Over the past few months, I have been involved in an inordinate number of conversations with retailers about the marketing implementation of new technology. And I have noticed a distressing trend – the technologists seem to think that they can make all of the marketing decisions on the fly. Now don’t get me wrong – I know that the technologists are critical when it comes to adopting new technologies – without them we would all still be using mechanical cash registers – but I need to speak up for the marketers and suggest that they do need to have a significant place at the table when new technology is being discussed.

And that place at the table is very specific – marketers need to be the voice of the consumer in the room. Marketers need to be oriented to understanding how consumers think and understanding what they want. And marketers need to be the advocate for the consumer when new technology is being considered. The role is very specific and very important.

Technologists are good at evaluating technology from two important perspectives – is it different and will it work. And clearly, no new technology should be adopted unless it works and provides a difference. But marketers provide a third, critical perspective – does it matter? Will consumers care about the new technology? Will the new technology fundamentally improve their experience as customers of the store?

Technologists tend not to ask that sort of question, and it is appropriate that they NOT ask these questions, because they do not have experience understanding those questions. But someone needs to ask these questions, and that is the marketer. And it is why marketers need a place at the table when new technology is being evaluated and considered.

Please do not take this comment as an attack on technologists – they are central to the process of new technology adoption – but they should resist the temptation to act alone. Before new technology is implemented, retailers need to think about how consumers will be affected and how they will benefit – and it is the marketer who is skilled at making those evaluations