IT Aligning with Marketing

Do you want a successful IT department? You had better align with every department that you support. A successful IT department should never stand in the way of the success of any department.

With that said, from the tone of your question, it sounds like the marketing department is maybe doing something stupid. A better approach might be to ask the Marketing Manager (or sales manager, or whoever) HOW you can better support the marketing department if they are doing .... whatever.

Its probably a political mess that you will rather avoid than to get in the middle of, but in most companies, the marketing department is tied to the sales department, and the sales department is the ONLY department that brings any money in the door.

If you cannot make them happy with their dumb ideas, then you will most likely be having to explain to the CEO why the sales and marketing departments aren't getting the support that they need.

Depending on the company, your IT department may be needing to re-examine its goals and its purpose.

When you say "align", what do you mean?

What is it that they want you to do for them?

What are the impediments from simply providing those services and results right now? In other words, why do you feel there is a need to change?