CMOs should choose marketing technology for how well it supports their business capabilities, existing systems, users and measurable goals—not for a feature list or a “best-of-breed” label. That does not mean standalone products are inherently wrong. It means a product earns a place in the stack only when it fits the organization’s operating context and proves its value in a relevant use case.
Why “best-of-breed” can be the wrong buying question
A product can lead its category and still be a poor fit for a particular company. Its standout features may duplicate capabilities already in use, depend on integrations the organization cannot maintain, or create operational work that outweighs the benefit. A stack assembled tool by tool can become difficult to govern and use, even when each purchase looked strong in isolation.
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Gartner reports that martech utilization fell to 49% in its 2025 Marketing Technology Survey. That is a survey finding, not a universal utilization rate for every company. Gartner also says martech accounts for nearly 22% of total marketing spend, but its public page does not clearly date that estimate. The figures underline why buying another tool should come with a clear case for how it will be used and what it will improve.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteGartner’s public page says 15% of organizations qualify as high performers, defined there as meeting strategic goals and demonstrating positive ROI. The page does not clearly identify the year for that figure, so it should not be read as a result from the 2025 survey. Gartner’s martech guidance recommends auditing the stack, aligning investments with business capabilities and focusing vendor evaluation on outcomes rather than features.
#1 Best Overall
Best-aligned is a decision framework, not an architecture mandate
“Best-aligned” asks whether a tool fits the company’s capabilities, operating model and roadmap. It does not mean choosing an integrated suite by default or rejecting best-of-breed products. Gartner recommends composability and modular, API-friendly tools; those can be valuable when they support the organization’s needs for interoperability and change. An integrated platform may fit another organization better. Contextual reporting on martech selection likewise emphasizes that the right fit depends on the business, not an abstract ranking.
Gartner’s 2026 public abstracts connect composable architecture with stack agility and AI readiness, and call for closer marketing-IT collaboration. These are strategic themes, not evidence that any one architecture—or vendor—will suit every company. A decision should follow the use case and operating context.
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Evaluate each option against the work your business needs to do
Before comparing vendors, describe the capability or customer experience that needs to change. Then assess each candidate against the same criteria, weighted to reflect your organization’s priorities:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Business capability fit: What marketing capability will become possible or materially better? Identify the team and process that will use it.
- Integration and interoperability: Can the product work with the CRM, analytics, customer data and activation systems already in place? Ask the vendor to demonstrate the relevant integrations, not merely list them.
- Adoption and operating complexity: Include daily users and technical power users in the evaluation. Determine what training, administration and repeatable operating processes the tool requires. Gartner identifies complexity as a barrier and advises engaging stakeholders.
- Outcome evidence: Define the business result expected, how it will be measured and what evidence would show that the product contributed. Ask the vendor to demonstrate the result in a use case relevant to your organization.
- Flexibility and lock-in: Test whether the product is modular and API-friendly enough for the roadmap. Consider what would be involved in changing systems or adding capabilities later.
- Governance and ownership: Agree who decides, administers, supports and funds the tool. Marketing and IT should align on decision rights and the roadmap rather than leaving ownership implicit.
Gartner advises vendors to demonstrate value, provide user references, explain integration capabilities and take part in competitive proofs of concept. Treat those as ways to test fit, not as guarantees of results.
Audit the current stack before adding another tool
A purchase decision is stronger when it starts with an inventory of what the organization already owns and uses. Gartner recommends documenting products and vendors, engaging audiences and users, and assigning roles and responsibilities. The audit should help establish whether a proposed purchase fills a genuine gap or adds another layer to a capability that is already covered.
Useful questions for the audit include:
- Which tools are redundant or underperforming, and how can the stack be streamlined?
- Where do teams need consolidation or integration to work more efficiently?
- How will a new capability support customer journey orchestration?
- What should the multiyear martech roadmap look like, and how can marketing and IT collaborate to deliver it?
These questions echo the issues Gartner raises in its public martech guidance. Their answers should feed the roadmap and clarify what a new purchase must accomplish.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Run a competitive proof of concept around a real use case
For a major purchase, use a proof of concept to test the work the product is expected to do—not a generic showcase selected by the vendor. Compare shortlisted options against the same use case, success measures and integration requirements. Involve intended users and the teams responsible for implementation and operations.
- Write down the problem and intended result. Name the capability gap, the users affected and the business measure that should change.
- Set evaluation criteria before demonstrations. Weight capability fit, integration, adoption, outcomes, flexibility and governance according to the company’s needs.
- Ask each vendor to demonstrate the same use case. Include the relevant systems and workflow so the exercise reveals practical integration and operating requirements.
- Gather evidence from users and references. Ask for user references and examine whether the product can support the expected work in a comparable operating context.
- Make ownership and next steps explicit. Confirm who will operate the product, how results will be measured and how the purchase fits the marketing-IT roadmap.
A proof of concept cannot establish every long-term cost or outcome, but it can expose mismatches that a feature comparison misses. Gartner’s 2025 Magic Quadrant for Multichannel Marketing Hubs names category vendors; its public abstract is not enough to determine which vendor suits a particular organization. Use category research to inform a shortlist, not to outsource the fit decision.
What the choice should ultimately optimize
The goal is not the largest stack, the most features or the highest-ranked standalone product. It is a set of capabilities that teams can operate, systems can support and leaders can connect to defined outcomes. Gartner’s 2026 abstracts make composability and marketing-IT collaboration relevant to future planning, but the durable test remains whether each investment serves this organization’s roadmap.
Buy a specialist product when its distinct capability, integration path and operating demands fit the business—and when a use-case-driven evaluation supports the expected value. Choose a more integrated option when that better matches the company’s needs. In either case, alignment is something to verify, not a label to accept.
Sources: Gartner, Boost Martech Performance and Prepare for AI; Gartner, Architect for AI Agility: CMOs Must Lead the Move to Composable Martech (22 April 2026, public abstract); Gartner, Martech 2030: Future-Proof Your CMO-CIO Relationship for the Age of AI (28 May 2026, public abstract); MarTech, Best-in-class martech depends on your business context; and Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Multichannel Marketing Hubs (22 September 2025, public abstract).
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