Marketing Technology Is Broken: Here’s How to Fix It

Key points from the article published by Christine Moorman, Carl F. Mela, Brian Cooper, Kathleen Erickson, and Lindsay Korstange in Harvard Business Review.

Companies are heavily investing in marketing technology tools, yet according to a survey of 292 senior marketers, these investments deliver only moderate impact, with nearly 44% of purchased tools remaining unused. This troubling reality highlights a major issue: too many businesses believe that investing in expensive solutions such as HubSpot will automatically generate sales—an assumption that is clearly false. At Falia, we firmly believe that a solid strategy and strong execution always matter more than the choice of tool.

Here are the 10 key recommendations viewed from Falia’s perspective:

1. Don’t Focus Solely on Budget
   Increasing your marketing technology budget doesn't necessarily improve performance. Effective integration and proper utilization are what truly matter.
2. Pursue Strategic Objectives
   Companies aligning their technology tools strategically with business objectives see 20% higher usage and significantly better outcomes.
3. Integrate Marketing Technology Across the Entire Company
   Tools isolated within marketing departments lose effectiveness. Impact significantly improves when integrated across operations, sales, CRM, customer experience, and other departments.
4. Invest in the Right People
   Many businesses underestimate the importance of having skilled teams dedicated to marketing technology management. Prioritizing talent recruitment and training maximizes technology effectiveness.
5. Fully Leverage Generative AI
   Companies using generative AI in marketing activities achieve 10-20% higher effectiveness from their marketing technology. AI simplifies complex processes and boosts productivity.
6. Let Marketing Lead
   Organizations where marketing leads technology initiatives achieve results 25% better compared to those driven by other departments like IT.
7. Prioritize Long-Term Metrics
   Focusing on long-term metrics (customer satisfaction, lifetime value) rather than short-term metrics (immediate conversions, engagement) maximizes strategic and lasting impacts.
8. Infuse Creativity into Marketing Technology
   Creativity significantly enhances the effectiveness of marketing tools. Companies emphasizing innovative ideas in brand, social presence, and CRM achieve superior results.
9. Maintain a Strong Customer Focus
   Marketing technology should consistently aim to enhance customer experience rather than becoming just another tool. Companies clearly identifying and effectively using customer data show higher performance.
10. Regularly Audit Marketing Technology Systems
    Only 30.9% of companies evaluate their tools every six months or less. Regular assessments quickly identify gaps and allow adjustments to maximize effectiveness.

Conclusion

At Falia, we strongly believe that many businesses in Quebec could significantly reduce costs by avoiding unnecessary investments in expensive tools without a proper strategy. The key to effective marketing technology lies not in the budget spent, but in strategic planning, widespread integra