Contending Integration: How Combination Could Trigger the Upcoming Marketing Technology Disruption
In the dynamic world of marketing and technology, the focus is shifting towards improving data flow, reducing the lag between signal and outcome, and enhancing integration. This trend is evident among the world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives who make up the Forbes Technology Council.
One of the key areas of concern is platform dependency. Boardrooms are moving to mitigate this issue, recognising the importance of diversifying their tech stacks.
In the realm of marketing, a significant gap is emerging between teams with aligned architecture and those with stalled ideas. This gap is being bridged by practical applications that streamline processes and improve responsiveness.
Integrated automation workflows are becoming increasingly popular. These workflows connect lead capture, data cleaning, and segmentation with campaign orchestration and reporting, reducing manual delays and ensuring real-time data use.
Data layer integrations within the MarTech stack are also gaining traction. These integrations collect, analyse, and personalise customer data in real time, providing a more personalised customer experience.
Unified CRM and marketing automation systems are centralising customer information, tracking interactions, and streamlining sales and marketing processes. These systems improve data consistency and speed outcome generation.
AI-powered marketing stacks are automating workflow steps, generating insights, and delivering personalised experiences at scale. These systems leverage integrations and continuous optimization to shorten the time from signal to action, improving marketing ROI and speed in adaptation to customer behaviours.
Strategic alignment frameworks like the FAPI Marketing Framework™ are defining roles, processes, and tool logic to ensure all integrated systems support operational efficiency and commercial goals, creating coherent data flow and outcome delivery from strategy through execution.
The focus on these applications is not just about data integration and automated cross-platform workflows, but also about AI. AI is being used to minimise lag and maximise responsiveness in marketing technology ecosystems.
This shift is reflected in recent industry developments. Salesforce wrote an eight-billion-dollar check for Informatica, signalling a move towards more integrated and AI-powered marketing stacks. Meta previewed fully automated ad creation via Advantage Plus by 2026, a move that prioritises systems that can read context in real time to protect margins and brand value.
However, this shift has not been without its challenges. The automated ad creation announcement by Meta led to a drop in agency stocks, highlighting the need for careful consideration before making decisions on hiring, onboarding a tool, or signing a vendor.
The mood at Cannes Lions 2025 was sharper, focusing on feedback loops, data lineage, and latency. At RAD Intel, investments are being made to accelerate feedback speed, strengthen data lineage, and enforce audit-ready governance.
The focus is on shortening the distance between knowing and doing, fixing any lag in decision-making processes. This focus is evident in the increased number of martech firms changing hands. During the first quarter of 2025, 116 martech firms changed hands, a 26% year-over-year increase.
Omnicom's acquisition of IPG reshaped Madison Avenue, demonstrating the importance of integration in the marketing industry. Mediaocean acquired Innovid for connected-TV rails, another example of the priority placed on integration.
Jeremy Barnett, the CEO and Co-founder of RAD Intel, is at the forefront of this shift. The focus of companies commanding premium valuations is on infrastructure, such as data movement and decision-making systems. Integration is a priority for leaders, as it increases speed, smart testing, and feedback utilization.
In conclusion, the marketing and technology landscape is evolving, with a focus on improving data flow, reducing lag between signal and outcome, and enhancing integration. This shift is being driven by practical applications, AI, and a focus on strategic alignment. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these trends continue to shape the marketing and technology landscape.
- In the shifting landscape of marketing and technology, Jeremy Barnett, the CEO and Co-founder of RAD Intel, is leading the charge for companies commanding premium valuations, focusing on infrastructure development, such as data movement and decision-making systems, with integration being a top priority due to its potential to increase speed, smart testing, and feedback utilization.
- The finance and business sectors, including the world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives who make up the Forbes Technology Council, are deeply involved in this transformation, recognizing the vital role of robust, AI-powered marketing stacks that can effectively minimize lag and maximize responsiveness, thereby improving marketing ROI and adaptation speed to customer behaviors.
