The 2025 martech landscape, with 15,384 tools, reflects rapid AI-driven changes. The State of Martech 2025 report by Scott Brinker and Frans Riemersma offers critical insights for marketing and MOps leaders.
1. Boost Team Technical Skills
Marketing teams increasingly discuss data and infrastructure.
Action: Invest in data literacy and technical training for marketers.
2. Choose Open, Interoperable Platforms
Closed platforms hinder AI integration.
Action: Prioritize tools with robust API integrations for flexibility.
3. Integrate with Cloud Data Warehouses
56.2% of surveyed leaders link martech stacks to cloud data warehouses or lakehouses.
Action: Use these as a universal data layer for comprehensive insights.
4. Run AI on Cloud Data Layers
Most with integrated warehouses run AI apps directly on this layer.
Action: Leverage centralized data for powerful AI applications.
5. Harness Unstructured Data with AI
LLMs excel at analyzing call recordings, emails, and social posts.
Action: Use AI to summarize content and personalize communications.
6. Manage Complex AI-Driven Stacks
AI shifts stacks to probabilistic systems.
Action: Adopt modular architectures, observability, safe-to-fail experiments, human-in-the-loop checks, and cross-functional teams.
7. Shift to Probabilistic Customer Journeys
AI enables dynamic journey mapping via reinforcement learning.
Action: Implement probabilistic techniques for personalized engagement.
8. Focus on Strategy and Creativity
AI automates production and analysis, freeing resources.
Action: Reallocate efforts to strategy and customer experience innovation.
9. Strengthen Marketing Ops and IT Ties
Martech complexity demands robust MOps and IT collaboration.
Action: Invest in MOps and foster IT partnerships.
10. Embrace Speed and Experimentation
Agile methods and “compound marketing” drive AI success.
Action: Promote rapid iteration and experimentation to accelerate gains.
Takeaway
The 2025 martech landscape demands technical skills, open platforms, and agile strategies. Leaders must adapt to leverage AI and drive impact.
