Key takeaways:

Here are the main points from the conversation: 

• Performance is a system. Sustainable growth comes from building an operating model that flexes with change, not from sprinting harder every quarter.
• Focus is the new speed. High-performing teams aren’t faster, they’re more focused. Ruthlessly prioritise, kill vanity projects, and simplify execution.
• AI is only half the answer. Automation only drives value when it’s embedded in how your team works, not just what tools you use.
• Cross-functional alignment unlocks efficiency. RevOps and Marketing Ops should share goals, data, and accountability to drive consistent performance.
• Leaner teams require smarter workflows, prioritise ruthlessly, reduce handoffs, and empower cross-skilled contributors to own full campaign loops.

Why Marketing teams are evolving: AI, RevOps, and the drive for efficiency. 

The traditional marketing model, siloed functions, big teams, bloated tech stacks, is being quietly dismantled. 

Three forces are reshaping the unit:

1. AI and Automation: Not just the shiny stuff. Yes, generative content tools matter, but the real shift is in how AI is quietly stitching together workflows, data, and insights that used to be spread across five teams and three platforms.
2. RevOps Thinking: Revenue Operations isn’t just a B2B thing anymore. It’s a mindset shift, less about channels, more about customer flow and commercial alignment. Teams are being measured less on brand vanity metrics and more on pipeline, conversion, and impact.
3. Efficiency Mandates: Boards and CFOs aren’t asking “How big is your reach?” anymore. They’re asking, “Why are we spending that much to get this result?” Marketing is now a cost center under a microscope. You need to prove you're a growth engine, not just a storytelling studio. 

If it feels like you’re being asked to do more with fewer people, less budget, and tighter turnaround times, you're not imagining things.

Adapting to leaner teams: smarter workflows, better prioritisation. 

The hard truth is that most teams aren't underperforming, they're overextended. 

When everything is urgent, nothing gets done well. The fix? Ruthless prioritisation and intentional workflow design.

A few high-leverage moves:

• Kill your vanity projects. If it doesn’t drive pipeline, productivity, or performance, then park it.
• Design workflows around outputs, not departments. Cross-skill your team so one person can own a full campaign loop, from ideation to launch, without passing it through five stakeholders.
• Implement sprint cycles for marketing. Agile isn’t just for developers. Two-week sprints with clear priorities beat sprawling quarterly plans that break the moment something changes. 

This isn’t about working harder, it’s about eliminating friction, ambiguity, and busywork. 

Aligning with other business units: RevOps, MOps, and cross-functional efficiency.

Marketing can’t be the lone wolf anymore. 

The orgs that are thriving in this environment have cracked one thing: cross-functional clarity. They’ve aligned their marketing operations with sales ops, CX, and finance. 

You don’t need to merge departments. You need to merge goals and data.  Things to consider: 

• Get in the same room (or Slack channel) with Sales and CX. Share dashboards. Debate the funnel. Challenge assumptions.
• RevOps and MOps need a shared map. One that connects customer journeys to backend processes, to revenue levers.
• Don’t just align on metrics, align on incentives. If Sales wins and Marketing doesn’t, the model’s broken. If CX insights aren’t influencing campaign strategy, your flywheel has a flat tire.. 

This is where a lot of teams get stuck. They have great strategy but terrible execution because execution is happening in silos. Smash those silos. 

The role of automation. Doing more with less (without burning out). 

Automation isn’t just about speeding things up, it’s about making space for higher-value work.

Here’s how smart teams are using it:

• Tactical automation. Think campaign cloning, triggered journeys, dynamic content generation. Anything that eliminates copy/paste work.
• Strategic automation. Using AI to identify patterns in performance data, surface next-best actions, or simulate scenarios based on customer behaviour.
• Cultural automation. Embedding automation into how you work, not just what you use. Example: auto-prioritising requests based on business value. Or using AI to draft briefs that get 80% of the way there. 

The best automation feels like a natural extension of your team’s brain, not a bolt-on solution.  

Performance is a system, not a sprint. 

Even though perfect MOps is tailored to each organisation, one thing is clear: 

The teams that will win this year aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets. They’re the ones who: 

• Know how to focus under pressure, 

• Build systems that don’t break under change, 

• And collaborate like their bonus depends on it (because it probably does). 

This isn’t about survival. It’s about building a marketing team that can thrive in disruption. That knows how to pivot, prioritise, and perform, without running itself into the ground. 

You don’t need to move faster. You need to move smarter. 

And if that sounds like a cliché, it’s only because most teams still haven’t figured out how to do it. 

Want help turning your MOps into a performance engine (even with a leaner team)?

We help teams align strategy to execution, build automation that matters, and unlock performance through smarter processes.

Contact us today to book a strategy session, and get started on strengthening your Marketing Operations.

Key takeaways:

Here are the main points from the conversation: 

• Executives don’t care about the technology, only the business impact. Focus on revenue growth, cost reduction, or risk mitigation.
• Avoid vendor driven decisions. If a software provider is pushing you to upgrade without a clear internal business need, stop and reassess.
• Make the investment feel manageable. Break the project into phased investments with quick wins in the first 3-6 months.
• Align internal teams before going to the board. Marketing, IT, and finance must be on the same page to avoid internal roadblocks.
• Find an internal board or executive champion. Having a senior advocate within the organisation increases the chances of approval.
• Decisions are made over time, not in a single meeting. Build support through informal conversations before the formal pitch.
• Use real business data to support your case. Instead of vague benefits, quantify the impact.

Executives are skeptical, and for good reason. 

There’s a reason DXPs face resistance at the executive level: decision-makers have been burned before. 

According to Anthony, many senior executives and board members have seen previous “all-in-one” digital platforms promise big results, only to fall short. 

“The promises were the same five or ten years ago: better personalisation, reduced costs, streamlined marketing ops, and a platform that would do it all. But now, with the push toward headless, composable, and API-first architectures, those same promises are being dressed up in new terminology.” 

This has led to decision fatigue and skepticism. Many executives are not technologists, so when vendors push composable DXPs, API-first stacks, or headless CMS, it all starts to feel like another expensive experiment. 

The three big objections to DXPs.

When boards and executive teams push back against a DXP investment, their concerns usually fall into three categories: 

1. Cost vs. ROI – "We’ve spent millions on digital platforms before. How is this different?"
2. Complexity – "We don’t have the resources to take this on."
3. Risk Aversion – "If this goes wrong, it’s my head on the chopping block." 

Dan emphasised that these concerns aren’t just excuses, they reflect a real problem in how DXPs are pitched. 

“If you walk into the boardroom talking about ‘headless CMS’ or ‘API-first architecture,’ you’ve already lost them. They don’t care about the technology. They care about business impact: Will this make us more money? Will it reduce costs? Will it lower our risk?” 

The mistake many digital leaders make? They focus on the technology instead of the business outcome. 

Reframing the conversation: Make it about business value. 

To get a DXP project approved, the pitch needs to shift from technology to business impact. 

Executives care about three things:

• Revenue Growth – How does this drive sales or improve retention?
• Cost Reduction – Can this reduce operational inefficiencies?
• Risk Mitigation – Will this make compliance, security, or governance easier? 

“If you can’t link your DXP investment to at least one of these three things, it’s going to be a tough sell,” said Anthony. 

A soft pitch sounds like this: 
“A composable DXP will unify our digital channels and create an omnichannel content strategy.” 

A strong pitch sounds like this: 
“Right now, 30% of customer service calls are from people struggling to find answers online. A personalised self-service experience powered by a DXP could cut that in half—saving us $5M per year.” 

Don’t let software vendors set the agenda. 

Another common issue is that too many DXP projects are vendor-driven, not business-driven. 

According to Anthony, executives often feel pressured into upgrades because vendors create “compelling events”—whether it’s an end-of-life product, a new software trend, or a fear-based sales pitch. 

“Just because your current CMS or DXP is ‘outdated’ doesn’t mean it’s actually a business problem. Vendors will always tell you that you need to upgrade. But is this upgrade solving a real problem, or are you just reacting to external pressure?” 

Dan agreed, adding that businesses need to take back control of the conversation: 

“Before you even start talking to vendors, make sure you’ve done your own internal analysis. What do you actually need? What problems are you solving? If you don’t control the narrative, you’ll end up solving the wrong problem.”  

Break the investment into key phases. 

Another major reason DXPs fail to get approval is because they’re seen as too big and too risky.

The solution? A phased investment strategy.

Dan explained that boards don’t want massive multi-year projects—they want to see quick wins before committing to long-term investments.

“The most successful DXP projects don’t ask for everything up front. Instead, they start with a small, high-impact use case that delivers ROI in 3-6 months.”

Example of a Phased DXP Investment:

1. Phase 1 (Quick Win) – Implement AI-powered personalisation for top customers, leading to a 5% lift in repeat purchases.
2. Phase 2 (Scaling the Impact) – Expand automation into marketing and sales, reducing manual effort and improving conversion rates.
3. Phase 3 (Full Integration) – Roll out across all customer touchpoints, creating a truly seamless experience.

“This de-risks the investment and gives executives confidence in the long-term vision,” Anthony added.

Winning internal support - it’s not just about the board. 

Even if the board is convinced, other stakeholders inside the organisation can block your DXP project.

“Most big organisations are political ecosystems. Even if the CEO supports the project, if marketing and IT aren’t aligned, it’s going to hit roadblocks,” said Dan.

Marketing teams want agility and flexibility.
IT teams want control and security.
Finance teams want predictable costs and ROI.

Before going to the board, align these groups internally. Find an internal champion—someone who will advocate for the project at the executive level.

“It’s not a one-and-done conversation. These things are won in the hallways, in one-on-one chats, in coffee meetings. The board meeting is just the final step.” 

Final thought: Play the long game. 

Securing executive buy-in for a DXP investment isn’t about selling technology. It’s about framing the conversation around business value, managing risk, and proving ROI in small, strategic steps.

“Winning approval isn’t about a single meeting. It’s about shaping the conversation over time,” said Dan.

“Executives don’t need to be convinced that DXPs are amazing. They need to see how this will drive business success,” added Anthony.

Need help making your DXP business case?

We help digital leaders translate complex technology into board-ready business cases. If you need help getting your project approved, we can guide you through the process.

Contact us today to book a strategy session, and get started on moving forward on your DXP project.

If you’ve spent any time in marketing leadership, you’ve probably heard the term Marketing Operations (MOps) tossed around. Maybe you associate it with automation platforms, dashboards, or campaign execution. And sure, those things are part of it. 

But MOps isn’t just about keeping the lights on.  It is the engine that drives scalable, efficient, and high-performing marketing teams.

Right now for many businesses, budgets are tight, consumer expectations are high, and new MarTech solutions are hitting the market at breakneck speed.  So companies can’t afford to ignore the operational backbone of their marketing function. 

The problem? Most organisations don’t know where to start. 

Key takeaways:

To break through the MOps Maturity Gap, companies must: 

• Prioritise process over tools – Avoid the "shiny object syndrome" and focus on foundational operations.

• MOps is more than just automation. It’s about process, efficiency, and scale.
• Without MOps, marketing execution slows down, data becomes unreliable, and cross-functional misalignment increases.
• If your marketing feels reactive, data is unreliable, or campaign execution is slow, it’s time to invest in MOps.
• A well-structured MOps function drives efficiency, improves data integrity, and ensures seamless marketing execution. 

What MOps actually is (and what it’s not). 

Let’s start with what MOps is not: 

• It’s not just automation tools.
• It’s not just a team of "spreadsheet wizards".
• It’s not a “nice-to-have” function that only enterprises need. 

MOps is the process, strategy, and technology that enables marketing to operate at scale.  At its core, MOps ensures that marketing teams can:

• Launch and optimise campaigns efficiently
• Maintain data integrity and reporting accuracy
• Enable cross-functional collaboration between sales, product, and IT
• Improve customer experience by ensuring seamless communication across touchpoints 

Think of MOps as the operating system of marketing - aligning people, processes, and platforms to remove friction and accelerate results. 

And here’s the key takeaway: without MOps, even the best marketing strategy falls apart in execution. 

The biggest pain points MOps can solve.

If you’ve ever worked on a marketing team, you’ve probably run into at least one of these challenges: 

1. Campaign execution is slower than it should be

Ever tried launching a campaign and found yourself buried in endless approvals, manual data imports, or disjointed tools that don’t talk to each other? 

MOps eliminates these bottlenecks by: 

• Standardising workflows;
• Automating repetitive tasks; and
• Reducing dependency on it for campaign execution.

2. Marketing data is a mess (and no one trusts it)

Data is the fuel for modern marketing, but most teams struggle with duplicate records, missing fields, and inconsistent tracking. 

MOps steps in by: 

• Establishing data governance policies;
• Enforcing standardised naming conventions and tagging; and
• Ensuring crm, marketing automation, and analytics platforms are in-sync.

3. Sales and marketing aren’t aligned

Ever had sales complain that marketing leads aren’t qualified? Or marketing blame sales for not following up? 

MOps helps bridge the gap by: 

• Aligning lead scoring and attribution models;
• Setting up service-level agreements (SLAs) between marketing and sales; and
• Ensuring seamless handoffs between teams.

4. New technology is added without a strategy

The martech landscape is evolving faster than ever, but buying new tools without a clear operational plan creates more problems than it solves. 

MOps prevents this by: 

• Conducting martech audits to assess what’s working and what’s redundant;
• Creating a technology roadmap that supports business objectives; and
• Training teams to fully leverage tools (because what good is a CRM if no one uses it properly?).

If any of these challenges sound familiar, you’re not alone.  

When your business needs a dedicated MOps function. 

So, how do you know when it’s time to invest in MOps as a dedicated function rather than an ad-hoc responsibility?

Here are some clear signs: 

• Marketing feels reactive, not proactive. If your team is constantly firefighting instead of executing strategic initiatives, MOps can help stabilise operations.
• Your MarTech stack has more tools than people. If you’re constantly buying new software but not seeing efficiency gains, MOps can bring structure to your tech investments.
• Scaling marketing feels impossible. If launching campaigns takes longer than it should, or every new initiative feels like reinventing the wheel, MOps can create repeatable processes to enable faster execution.
• Data inconsistencies are leading to poor decision-making. If you can’t confidently report on performance because of bad data, MOps can establish data governance frameworks to clean up your reporting.
• Cross-functional friction is slowing growth. If marketing, sales, and product teams aren’t aligned, MOps can facilitate better collaboration and knowledge sharing. 

At some point, every organisation outgrows its scrappy marketing approach and needs a more structured foundation. 

How to structure MOps for growth.

Once you realise your business needs MOps, the next step is structuring it the right way.  Here is our steps to making it happen: 

1. Start with the right leadership

MOps isn’t just an entry-level role - it needs leadership. Whether it’s a Head of Marketing Operations or a dedicated team lead, someone needs to own the function and drive alignment across marketing, sales, and technology. 

2. Define core responsibilities

Common MOps responsibilities include:: 

• Automation of campaign processes
• Governance of Marketing data
• Management of the MarTech stack
• Performance analytics and attribution
• Alignment of Sales and Marketing 

Avoid the trap of turning MOps into a catch-all for random tasks.  It should be laser-focused on operational excellence.

3. Build a MarTech roadmap 

Instead of chasing the latest shiny object, prioritise investments in tools that solve real business problems.

Key categories to evaluate: 

• CRM and Marketing Automation
• Analytics and Attribution
• AI and Personalisation Engines
• Integration and Data Management 

4. Standardise workflows and documentation

MOps should own the playbooks that enable marketing to operate at scale. Standard campaign launch checklists, automation workflows, and reporting templates can dramatically increase efficiency. 

5. Make continuous optimisation part of the culture 

MOps is not a “set it and forget it” function. It should constantly evolve, refining processes, testing new approaches, and staying ahead of industry shifts. 

Final thoughts: MOps is a competitive advantage.

Marketing without MOps is like a Formula 1 car without a pit crew - it might be fast, but it’s not efficient, and it won’t last long. 

Companies that prioritise MOps will move faster, execute better, and create exceptional customer experiences, while other may struggle to keep up. 

So if you think your marketing function might not be running at its full potential or are unsure about where to start on your MOps journey, then contact us for a strategy session to map out the next steps for your MOps.  

Marketing Operations (MOps) is no longer a back-office function. It’s not just about executing campaigns, generating reports, or making sure Salesforce and Marketo “talk” to each other. Today, MOps is the defining factor in whether a marketing team can scale and deliver meaningful customer connections. 

Yet, there’s a problem—most companies are stuck. 

Looking through the lens of Darrell Alfonso’s Marketing Ops Maturity Model, most companies alternate between the Basic and Managed stages of maturity, never quite breaking into Strategic or Foresight-driven operations. The disconnect? Strategy and execution operate in silos, leaving marketing leaders frustrated as bold visions fail to translate into reality.

Key takeaways:

To break through the MOps Maturity Gap, companies must: 

• Prioritise process over tools – Avoid the "shiny object syndrome" and focus on foundational operations.

• Align strategy with customer value – Move beyond vanity metrics to real business impact.

• Shift from execution to enablement – MOps should empower marketing, not just execute requests.

• Build operational foresight – Leverage AI, automation, and structured workflows to anticipate market changes.

• Establish accountability – Create clear frameworks that connect high-level strategy with tactical execution.

The Maturity Gap - why companies stall. 

The model that Alfonso presents (See below Marketing Ops Maturity Model) provides a clear path forward, showing how teams evolve from: 

1. Basic – Reactive, disorganised, and campaign-focused 
2. Managed – More structured, but still struggling with cross-functional alignment 
3. Strategic – Operations integrated into decision-making and business outcomes 
4. Foresight – AI-driven, predictive, and fully optimised for customer experience 

Image from Darrell Alfonso’s Marketing Ops Maturity Model.

In my experience, I believe that over two thirds of companies hover between the first 2 stages, with many never making it into the high performing stages. 

Having spent nearly two decades leading in-house marketing teams and advising organisations on their operational challenges, I’ve seen firsthand why companies get stuck. It’s not a lack of budget, talent, or tools. It’s culture, process gaps, and the inability to bridge executive strategy with execution. 

The two biggest barriers to success.

1. The Culture vs. Tools Fallacy

Many teams assume that better tools equal higher maturity. This is not the case. 

Companies spend millions on shiny new tech—Customer Data Platforms (CDPs), AI-powered automation, and predictive analytics—only to underutilise them. Without a shift in capabilities, process alignment, and cultural readiness, technology investments become expensive clutter. 

Real progress requires: 

• Prioritising process over platform – Fix the underlying workflows before adding more tools
• Building enablement over execution – Marketing Ops should empower, not just deliver
• Fostering a culture of alignment – Technology should serve a cross-functional strategy, not operate in isolation

2. The Vertical-Execution Gap

Marketing teams struggle to translate executive vision into scalable execution. 

Example: A CMO announces a customer-first strategy. But the campaign team is still optimising for MQLs and lead gen, creating a fundamental misalignment. KPIs, measurement frameworks, and tactical execution remain disconnected from the strategic intent. 

Without a bridge between vision and execution, organisations suffer from: 

• Quality-capped output – Teams constantly firefighting instead of innovating
• Underutilised tools – MarTech stacks that never reach their full potential
• Burnout-prone teams – Overworked employees delivering disjointed results
• Customer experience gaps – Strategies that fail to translate into meaningful engagement 

The Playbook for Breaking Through 

So how do you evolve from Basic to Strategic, and ultimately to Foresight-driven operations? 

Here’s the Marketing Ops Code—the five key shifts that separate high-performing teams from the rest.

1. Reframe Marketing Ops as a Strategic Function

MOps is not an execution-only role. It’s the operating system for marketing success. 

Action Step: Bring MOps into leadership conversations. Align marketing operations with CX, revenue strategy, and business impact—not just campaign delivery.

2. Design for Scalability and Adaptability

Teams that scale have documented, flexible processes—not just tribal knowledge. 

Action Step: Create adaptable workflows that balance structure with agility. Establish a Project Management Office (PMO) to ensure execution aligns with strategic goals.

3. Connect the Data Dots

Your MarTech stack shouldn’t be a collection of disconnected tools. It should be a cohesive system that drives insights and decision-making. 

Action Step: Audit your current data flows. Identify gaps in measurement, integration, and cross-functional collaboration. Eliminate redundant tools and unify data sources.

4. Build a Culture of Experimentation

High-performing teams test, iterate, and optimise continuously. They leverage AI not as a crutch but as an accelerator for efficiency and customer understanding. 

Action Step: Establish a test-and-learn initiative where 5-10% of your budget is dedicated to AI-driven experimentation. Focus on predictive analytics, real-time personalisation, and automation pilots.

5. Bridge Strategy to Execution with Clear Accountability

Aligning marketing strategy with execution requires a structured accountability framework. 

Action Step: Map executive objectives to day-to-day operations. Ensure every high-level strategy has a clear execution framework, with ownership, milestones, and success metrics. 

The Future Belongs to the Ops-Driven Marketer 

Marketing leaders today want to be able to scale output whilst still retaining a deep customer connection - but if we are honest about it, most teams are stuck in the execution weeds, and if a operational backbone is lacking then it falls apart in the day-to-day grind.

And for those who can crack the MOps code, they won’t just keep up—they’ll lead the pack in the coming years of change.

To summaries, here is what I believe will separates the best from the rest:

• Shift from execution to enablement – MOps isn’t just a support function; it should empower the entire marketing org to operate smarter, faster, and with real impact.
• Align strategy with customer value – Drop the vanity metrics. If your ops aren’t driving real customer impact, they’re just busywork.
• Build operational foresight – AI, automation, and streamlined frameworks aren’t future trends—they’re table stakes for scalable marketing.

If your team is ready to stop reacting and start leading, it’s time to bridge the gap From Executive to Execution. 

Where does your MOps team stand today?

If you’re stuck between Basic and Managed, now is the time to break the cycle. The companies that crack the Marketing Ops Code will not only reach Foresight-level operations—they will define the future of marketing.

Take the next step:

• Assess your MOps maturity – Identify where your team stands and pinpoint operational gaps.

• Pilot a small but impactful process improvement – Start with one initiative, like automation, data integration, or campaign execution.

• Start bridging the strategy to execution gap – Align your marketing objectives with operational excellence.

If you are ready to transform your Marketing Ops and unsure on how to start, then contact us for a strategy session to map out your MOps evolution.

Let’s turn your vision into execution—and execution into growth.

I think for many of us, 2024 was not the year we expected it to be. Perhaps we thought it might be a slight continuation of 2023, but it turned out to be something entirely different. It’s been a wild ride for many organisations and individuals, marked by change, disruption, and, in some cases, chaos thrust upon them.

I’m likening 2024 to a warm-up for a much bigger race ahead in 2025 and beyond. 2024 feels like a year we can stamp as one that’s setting the stage for a new kind of future.

This week, I’ve taken some time to reflect on the year that has passed, and below are my thoughts—a bit of a summary, a wrap-up of sorts. I’ve also included my perspective on how next year might unfold.

For many individuals, it’s been a time of new beginnings—learning new skills, opening fresh chapters in life, and embracing change.

Key takeaways:

Investing in CX delivers significant rewards: 

• Independence is more important than ever.
• Focus and prioritisation are about ten times more critical than they have been.
• AI for Branding and Marketing has yet to truly take off.
• The start of 2025 will be a "technology spring-cleaning" season.
• Your applied knowledge will set you apart in the new year, particularly in how you focus on your people and processes.

The importance of independence.

For many years, businesses, individuals, agencies, and platform companies have operated in an ecosystem that regularly functions in silos. Many would argue that it hasn’t been as efficient or truthful as it needs to be. We’re all familiar with the referral game—the exchange between System Companies, Agencies and the client. Over the past few years, this dynamic has reached a point where the prioritisation of the right systems, tools, and processes has been overshadowed by referral fees or kickbacks.

Now, I’m not here to say that referrals or referral fees are inherently bad. What I’m emphasising is this: the primary focus for any organisation must be on implementing the right processes, systems, and people if they want to succeed. Here’s why:

• AI is shortening time-to-market. Ideas that once took months to launch can now reach consumers in days or weeks, especially in the software and campaign space.  Get the right tech before someone else does.
• AI is augmenting workflows, but many organisations are unprepared. Without the proper guardrails, AI doesn’t deliver effective or reliable output.
• Most organisations have too much tech—or tech that isn’t tied to key business drivers. This creates operational bloat, inefficiencies, and confusion.
• Neglecting customer experience will hurt even more in 2025. Customer expectations for service and delivery are now more immediate than ever. Any friction in the customer journey will become a glaring weakness.

It’s no longer inconceivable to expect that a campaign or idea should take a long time to be in-market, especially as most activities and ideas are now digital by nature.

This is where independent decision-making comes into play - having access to unbiased expertise gives organisations that speed to act quickly and stay ahead of the game.  Independence also provides the instant trust needed to make clear, confident decisions, and it can cut through the noise, offering clarity exactly when it’s needed most.

Focus and prioritisation. 

The need for effective prioritisation continues to build on the importance of independence. The reality for many organisations right now is that their resources have been depleted—particularly those that have had to make individuals and entire departments redundant over the past 12 months. Yet, there’s still an undeniable need to drive growth and deliver an outstanding customer experience, often with far fewer resources than before.

In my view, prioritisation and focus must permeate every area of the business. While this might sound obvious, the reality is that many organisations are still ineffectively prioritising their efforts. They’re choosing certain channels over others or prioritising specific programs and projects without a clear connection to their goals.

Everything must tie back to what the business is trying to achieve - What will move the needle in terms of the bottom line and optimising customer experience?

Here are some steps you can take to improve prioritisation:

• Conduct a review of your customer experience and core business KPIs. Understand where you’re excelling and where there’s room for improvement.
• Perform a system audit. Evaluate how each system contributes to customer experience and KPIs. Score them based on their direct and indirect impact.
• Map your operational processes. Count the steps involved and score each one based on its impact on customer experience and business KPIs.
• Undertake a “Keep, Kill, Rewrite” review. Apply this to systems and processes, and extend it to resourcing where feasible. However, because roles and responsibilities are varied, and interactions between departments can be nuanced, this can be a time-consuming but valuable exercise.

By focusing on these areas, organisations can ensure that their efforts are directed toward what truly matters and are aligned with both short-term and long-term goals.

Rapid acceleration of AI for Brand and Marketing  

I believe 2025 will mark a complete shake-up for the brand and marketing industry, especially from an AI perspective.

In my view, this change will touch all facets of brand and marketing—a statement that might spark some debate. Content is already undergoing a dramatic transformation. The volume of AI-led and AI-generated content on social platforms is astronomical, creating not only immense noise but also significant fatigue among audiences.

Media buying, which has been optimised for years, will see even shorter cycles of change—think programmatic for nearly all available channels. The next logical leap, in my opinion, is the elevation of AI into the more strategic realms of brand and marketing.

Here’s how I see it: imagine a CMO or Head of Marketing pitching a substantial budget for brand activity to their CEO, CFO, or board, only to have the proposal rejected. Often, the response is something like, “What’s the return on brand?” For many CMOs, it’s clear that larger investments in branding drive a ripple effect, positively impacting tactical outcomes. However, convincing executives who aren’t well-versed in this theory can be incredibly challenging. The result has been a natural shift toward deeper investments in measurable, one-to-one return channels.

I foresee these conversations becoming much easier over the next 12 to 18 months. We’ll see more platforms supporting branding within the context of driving performance, as well as greater adoption of performance-led optimisation across the full mix of channels and consumer touchpoints.

In short, I believe the acceleration of performance-led brand activity is coming sooner than we realise. 

Spring cleaning technology in 2025

This past year many organisations faced tough decisions to let people or whole departments go, and experienced increased pressure to deliver results under rising costs. Naturally, this will push organisations to turn to the next layer: cost analysis of platforms and systems, or process performance review. This shift comes after roughly 15 years of relatively freewheeling technology purchases. Adding to this, several technologies are rolling out major changes and upgrades.

This creates an environment for "spring cleaning" of the tech stack, and I suspect the following questions will come to the forefront:

• Which systems do we truly need?
• What purpose are our current systems serving?
• Are our platforms fully delivering on their promises?
• What systems should we cut?

Unfortunately, for many organisations, the internal capability to analyse systems to the depth required is lacking. Leaning on platform providers for guidance about whether their own technology is still relevant often feels counterintuitive—like asking a vendor to assess their own value.

So, what’s the solution?

In my view, it all comes back to independence. Seeking an independent, unbiased, and experienced perspective is the fastest and most effective way to gain clarity on how to optimise and address your technology stack.

Applied knowledge the ultimate edge. 

In my view, applied knowledge is the "sleeper" that not enough people are considering. Expanding on this, it’s becoming incredibly easy to execute output, but the real difference lies in producing quality and consistent output that moves the needle and drives meaningful outcomes.

Think about it: how many times have you dealt with a business and thought, It would be so much better if they just did this or that? Or wondered, Why is it so hard for me to transact with this business? Or maybe, What are they trying to communicate, and what’s the value of the product or service they’re offering?

So, who has the answers to these questions? Industry-specific experts, staff members with deep experience within the organisation, channel specialists, and subject matter experts (SMEs).  Their applied knowledge serves as a fact-checking and quality control layer. If built into and operationalised within modern systems, it ensures that output is accurate, consistent, and aligned with business goals.

How can an organisation integrate more applied knowledge into their customer experience?

Start with a deep understanding of the customer journey and the resources available—both internal and external.  Organisations can then weave applied knowledge into the critical touchpoints of the customer experience that drive results.

If there isn’t a strong grasp of the current customer experience, the starting point should be an audit and review of the existing journey.

Ready to make CX your differentiator?

At LuminateCX, we help businesses unlock the competitive power of customer experience. If you’re ready to create a standout CX strategy, contact us for a Spark Session. Together, we’ll craft a plan to put CX at the heart of your competitive edge.

Composable DXPs explained

A composable DXP breaks down the traditional, monolithic platform into modular components, such as content management, personalisation, analytics, and marketing automation, that can be adopted and integrated as needed. This approach leverages microservices, APIs, and cloud-native technologies to provide a flexible and scalable foundation for digital experiences. You may have heard the phrase MACH, to describe this also.

For CMOs: A composable DXP means, in theory, you can deploy best-of-breed tools to enhance customer engagement, personalise content delivery, and adapt marketing strategies more effectively.

For CIOs: It offers, in theory, the flexibility to integrate new technologies, optimise system performance, and reduce reliance on single-vendor solutions.

Why the change?

• We have typically idealised the "all in one stack" approach, believing that the stack can be "brilliant" at everything.
• We may, however, have our benchmarks wrong, we benchmark the all-in-one against the single capability vendors, assuming that is the standard.
• We ended up buying standalone tools anyway, either through legacy, frustration, disconnected departments or more complex scenarios such as acquisition.

The reality is many of us got here today through blind technology-led decision making and the necessity to get content, campaigns and experiences in market.

The question is, are we making the same mistakes again when moving into this "new" composable world?

The Arguments Outlined

Agility & Adaptability

Cost-Effective Investment

Innovation and Competitive Advantage

Improved Customer Experience

In short, there is an argument to say that all these benefits and outcomes were the proposed benefits of an all-in-one monolithic stack... Is the re-investment of a major platform expenditure, to "get" a system that proposes the same benefits as you had before really worth it? Perhaps you need to let us be the judge?

Strategic considerations for CMOs and CIOs

Align with Business Goals

Ensure that the move to a composable DXP supports broader business objectives, such as improving customer acquisition, enhancing retention, or accelerating digital transformation. Do not just adopt technology because the tech vendor or the technical teams say so.

Conduct a Thorough Audit

Evaluate your current digital infrastructure, customer journeys, and operational processes and people to identify gaps and opportunities for composability.

Plan for Change Management

Implement a structured approach to managing the transition, including staff training, process updates, and stakeholder communication.

Partner with Experts

Engage experienced technology partners who understand the nuances of composable architectures and can guide you through the implementation process.

Measure ROI and Performance

Define clear KPIs to measure the success of your composable DXP strategy, such as customer engagement, time-to-market for new features, and cost savings.

Summary

Adopting a composable DXP brings undeniable flexibility, but it also comes with challenges that demand strategic foresight. One of the biggest hurdles is integration complexity. Marketing teams need tools that seamlessly connect to create smooth customer experiences, while IT teams face the task of ensuring these modular components work together without glitches. If integrations falter, the whole system risks becoming disjointed and inefficient.

Vendor lock-in and management overhead are also real concerns. While composability promises flexibility, in practice, certain tools may limit agility due to compatibility issues. Managing multiple components means more updates, security checks, and performance monitoring, which can overwhelm teams already stretched thin. Marketing workflows can also become tangled when too many tools are in play, complicating execution and data analysis.

Lastly, there are skill gaps and cost implications to consider. Both marketing and IT teams may need new skills to manage composable architectures effectively, which can delay progress. Financially, the upfront costs of integration and the ongoing expense of managing multiple vendors can add up quickly. Balancing these costs with the potential ROI is crucial to avoid a situation where the flexibility of composability ends up costing more than it delivers.

Conclusion

The move to a composable DXP represents a paradigm shift in how businesses deploy and manage their digital experience platforms.

If you need help and clarity, working with LuminateCX will unlock independent and unbiased clarity quickly for you.

Today's markets are heavily saturated, where products and services often look remarkably similar, so one key factor that can set a business apart from the crowd is amazing customer experience (CX). If a company goes above and beyond to make its customers feel valued and understood, it is not hard to produce a positive business return.

Optimised CX is no longer a “nice-to-have.”, it is a must have that can make or break an organisation - it is the x-factor that keeps customers loyal in a world full of choices. But crafting a winning CX strategy requires more than offering great service. It demands a nuanced approach to building unforgettable brand experiences.

Key takeaways:

Investing in CX delivers significant rewards: 

• Reduced churn: Minimising poor experiences reduces attrition. 

• Increased referrals: Satisfied customers become enthusiastic advocates. 

• Enhanced brand reputation: Exceptional CX strengthens your position in the market.  

Why CX is your competitive edge. 

There was a time when competing on price, product quality, or convenience alone could keep a brand ahead. Today, those factors are no longer enough. Customers now expect more: meaningful interactions, emotional connections, and understanding from the brands they choose. 

Consider this: in a world where your product can be easily replicated, CX becomes your unique differentiator. It's about how your brand makes people feel. Brands that excel in CX don’t just satisfy customers—they create advocates, triggering a ripple effect that drives growth. Research backs this up: 

• Companies prioritizing CX see an 80% increase in revenue (Zippia, 2023). 

• Customer-centric brands report profits 60% higher than their competitors (CX Index, 2023). 
• A 5% increase in customer retention can boost profitability by 25-95% (EdUme, 2023). 

Step 1: Understand your customers on a deeper level. 

Creating a differentiated CX starts with understanding your customers deeply. Surface-level data like age or purchase history tells only part of the story. Dive deeper into motivations, emotions, and pain points. 

How to deepen customer understanding: 

• Surveys and feedback: Regularly collect customer insights. Open-ended questions help uncover hidden frustrations and expectations. 

• Customer journey mapping: Map every step of the journey to pinpoint disconnects and moments of delight. 

• Customer personas: Build detailed personas incorporating psychographics like values and interests to guide your strategy. 

By understanding customers as individuals, you foster emotional connections and loyalty. 

Step 2: Personalise, don’t generalise.  

Today’s customers are savvy; they know when they’re being treated as just another number. Personalisation means tailoring every interaction to reflect the customer’s preferences and needs. 

Effective personalisation tactics: 

• Relevant recommendations: Use data to suggest products aligned with customer behaviours. 

• Tailored communication: Adjust messaging for first-time buyers versus loyalists. 

• Exclusive offers and rewards: Personalised rewards build a sense of belonging and appreciation. 

With 72% of customers expecting personalised experiences (Fluent Support, 2023), moving from generic to tailored interactions is essential. 

Step 3: Ensure consistency across all touchpoints

CX excellence is not about isolated moments of greatness; it’s about seamless interactions across all channels. Customers want consistent experiences online, in-store, and everywhere in between. 

How to deliver consistent CX: 

• Centralised customer data: Ensure all teams have access to unified customer profiles. 

• Aligned messaging and tone: Consistency in tone across social media, email, and in-person interactions reinforces trust. 

• Cross-channel coordination: Align promotions and information so all touchpoints reflect the same details. 

Remember, 85% of customers expect consistent interactions across departments (Nicereply, 2023). 

Step 4: Make your customer service exceptional. 

Customer service is the backbone of a great experience. It's where a brand’s commitment to satisfaction becomes tangible. 

Key practices for exceptional service: 

• Empower your team: Equip staff with tools and autonomy to make decisions in real-time. 

• Actively listen: Train teams to empathise and respond genuinely to concerns. 

• Follow up: A quick check-in after resolving an issue shows dedication to satisfaction. 

Outstanding service builds advocates, with 82% of customers recommending brands based on great service alone (Nicereply, 2023). 

Step 5: Measure and adapt your CX strategy  

CX strategies must evolve with customer expectations and market trends. Regularly track key metrics and gather feedback to stay competitive. 

Metrics to track: 

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Gauge customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend your brand. 

• Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): Monitor satisfaction with specific interactions. 

• Customer Effort Score (CES): Measure how easy it is for customers to achieve their goals. 

Ready to make CX your differentiator?

Where customers are increasingly selective, experience sets brands apart. By understanding your customers, personalising interactions, ensuring consistency, and delivering outstanding service, you can make CX the cornerstone of your strategy.

At LuminateCX, we help businesses unlock the competitive power of customer experience. If you’re ready to create a standout CX strategy, contact us for a Spark Session. Together, we’ll craft a plan to put CX at the heart of your competitive edge

If there’s one constant in marketing - change. Trends evolve, algorithms update, and new platforms emerge faster than anyone can say “pivot.” For a marketing team to thrive today, embracing change isn’t optional—it’s essential. A team that thrives on change becomes a powerful asset, driving innovation, adaptability, and growth. 

Building such a team isn’t accidental; it’s intentional. It requires vision, strategy, and the right culture. So, how do you create a marketing team that doesn’t just tolerate change but leverages it as a growth engine? Let’s break it down.

Key takeaways:

• Hire for curiosity, resilience, and a growth mindset.
• Foster a culture of experimentation and data-driven decisions.
• Encourage cross-functional collaboration and continuous learning.
• Celebrate adaptability to reinforce its importance.

Why adaptability matters in marketing 

Adaptability is the oxygen of marketing. In a landscape where yesterday’s tactics won’t guarantee tomorrow’s results, staying rigid is a recipe for stagnation. 

Teams that cling to old methods fall behind, while adaptable teams pivot quickly, spotting opportunities and refining strategies without losing momentum. Instead of fearing change, they harness it, turning obstacles into opportunities. This mindset fuels not only team growth but also the resilience of the entire organisation.  

Step 1: Foster curiosity and resilience  

If you are beginning your journey to building an adaptable team, then add a large component into your hiring process to look for curiosity and resilience. On the other hand, if you have an existing team then encourage your people to understand deeper why something is happening. While skills and experience are important, seek candidates who embody curiosity, resilience, and a growth mindset. 

Key qualities to prioritise: 

• Curiosity: Curious marketers push boundaries and seek new solutions. 

• Resilience: Resilient individuals navigate challenges and stay motivated amidst uncertainty. 

• Growth mindset: Those with a growth mindset embrace learning and adapt to shifting demands. 

For example:  Incorporate scenario-based questions during interviews to assess these traits. Ask candidates how they’ve adapted to unexpected challenges in past roles.

Step 2: Cultivate a culture of experimentation 

Once you have the right people, foster a workplace culture that encourages experimentation. 

How to promote experimentation: 

• Start with small tests. Mini experiments mitigate risks while paving the way for innovative ideas. 

• Celebrate wins and learn from failures. Recognise both successful and unsuccessful experiments to create a “fail fast, learn faster” environment. 

• Allocate time for creative exploration. Regularly schedule brainstorming or testing sessions to keep innovation alive. 

By normalising experimentation, you empower your team to innovate fearlessly.

Step 3: Embrace data-driven decision-making 

Adaptable teams rely on data as their compass. Data not only informs decisions but also builds trust in the change process. 

Steps to embrace data-driven practices: 

• Provide accessible insights: Equip the entire team with relevant metrics and analytics tools. 

• Encourage reflective learning: After every campaign, review data to refine future strategies. 

• Balance intuition with data: Combine data insights with team expertise for well-rounded decisions. 

Using data to guide decisions makes change purposeful, clear, and impactful.

Step 4: Foster cross-functional collaboration 

Silos stifle adaptability. Teams that collaborate across departments are better equipped to innovate and align strategies with organisational goals. 

Encourage collaboration through: 

• Open communication: Establish regular cross-functional meetings to share insights. 

• Goal alignment: Sync marketing objectives with other departments like sales and product teams. 

• Knowledge sharing: Create platforms for teams to exchange lessons learned and emerging trends. 

A collaborative approach ensures marketing strategies are agile and well-integrated. 

Step 5: Invest in continuous learning and development

Adaptable teams never stop learning. Marketing evolves rapidly, and upskilling is essential to stay ahead. 

Support continuous learning by: 

• Offering training opportunities in emerging areas like AI or content strategy. 

• Hosting knowledge-sharing sessions where team members can present on industry trends. 

• Encouraging self-directed learning to align team interests with organisational goals. 

When learning becomes second nature, your team is equipped to tackle any challenge. 

Step 6: Reward and recognition

Change is hard, and recognising those who navigate it well reinforces a culture of resilience. 

Ideas for recognising adaptability: 

• Publicly celebrate team members who embrace change through creativity and perseverance. 

• Offer spot bonuses or small rewards for outstanding adaptability. 

• Establish an annual “adaptability award” to institutionalise its value. 

Recognition motivates teams to lean into change with confidence.

Adaptability leads to measurable success

The importance of adaptability is underscored by data: 

• Companies with adaptable marketing processes achieve 10% higher sales quotas and 36% greater customer retention rates and  teams see 24% faster revenue growth and 27% higher profit growth. 

• Organisations reduce customer acquisition costs by 30% and increase customer lifetime value by 20% . 

These statistics show why adaptability is not just a soft skill but a critical driver of innovation and growth.

Your roadmap to adaptability

Building a marketing team that thrives on change requires intentionality, from hiring the right people to fostering a culture of learning and collaboration. 

When your team sees change as an opportunity rather than a challenge, they become unstoppable, driving growth and positioning your organisation as a leader in innovation. 

At LuminateCX, we help businesses unlock the power of MarTech, process and people, so if you would like to understand how we can support your business, contact us for a Spark Session.

Agility isn’t just a buzzword – it’s the backbone of scaling effectively. It’s the ability to pivot instantly when customer expectations shift, new trends demand attention, or unforeseen challenges arise. When was the last time your team had to rework a campaign on the fly? How easy—or painful—was it? 

Now imagine a marketing stack designed to support that level of flexibility – one that’s lean, adaptable, and fast. Most organisations believe their stack is agile… until it’s not. Only when change is unavoidable do the limitations of outdated systems reveal themselves. Let’s explore what an agile marketing stack really looks like, why it’s critical, and how to prepare for the next big pivot.  

Key takeaways 

• Agility in your marketing stack drives faster campaign rollouts, improved ROI, and better customer experiences.
• Signs of inflexibility include slow processes, workarounds, and integration challenges.
• Building an agile stack involves modular tools, seamless integration, and a learning-focused culture. 
• Real-world successes prove that agility is a necessity, not a luxury, in today’s fast-paced market. 

Why agile matters now more than ever. 

The pace of change today is exponential. Customer expectations shift almost daily, and emerging trends can reshape entire industries overnight. Businesses that adapt quickly thrive, while those stuck in outdated systems risk irrelevance. 

Agility in your marketing stack enables rapid responses, continuous experimentation, and faster delivery of value. It’s the difference between chasing trends and setting them. For example, HID Global saw a 116% year-over-year increase in pipeline contribution by adopting agile technologies, while Colt Technology Services achieved up to 500% improvement in critical business metrics through an outcome-based agile approach.

Signs your stack isn’t as agile as you think. 

Even the most robust stacks can become cumbersome over time. Look out for these red flags: 

• Slow Campaign Rollouts: If launching a campaign feels like running a marathon, agility is lacking. Agile teams often deliver ~26 campaigns per year, compared to 6 in traditional setups. 
• Constant Workarounds: If your team spends more time navigating limitations than innovating, the stack may be a bottleneck. 
• Difficult Integrations: Connecting data across platforms shouldn’t feel like solving a Rube Goldberg machine. 
• Rigid Processes: If even minor workflow adjustments feel insurmountable, your tools might be anchoring your potential. 

These challenges can stifle growth and make it nearly impossible to keep pace with market demands.  

The essentials of an Agile Marketing Stack. 

An agile marketing stack isn’t just about adopting the latest technology; it’s about building a system that’s adaptable, user-friendly, and future-focused. Here’s what to aim for:

1. Interconnected and data-driven
   An agile stack ensures seamless data flow across systems, providing a 360-degree view of the customer. This enables real-time insights and data-driven decisions. 

2. Modular and scalable
   With modular tools, you can add or remove components without destabilising the entire stack. This flexibility allows you to adapt as your business evolves. 

3. User-friendly with low learning curves
   Tools should be intuitive and easy for any team member to use, ensuring quick adoption and reducing reliance on extensive training. 

4. Real-time capabilities
   Real-time insights allow teams to adjust strategies instantly, whether it’s tweaking ad spend or updating campaign content. 

Building the foundation for agility: 5 practical steps 

Creating an agile marketing stack doesn’t have to mean scrapping everything you currently use. Instead, it’s about fine-tuning and layering in elements that support flexibility. Follow these steps to build agility into your existing systems:  

1. Assess what’s working and what’s not
   Conduct an audit of your current stack, identifying which tools serve your goals and which create bottlenecks. It’s often the case that 20% of your stack is causing 80% of the issues. Spot these troublemakers and ask: is this tool holding us back? 

2. Prioritise integration
   Choose tools that can easily integrate with one another and adapt as your needs change. A system that seamlessly shares data across channels and departments fosters efficiency and provides a holistic view of your customer interactions.   

3. Consider implementing low-code/no-code tools  
   Today, many platforms allow for low-code or no-code customisation, which reduces the dependency on developers for changes. This can be a game-changer, especially for teams that need to pivot fast but lack in-house tech support.   

4. Encourage continuous learning
   Agility is a mindset as much as it is a toolkit. Empower your team to stay updated on digital trends and tool capabilities. Regular training sessions and opportunities to learn from other industries can instill a culture of innovation. 

5. Build in flexibility for budgeting and forecasting
   Marketing budgets can be tight, but an agile stack allows you to reallocate resources dynamically. Make it a practice to re-evaluate your budget allocation periodically, allowing room to double down on channels or strategies that are yielding the highest return. 

Agility in action 

Northern Arizona University increased productivity by 400% and reduced costs by 20% after implementing agile marketing. Meanwhile, HID Global and Colt Technology Services transformed their processes to achieve substantial growth and efficiency. These examples underscore the tangible benefits of agility in marketing. 

The Role of Culture in Building Agility 

Agility isn’t just about tools – it’s about mindset. A culture of experimentation and collaboration is essential for success. Empower your team to test new ideas and pivot strategies quickly without layers of approval. The right tools paired with a proactive culture enable true marketing agility.

Knowing when to Pivot: signs it’s time to change course 

One of the hallmarks of an agile stack is the ability to pivot. But recognising the signs that a pivot is necessary is just as important as having the tools to execute it. Here are a few scenarios to watch for:

• Shifts in Customer Behaviour: If you’re seeing shifts in engagement rates or sales channels, it could indicate a need to pivot your strategy. 
• New Market Opportunities: An agile stack allows you to explore emerging markets or trends quickly. 
• Performance Plateaus: If your campaigns or channels are hitting a plateau, it’s a sign your stack may need an infusion of new tech or strategies. 
  
  

The more responsive your stack is, the easier it becomes to pivot without disruption—allowing you to seize opportunities as they arise.

Agility Isn’t a Luxury, It’s a Necessity 

We all like to think our marketing stacks are agile, but when the pressure mounts, cracks appear. The true test of your stack’s agility is how seamlessly you can pivot in response to the next big market shift. If your stack is bogged down with redundancies, workarounds, and bottlenecks, it might be time for a refresh. 

 The businesses that thrive in unpredictable environments are those that keep agility at the forefront of their strategy. They view their stack not just as a set of tools, but as a dynamic system that adapts, learns, and grows alongside their business. So, as you look to the future, ask yourself: is your marketing stack a tool for growth or an anchor holding you back?  

Ready to future-focus your Marketing stack?

At LuminateCX, we specialise in helping organisations streamline their marketing stacks for ultimate agility. If you’re ready to take the next step in future-focusing your stack, we’d love to chat. Contact us for a Spark Session to assess where your stack stands today and how it can be fine-tuned for the future.