Technology is a huge part of business – especially marketing. Organizations are constantly building, adding, tweaking, and experimenting with technology of all sorts to extend their offerings, engage with customers and prospects in new and better ways, and enable new capabilities.
However, too often organizations focus on technology over utility – especially in marketing. For example, I often see marketers picking a tool or tech product (“we need a CDP”) before clarifying why they need one. Or, e.g., stating a desire to build a “metaverse” application before defining a strategic need that might demand one. Or creating a mobile app without describing a user persona and behavior that suggests that an app could solve a problem.
This approach is what has led 60% of marketers to say their martech stack is too complicated. It’s led to 38% saying they have tech stack redundancies to a great/very great extent. And it has an overwhelming majority knowing they don’t get their money’s worth from their technology. And how are marketers solving this issue of complexity? By adding even more, with 90% expecting to spend more on technology.
Instead of thinking technology first, start by identifying and defining use cases. Be clear about what you want and need to do – and then identify the types of technology that enables it. And understand your customer first and foremost before defining the types of tech-enabled solutions that serve them best.
I’m in no way suggesting avoiding tech solutions –only to make sure your tech solutions are actually solving something for your consumers.
Michael Baer's Stratecution Stories 