AntiCon May 2024: CMO priorities for the next 12 months

AntiCon is a leading in-person marketing event in the UK. The sessions cover content and topics across Martech, Salestech and everything in-between, including Transformation Strategy, AI and Automation, Marketing Operations, ABM and more. 

At the latest installment on 23rd May 2024 in London, our Chief Revenue Officer, Stu West, shared insight from the latest and fifth edition of the State of Martech research (the only dedicated study into the Martech industry that is carried out in partnership between a commercial practioner, Clevertouch Consulting, and an academic research body, the University of Southampton Business School, for increased reliability and validity in both design and insights). 

The research surveys over 600 senior marketers across the UK, US and Europe on their Martech investments, with questions on adoption, utilisation and platform migrations, as well as campaign delivery, personalisation and their broader Martech skills, capabilities and challenges. 

In his session, Stu shared with attendees five of the key themes that have emerged from this year's research on Martech migrations, hyper-personalisation, operating models and the changing importance of Martech within Revenue and wider business functions.

You can watch and listen to a shortened version of Stu's session, where he shares some of the key statistics from the above categories, here: 

 

 

The State of Martech Research 2024

This year's report has been structured into seven sections that emerged from the survey data. These topics attempt to draw together key survey findings and highlights in a logical, helpful and compelling way for the reader. The data in one section may at times relate to or be mirrored in another section, but these relationships should generally be reflected in the copy.

After taking a deep dive into the data and coupling it with our martech expertise, knowledge and experience of the market, we grouped the data into the following six sections:

Love it or Loathe it?: Martech’s value felt far and wide

How satisfied are organisations with their martech? This section illustrates how martech platform owners and wider business stakeholders feel about martech. It also takes a look at the perceived benefits of marketing technology and what these perceptions mean for your marketing strategy.

Martech Migrations: Are they speeding up or slowing down?

Martech migrations are when organisations choose to move from one platform to another. The survey revealed a whole range of data points illustrating different migration tendencies, including over the last three years and plans for the next three years, and this section explores whether companies are accelerating or slowing down their migration plans.

Hyper-personalisation: Distant dream or realistic reality?

One key aim of the survey was to discover the most popular ways campaigns are being carried out by marketers. Hyper-personalisation is an industry aspiration, but has remained out of reach for many. Has the market moved towards it? Or are companies still relying on or sticking to traditional campaigns?

Operating Models: Internal conundrums and the e(x)ternal search for the right partner

For martech to achieve its purpose, it needs to have operational and financial support. This section focuses on the operational side and asks how organisations are using, or not using, internal and external resources. How confident are marketers in their team's ability to use martech? And when it comes to using a quality external partner, how easy are they to find?

The Rise of Revenue-centric Marketing: No longer just a funnel-filling function  

In the past, marketing has often been separated from revenue-centric practices and KPIs, instead focusing on traditional lead generation. Is this changing? Here, the data paints a picture of how marketing is viewed in relation to being a strategic function to drive revenue.

Budgets & Growth: Strong investment ambitions meet a focus on optimisation

The last year has been a tough economic climate for businesses. In such environments, marketing budgets can often take a hit, despite the department’s importance for growth. In this section, the survey uncovers whether marketers are expecting investment increases on their 2023 level and in what areas: services, software and people. How does financial support compare to operational support?

Mission-critical Martech: A strategic business asset

As martech evolves, it is spreading across business operations and beyond just marketing. For this final section, the report brings together the survey data to ask whether martech has become a mission-critical business component. This includes showing how other departments are supported by the technology and where budgetary control rests.

Look out for the report in your inbox this June! If you're not subscribed to our emails please email us at marketing@clever-touch.com and we'll ensure you are among the first to receive a copy as soon as it's available.