Master Existing Tools vs Invest in New AI Technology: An Agile Approach

Introduction

In today's rapidly evolving MarTech landscape, marketing leaders face a critical decision: should they focus on maximizing existing tools or invest in new AI technologies? Greg Kihlström, Principal of The Agile Brand and advisor to top companies like Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Toyota on marketing technology initiatives, shares valuable insights on applying Agile principles to extract more value from your MarTech stack before rushing to adopt new solutions.

Understanding Your Current Technology Before Adding New Tools

Kihlström emphasizes the importance of thoroughly understanding your existing technology investments before pursuing new solutions. "You need to have a better understanding of what you currently have before you start tacking on new things," he advises. This approach prevents redundancy and ensures you're maximizing the value of tools you're already paying for. Many platforms are rapidly incorporating AI capabilities, meaning your current solutions might have new features that weren't available just months ago.

The Hidden Value in Existing Platforms

Marketing teams often underutilize their existing technology. Before investing in new AI-specific tools, conduct a thorough audit of your current platforms to discover recently added AI capabilities. This process may reveal that your team already has access to powerful features that could solve current challenges without additional investment. The rapid pace of AI integration means even platforms you've used for years might now offer machine learning capabilities, predictive analytics, or automated workflows that weren't previously available.

Strategic Implementation of New AI Technologies

While understanding existing tools is crucial, there are clear situations where implementing new AI technologies makes strategic sense. When tackling new problems or when current processes are inefficient, leveraging cutting-edge AI solutions can dramatically improve productivity. Benjamin Shapiro highlights how AI has transformed his content creation process: "When it comes down to creating a strategy brief, I used to sit down for days, weeks... Now I've got GPT, I've got a series of bots and LLMs that essentially create the initial brief, and then I'm using my thoughts to compile the research."

Balancing Integration vs. Best-of-Breed Solutions

Marketing leaders must weigh the benefits of integrated platforms against specialized tools. In composable environments where selecting best-of-breed solutions is the goal, it's still essential to understand current capabilities before adding new components. This balanced approach allows teams to leverage existing investments while strategically adding AI capabilities where they deliver the most value. Consider how new tools will integrate with your current stack and whether they solve problems that can't be addressed with existing technology.

Conclusion: An Agile Approach to MarTech Evolution

The most effective approach to AI adoption follows Agile principles: start with what you have, understand it thoroughly, and then strategically implement new technologies where they deliver clear value. As Kihlström suggests, avoid waste by fully utilizing existing investments while remaining open to new solutions that solve specific problems. This balanced strategy allows marketing teams to benefit from AI advancements without u ecessary technology sprawl or redundant investments. By applying these Agile principles to your MarTech operations, you can maximize efficiency while ensuring your technology stack evolves to meet changing market demands.