We’re going to MarTech: Three reasons why you should go too
| April 3, 2019
As a company that has been serving the marketing community for a number of years, we have been witness to the significant growth in the marketing technology marketplace. While many would cite the Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic that is compiled annually by Scott Brinker as evidence of this growth, a better measure is the rising strategic weight being placed by companies of all sizes in this fundamental area of their business. Large or small, no matter the industry, all organizations have now become digital content companies at scale. This has magnified the importance of a thorough understanding of this area – that’s why we are going to the MarTech Conference in San Jose this week and here are three reasons why you should go too.
Personal connection with technology vendors
In our interactions with prospects and customers, we often hear the lament that the proliferation of technology solutions has made it challenging to truly differentiate among the potential options. Often there is overlap in functionality among various solutions. Additionally, the messaging of vendors can make it confusing to grasp what they actually have to offer. Finally, one is challenged in determining whether a vendor’s claims are accurate or are really marketing exaggerations.
Attending MarTech is one of the most efficient ways to get acquainted with marketing technology options, with several hundred vendors in one place. Meeting directly with vendors at the conference allows for in-depth conversations to supplement the one-way research that companies frequently perform. A major benefit of such conversations is greater clarity as to technology fit for your organization. An associated benefit of this personal interaction, also of great importance, is determining if the vendor, through their approach and behavior, is likewise a good fit from a business and cultural perspective to partner with you in achieving your goals. You need both type of fits to be successful.
Community
One of the exciting parts of the MarTech Conference is the announcement of the Stackie Awards honoring companies who best visualize the technologies in their marketing stack. It is noteworthy that marketing technology stacks for even smallish companies often number more than 25. This underscores the fact that companies are primarily selecting fit-for-purpose solutions and that a need exists to ensure that these technologies can work effectively together. Vendors that participate at the MarTech Conference are those most likely to understand this dynamic and the need to be part of an interlocking network of practitioners. The conference is a great vehicle to connect with those whose experience can help fast-track learnings.
The martech worldview from different perspectives
The dramatic growth in martech solutions reflects the continued advancement in the space, whereby vendors are improving on existing approaches or approaching problems through a completely new lens. This advancement is the result of the community’s innovative mindset that views progress as continuous. One of the enjoyable parts of the conference is hearing how other participants view the outlook for marketing technology and the impact on their businesses. In this vein, we are very much looking forward to hearing the keynote address by the aforementioned Mr. Brinker, Succeeding in the Next Decade of Marketing.
Come see us booth #418 at MarTech.