New research from SALESmanago has revealed a significant gap between confidence in MarTech performance and the use of available capabilities.
While eCommerce marketers are optimistic about achieving their goals, 99% report leaving key features of their marketing technology stacks unused.
The research, based on insights from over 150 eCommerce marketing leaders across the UK, Germany, Spain and Poland, highlights a clear mismatch between use and confidence according to the authors of the report. While 62% of marketers admit they utilize only half to three-quarters of the features in their MarTech stacks, 92% still believe their technology can deliver results.
Keys to Better MarTech
Brian Plackis Cheng, CEO at SALESmanago, commented that unlocking the full potential of MarTech requires smarter adoption, better training, and investment in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions that can deliver personalized customer experiences in a rapidly changing landscape.
“Too often, organizations leave powerful features unused due to limited expertise or resources,” said Cheng. “Partnering with the right marketing agency can also be crucial to overcoming these gaps. Marketers that understand and optimize their technology— bridging the adoption gap—will gain a clear competitive edge in an increasingly tough market.”
Slow AI Adoption
Surprisingly, AI adoption within MarTech remains limited—only 13% of marketers report that AI is currently helping them manage their duties, though half of respondents say they plan to adopt more AI capabilities in 2025 and 2026. When asked about resources, 60% said that increased AI investment would help their teams, 53% cited the need for more overall MarTech investment, and 38% highlighted the need for additional personnel.
The AI finding dovetails into a key finding that MarTech skills remain a barrier—17% acknowledging their teams lack the expertise needed to fully leverage their tools.
When it comes to measuring ROI, while almost all marketers (96%) track the performance of their tools, 40% say it is difficult to measure, and 18% report that they do not see a clear return from their martech investments. Capacity and time constraints are also a challenge, with nearly half of the marketers (47%) stating that they don’t have enough time in the day to complete all their tasks and are only just coping with their workloads.
