DMARC is often seen as a purely technical protocol: a set of DNS records managed solely by the IT department. While IT is responsible for the syntax and configuration, the implications of DMARC extend far beyond their domain, directly impacting a company’s marketing and communication efforts.
The most successful email strategies don’t treat DMARC as just a security measure; they use it as a collaborative tool to improve email deliverability, protect brand reputation, and ensure customer trust. When IT and marketing aren’t on the same page, the consequences can be costly.
The IT department’s role and challenges.
For the IT team, DMARC is a critical security protocol. Their primary goals are to prevent malicious spoofing and phishing attacks and to maintain a secure email ecosystem.
This involves configuring the DMARC record, choosing the appropriate policy (p=none, quarantine, or reject), and analyzing DMARC reports to identify unauthorized sending sources.
IT professionals face the technical challenge of managing complex DNS records, which can be prone to syntax errors. A single mistake can render the entire record ineffective, as we’ve discussed in our article on common pitfalls in DMARC record syntax.
Furthermore, they must contend with the vast number of third-party services that send emails on behalf of the company, each requiring proper SPF and DKIM authentication.
The marketing department’s goals and risks.
The marketing team’s success hinges on their ability to reach customers effectively through email campaigns. They are focused on open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, conversions. For them, a successful email strategy is one that lands in the inbox, not the spam folder.
A misconfigured DMARC policy can be a silent marketing killer. When a company moves too quickly to an enforcement policy like p=quarantine or p=reject without proper authentication for all legitimate email sources, their marketing emails could be blocked.
This leads to lost leads, inaccurate campaign metrics, and damage to their sender reputation. Neglecting DMARC can severely undermine the ROI of even the best email campaigns.
Bridging the gap through collaboration.
The key to a successful DMARC implementation is communication. IT and marketing teams must work together to create a cohesive strategy that balances security with deliverability.
Here’s how they can collaborate:
- For IT: Start with a p=none policy. This initial phase is crucial for gathering data from DMARC reports without impacting email delivery. Share these reports with the marketing team. This data will reveal all the third-party services (like your CRM or email service provider) sending emails on your domain’s behalf, making the case for their proper authentication.
- For Marketing: Provide a comprehensive list of all email-sending services to the IT department. This includes services for newsletters, transactional emails, customer support notifications, and more. Understanding the basics of DMARC and the importance of email authentication protocols allows marketing to be a proactive partner in the process, not just a passive recipient of technical changes.
How OnDMARC streamlines the process.
The manual process of collecting and analyzing DMARC reports can be time-consuming and complex, creating a bottleneck between departments. This is where a solution like 101domain’s OnDMARC platform becomes invaluable.
OnDMARC aggregates all DMARC reports into a single, user-friendly dashboard. Instead of deciphering XML files, both IT and marketing can view a clean, visual representation of their email traffic.
This shared visibility allows the marketing team to see exactly which of their email campaigns are failing DMARC checks and why, while the IT team can easily identify and authenticate legitimate senders without having to manually sift through raw data.
This effortless access to a unified view of email performance ensures both teams can stay aligned, making the journey to a secure DMARC policy faster and smoother.
Conclusion
DMARC is more than just a security protocol; it’s a strategic business tool that benefits the entire organization. By aligning the technical expertise of the IT department with the business objectives of the marketing team, organizations can ensure their email communications are secure, reliable, and effective. This collaborative approach turns DMARC from a potential point of conflict into a unified strategy for better email performance and stronger brand trust.
Need help with your DMARC setup?
Learn more about 101domain’s Managed DMARC Services and let us do the heavy lifting for you. We handle policy setup, monitoring, and reporting so you can rest easy knowing your emails are secure.
