Not really. The title refers to the growth of BigLaw marketing relative to IT.
I was surprised to read Larry Bodine’s blog post More Marketers for Lawyers at Big Firms reporting that among the top 100 law firms, one marketing person serves 26 lawyers (a ratio of 26:1). One recent survey (unpublished) of 33 large law firms found that the average support ratio for IT staff is 11:1. The IT ratio has been steady for some time while the marketing ratio has grown.
Managers widely perceive that marketing can boost revenue, which probably explains its growth. IT can also grow revenues – see my post KM – The Right Question? proposing that CIOs analyze projects through the prism of which contribute to top line growth. For example, IT-driven projects such as relationship discovery or work force allocation systems can grow revenues.
Law firms should consistently assess how spending contributes – or not – to profits. Assuming that marketing does and IT does not is irrational. Of course, CIOs can help by presenting their budget and plans in a way that makes clear that infrastructure costs are not optional and other budget items can enhance revenue.