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Martech Must Evolve: Rethinking Customer Engagement Strategies

Legacy marketing tech is failing customer retention; brands must adopt AI-driven, outcome-based solutions to engage the often-ignored majority and boost profitability.

The martech landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, as brands grapple with ineffective traditional marketing technology and seek innovative solutions. Understanding this shift is crucial for forward-thinking marketers aiming to thrive in a competitive environment.

The Customer Engagement Crisis

Traditional marketing technology, or TradMartech, has become a key obstacle in customer retention. Reports indicate that brands waste over $500 billion annually on reacquisition costs due to failure in effective customer engagement strategies.

The Misguided Focus on Best Customers

TradMartech has predominantly focused on the "Best 20%" of customers while neglecting the "Rest that make up 80%." This strategy leaves the majority disengaged, drifting away into a void of silence.

By ignoring the traditional middle segment, companies not only lose immediate sales but create a cycle of costly reacquisition later.

Shifting the Strategy

To combat this trend, there’s an urgent need for a change in marketing technology. This entails:

  • Creating focus on the "lost 90%" of customers.
  • Implementing AI-powered simplicity in technology.
  • Shifting towards outcome-based pricing models rather than input-based.

Innovative Approaches on the Horizon

As the marketing industry moves to embrace AI and data-driven insights, several strategies are emerging:

  • AI-Driven Personalisation: Moving away from broad segments to highly personalized experiences.
  • Outcome-Based Economics: Transitioning from paying for software access to paying based on generated outcomes, ensuring brands only invest in quantifiable success.
  • Composable Architectures: Developing interoperable systems that allow for custom solutions tailored to specific branding needs rather than using rigid point solutions.

The Community’s Role in Transformation

Marketers must collaborate, share insights, and leverage community-driven innovations to drive this change forward. The collective push against TradMartech can birth a new era of profit-driven marketing strategies that not only retain existing customers but actively engage the often-ignored segments.

Conclusion

Moving forward, brands must rethink their engagement strategies and embrace the shift toward a more holistic and outcome-driven approach to marketing technology.

By fostering an environment that embraces these revolutionary changes, businesses can turn their marketing from a cost center into a profit-driving machine. The days of maintaining the status quo are over—marketers must adapt or risk being left behind in a rapidly evolving landscape.


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