How to Trim Your Out-of-Control Martech Stack

In her recent article, Bonnie Crater argues that B2B marketers must trim their tech stacks to more manageable levels. Companies have ended up in such a position due to the rapid growth of the number of available martech solutions. However, the long-term costs of the best-of-breed approach have ballooned. To counter this, Crater suggests the third approach: best-of-suite, which balances the core of a stack from one provider and supplements it with critical best-of-breed solutions.

The Gartner research shows that many CMOs are looking to buy a more integrated martech platform. However, some are resistant to embracing such a shift, such as an RFP consultant who argued that point solution providers were superior. This is shortsighted, as suite providers drastically reduce the risks and costs associated with integrations.

Martech stack rationalization is largely about improving the customer experience, as disjointed martech stacks lead to disjointed customer experiences. Companies must consider the cost of relationship management, platform knowledge management, integration costs and management, and integration limitations when choosing the right martech stack.