One word that describes how most marketing teams are using their martech stacks today

Most marketing teams are underutilizing their martech stacks today. Greg Kihlström, principal of The Agile Brand, shares how applying agile principles can maximize the value of existing marketing technology investments. He advocates for fully leveraging platform capabilities rather than using minimal features across multiple tools, which reduces integration costs and improves data accessibility. Kihlström emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and regularly questioning current processes to right-size technology stacks for optimal performance.
About the speaker

Greg Kihlström

The Agile Brand

- The Agile Brand

Greg is principal of The Agile Brand

Agile Brand Podcast

Episode Chapters

  • 00:54: Underutilized MarTech Stacks

    Marketing teams often purchase numerous platforms but only use small features from each, missing opportunities to maximize value from existing tools.

  • 01:51: Applying Agile Principles

    The continuous improvement mindset helps organizations right-size their technology stack by constantly questioning and seeking better approaches.

Episode Summary

  • One Word That Describes How Most Marketing Teams Are Using Their Martech Stacks Today: Underutilized

    Introduction

    In this insightful episode, Benjamin Shapiro speaks with Greg Kihlström, Principal of The Agile Brand and host of The Agile Brand podcast, about applying agile principles to marketing technology operations. With extensive experience advising top companies like Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Toyota on marketing technology initiatives, Kihlström shares valuable perspectives on how marketing teams can extract more value from their existing martech investments through agile methodologies.

  • The Current State of Martech Utilization

    When asked to describe in one word how marketing teams are using their martech stacks today, Kihlström doesn't hesitate: "Underutilized." This assessment stems from his work with numerous large organizations that have accumulated extensive technology portfolios but fail to leverage their full capabilities. "I work with a lot of very large organizations that have one of everything and they use this thing for this small feature and this other thing over here that does all of it for this other feature," Kihlström explains. This fragmented approach creates inefficiencies, increases costs, and prevents teams from accessing comprehensive data that could drive better marketing decisions.

  • The Benefits of Platform Maximization

    Rather than continuing to add new tools to an already complex stack, Kihlström advocates for deeper utilization of existing platforms. By fully leveraging the capabilities of current technologies, marketing teams can realize several significant benefits: more comprehensive data access, reduced integration complexity, and lower overall costs. This approach aligns with the core agile principle of continuous improvement—focusing on extracting maximum value from existing resources before adding new ones.

  • Applying Agile Principles to Martech Optimization

    While there aren't specific agile methodologies dedicated exclusively to "right-sizing" a martech stack, Kihlström emphasizes that the agile mindset of continuous improvement provides the necessary framework. This approach encourages marketing teams to regularly evaluate their technology usage, question assumptions, and seek opportunities for optimization. The key is maintaining a culture of ongoing assessment rather than treating technology evaluation as a one-time event.

  • Continuous Improvement Mindset

    The continuous improvement aspect of agile methodology proves particularly valuable for martech stack management. "That continuous improvement kind of mindset of just always thinking of what can we do better" is essential, according to Kihlström. This perspective helps teams regularly assess whether they need more or fewer platforms and how to optimize what they already have. By applying this principle, marketing organizations can evolve their technology utilization in alignment with changing business needs rather than accumulating tools that deliver diminishing returns.

  • Practical Implementation Steps

    For marketing leaders looking to apply these insights, several practical steps emerge from Kihlström's expertise. First, conduct a comprehensive audit of your current martech utilization, identifying which features are being used and which remain untapped. Second, prioritize deeper platform knowledge through focused training and documentation. Third, establish regular review cycles to evaluate technology performance against business objectives. Finally, create cross-functional teams that bring together marketing, IT, and data specialists to ensure holistic platform utilization.

  • Conclusion

    The conversation with Greg Kihlström highlights a critical opportunity for marketing organizations: significant value remains untapped within existing martech investments. By adopting an agile mindset focused on continuous improvement and deeper platform utilization, marketing teams can extract greater value from their current technology assets while reducing complexity and costs. As marketing technology environments continue to evolve, this approach provides a sustainable framework for optimization that balances i ovation with efficiency.
About the speaker

Greg Kihlström

The Agile Brand

- The Agile Brand

Greg is principal of The Agile Brand

Agile Brand Podcast
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