Collection

Thought Leadership
Optimize your Martech stack to increase effectiveness and ROI

The Future of MarTech: Why Integration and Innovation Are The Keys To Growth

May 5, 2025 4 minute read
New research shows how marketing leaders are driving efficiency and growth by consolidating tools, embracing AI, and prioritizing integrated solutions

Collection :

Thought Leadership

The marketing technology landscape is in flux. With new tools, platforms, and AI-driven solutions entering the scene on an almost daily basis, marketers face the growing challenge of a fragmented tech stack that’s expensive, inefficient, and hard to manage.

But there’s a clear path forward.

In partnership with BWG Global, Acquia surveyed 60 U.S.-based professionals across marketing, brand, and web development to better understand how organizations are navigating today’s complex MarTech environment. The findings are clear: the future of MarTech hinges on integration and innovation.

Marketers Are Refocusing On Fundamentals

At the beginning of 2025, companies listed their top strategic priorities as: 

  • Customer Acquisition (57%)
  • Customer Retention (52%)
  • Digital Transformation (47%)
     

What are your top strategic priorities for 2025?

Bar graph representing: Customer Acquisition at 57%, customer retention at 52%, digital transformation at 47%, brand awareness at 35%, other at 2%

These goals are directly shaping how marketing teams evaluate their tech investments. Tools that enable measurable ROI, better customer engagement, and seamless digital experiences are rising to the top. 

Because of these priorities, marketers are doubling down on technologies that enable fast, flexible, content-rich digital experiences.

Integration Is A Business Imperative

Our research with BWG underscores a widespread pain point: 93% of marketing professionals say fragmented MarTech stacks limit efficiency and scale. The result is disconnected workflows, rising costs, and inconsistent customer experiences.

It’s no surprise that 70% of organizations are now prioritizing vendor consolidation. Here's why integration matters more than ever:

What are primary drivers for consolidating platforms?

Bar graph representing: Integration capabilities at 77%, lower total cost of ownership (TCO) at 72%, ease of use at 60%, security at 43%, faster time to market at 23%, other at 3%

Simplified Operations 

Consolidating tools gives marketers a unified view of data and performance. 77% of respondents cited integration capabilities as a top priority.

Lower Total Cost of Ownership 

Disparate tools mean duplicate functionality and ballooning tech budgets. 72% of respondents report that integrated solutions help reduce licensing, maintenance, and upgrade costs.

Better User Experience 

Whether internal or customer-facing, integrated platforms remove friction. 68% of respondents say user experience is a top priority, and 60% value ease of use, favoring platforms that empower teams without heavy IT support.

Stronger Collaboration 

Integrated systems promote alignment across marketing, IT, and operations, accelerating execution and improving campaign accuracy.

Innovation Is Reshaping The MarTech Stack

Integration is only one part of the equation. Leading organizations are also leaning into innovation by using advanced tools to elevate performance, personalization, and productivity.

The Rise of AI in Marketing 

The adoption of generative AI is surging, with two-thirds of the surveyed companies already leveraging AI tools. These tools are enhancing marketing efficiency and customer insights, driving results like reduced costs, improved personalization, and more dynamic content creation. 

According to the BWG research:

  • 60% of respondents use AI to reduce marketing costs and improve efficiency
  • 55% of respondents use AI to gain deeper customer insights 
  • AI is actively being used to optimize SEO, personalize campaigns, and automate tasks like social media and content generation

Barriers to AI Adoption 

Despite the enthusiasm, some challenges to adaption remain, including:

  • Data Privacy Concerns (53%)
  • Uncertainty about the Accuracy of AI-Generated Content (45%)
  • Fear of Losing Human Touch in Creative Messaging (45%)

Marketers must strike the right balance by using AI to enhance, not replace, the human touch. Transparency, governance, and responsible AI use will be key differentiators moving forward.

Empowering Marketers With Self-Service Tools 

The push for autonomy is also accelerating. 70% of marketing teams now prefer tools they can manage independently, without waiting on IT support.

Top benefits of self-service tools include:

  • Faster Campaign Execution (67%)
  • Reduced Dependency on IT (63%)
  • Improved Targeting and Segmentation

That said, self-service doesn’t mean self-contained. Teams still need platforms that are secure, scalable, and built to integrate within a broader ecosystem.

Realigning MarTech to Unlock Growth 

Today's high-performing marketing organizations are realigning their stacks around four core principles::

  1. Seamless integration
  2. User-friendly design
  3. Data-driven intelligence
  4. Cost-effective scalability

To achieve these outcomes, many are turning to SaaS. 75% of respondents favor SaaS platforms over no-code tools. SaaS platforms provide enterprise-grade scalability, security, and advanced features without the technical complexity of building and maintaining in-house tools.

The Bottom Line: Simplify, Innovate, Win

As we look at 2025 and beyond, the most successful marketing teams will be those that embrace both integration and innovation. By investing in integrated, AI-powered, and intuitive platforms, organizations can increase efficiency, boost engagement, and respond more quickly to changing market dynamics.

Ready to future-proof your marketing stack?
Look for solutions that reduce complexity while unlocking smarter, faster, and more connected experiences. The future of MarTech is clear.

Keep Reading

View More Resources