It seems like every day there’s a new marketing technology that is the new biggest and best thing. And some really are great. At the same time, we marketers are overloaded with new technologies hyped as a “must-have” if we want to survive in the industry. In fact, ChiefMarTec.com added more than 200 new solutions to their list in 2020.
The result? A recent survey found that 18% of respondents said their biggest challenge was simply trying to figure out all of these “must-have” technologies.
It should be no surprise that, according to Marketing Charts, 68% of marketers and brand professionals expect to increase the number of marketing technology providers their brand uses this year. Unsurprisingly, many marketing professionals found quite a few of these technologies riding the wave of ad tech to be wholly overrated.
The article is spot on in identifying that the biggest challenges that these marketing are becoming more and more technology-oriented. However, the biggest problem may just be the skill gaps in their marketing teams. As technology develops so rapidly, that has led to a high demand for those who can skillfully utilize and integrate ad tech. That’s led CMOs to cite data and analytics as not only one of the most needed skill sets, but also one of the most difficult to find.
But let’s look at the big picture. Yes, we should be making full use of the technology available to marketers. Not everything can be solved through technology, but it’s an incredibly useful tool for finding these solutions. No matter what, finding effective solutions for marketing challenges requires tried-and-true thinking, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills…from humans.
The bottom line is that marketing technology can be amazing. It helps us make decisions and understand data. However, there’s only so much that it can do. If you believe that it’s the end-all, be-all to solving your marketing challenges, then prepare to be disappointed.
That’s what we’re here for. Get in touch and we will find the right solutions and the right technology for your unique marketing challenges.