This spring, we launched Phase 1 of a native plant pollinator garden at home. Now that it’s mid-summer, it’s quite lovely, with everything in bloom.

At some point, however, our milkweed plants developed an aphid infestation. The little yellow buggers were everywhere! What to do? We went online and bought 1,500 ladybugs. Now, every evening, I go out and see the ladybugs at work, laying absolute waste to the aphids.

MarTech contributor Ali Schwanke writes today about marketing ops bottlenecks and what you can do about them. I don’t think we’re there yet, but a lot of these bottlenecks seem ripe for AI to come along and clean them out, like ladybugs taking care of aphids. I want to work in that world.

P.S. Registration is open for our free, one-day virtual MarTech Conference events! Join us September 17th (details and registration link here) and on November 4th for our second event, “AI and agents: Transforming marketing now – and redefining what’s next.” You can even pre-register for November when you sign up for September!

Mike Pastore
Editorial Director

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Email marketing

Why it’s time to reframe email from campaigns to conversations

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Most email programs are still built around brand priorities — not customer needs. Here’s how to flip that dynamic.

Marketing operations (MOps)

3 MOps bottlenecks killing your campaign velocity

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Stakeholders, tech and process friction can silently kill campaign speed. Here’s how to spot and solve the top MOps bottlenecks.

MarTechCharts

Satisfaction with martech stacks varies by company size

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Mid-size companies are most satisfied with their martech stacks. Smaller companies, not so much.

MarTech intelligence reports

The era of easy targeting is over. Now what?

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As cookies fade and privacy tightens, this Martech Intelligence Report shows how identity resolution platforms are powering the next era of customer recognition. Get a clear view of the leading vendors, emerging tech, and what it takes to adapt now.

B2B marketing

B2B marketing on X: What you need to know

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The advertisers are back, thanks to Elon Musk's relationship with President Trump. But the audience never left -- and that includes B2B buyers.

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Event marketing

How to use AI to turn one event into a month of content

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AI lets you personalize outreach, repurpose video and treat event content like a business asset — not an afterthought.

Marketing artificial intelligence (AI)

A practical guide to agentic AI

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See how autonomous AI agents are streamlining CX across sales, support, and marketing — not just with faster responses, but with real, measurable impact.

Marketing management

Why assumption-based GTM strategy is facing a powerful reckoning

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It's time to replace familiar, untested, "how we've always done it" methods with ones that are tested and proven.

Online Event

Data and AI are rewriting the rules of marketing… are you ready to lead?

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Attend MarTech, online September 17, to learn how to modernize your stack and leverage the combined forces of AI and data to enable smarter, more compliant customer experiences.

Meet the new MarTech

What else we're reading

Good reads and conversations to help good marketers get better.

MarTech research

Surveys and research reports to make you a more-informed marketer
  • Get the 2025 State of Your Stack Survey report by downloading the PDF, flipping through a carousel, listening to a discussion of the results or watching the keynote session from the Spring 2025 MarTech Conference — all without registration.

MarTech Intelligence Reports are in-depth, independent and indispensable. They’re designed to help marketers navigate the martech landscape with questions to ask during the buying process, vendor profiles and more.

Download your Intelligence Report today:

What they're saying

  • “Unfortunately, martech stacks are a patchwork of tools, workflows and integrations at best and a Frankenstein of technology at worst. Marketing and sales tech stacks rely on everything working just right.” – Ali Schwanke in 3 MOps bottlenecks killing your campaign velocity.
  • “It’s time to rethink our approach to email marketing. Instead of leading with campaigns, we should focus on conversations — engaging customers throughout their entire lifecycle, starting when they opt in.” – Kath Pay in Why it’s time to reframe email from campaigns to conversations

From Search Engine Land