of the survey’s results.