'Overwhelmed' marketers using over 50 tech platforms

Marketers’ near obsession with jumping into bed with the latest tech might be well-documented – having dumped big data to embrace CRM only to cast that aside for the metaverse and then toss that out for generative AI – but it seems they simply cannot get enough, with the majority now deploying over 50 martech platforms to execute their campaigns.

That is according to a new survey by Clevertouch Consulting, which reveals that the majority of marketers and their organisations love martech, despite feeling overwhelmed.

Although over half of the respondents think their martech stacks are streamlined, a similar proportion (54%) admitted to using over 50 technology platforms. On top of this, nearly two-thirds (64%) believe their stacks have become more complex in recent years.

When it comes to different technologies, 57% of marketers are feeling overwhelmed with the amount of marketing technology platforms available to them.

This is primarily due to the inability to keep up with how the platforms they use are developing (21%), as well as a lack of in-house expertise to manage platforms (17%). To combat feeling overwhelmed, 55% are planning to simplify their stack in the next 12 months.

However, the desire for technology is still strong, with almost half of respondents (49%) stating that they love their stack due to its ability to launch campaigns more frequently. On top of this, 52% reported that their organisation also loves martech, primarily due to it enabling the effective execution of marketing campaigns and delivering useful insight back into the business.

This seems to back a recent Forrester report, Martech Software Forecast 2023-2027, which predicts that global spend will rocket 64% from $131bn last year to $215bn by 2027 as the quest for the perfect solution accelerates.

Just over a third (38%) of budgets will go to technologies that support brand experience, 32% will be spent on tech that supports customer understanding and 30% on tools to back brand strategy.

Meanwhile, the Clevertouch study also highlights a huge reliance on martech, with two-thirds (65%) of marketers now prioritising technology over creativity. Over half (54%) think the technology has made their marketing strategies more effective, and a quarter (25%) cite greater ability to track ROI and lead generation.

Clevertouch chief executive Adam Sharp said: “It is increasingly vital that marketers leverage martech to track ROI, lead generation, and create competitive advantage.

“However, what’s clear from our survey is that marketers are bombarded with solutions and stacks that are tricky to optimise.

“We need to make marketers’ lives easier, and simplification methodologies – where CMOs can focus on four to six core tools – are going a long way in helping marketers to achieve more with less, ultimately reducing the overwhelm that many are facing.”