Darrell Alfonso: The attributes of an effective martech stack

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Marketing technology, at its best, allows organizations to scale communications and automate manual tasks that would otherwise stifle creativity. However, martech is a buzzword many marketers have come to fear.

Building an effective martech stack is challenging. Defining the right needs for your organization and customers becomes clouded when endless technology providers claim to have the right solution for your brand.

Award-winning Martech expert Darrell Alfonso has spent well over a decade developing the best practices and pitfalls for marketing technology that supports brand building and revenue generation alike. He argues the complete migration to digital in the way we engage consumers now drives the need for an effective martech stack. It is the only way to scale success in your marketing efforts.

Martech pitfalls

So, what are the challenges when it comes to upgrading a martech stack? Alfonso offers the three leading pitfalls:

1. Acquiring tools like a set of golf clubs
2. Platform envy
3. Vendor misinformation

Beginning with the golf club analogy, Alfonso explains that many novices to the sport may acquire clubs in case they need them in the future.

“Marketing technology should be used to achieve your objectives and not something that you’re building just in case you need them in the future.”

He also elaborates on platform envy. This is looking at leading competitors and thinking it is the tool selection that made them successful and trying to replicate it.

“A martech stack should be bespoke to a business’s unique needs and customers.”

Businesses should begin with their needs rather than focusing on the noise around them.

Lastly, Alfonso raises the issue of misinformation by martech vendors. Whilst not done maliciously, he argues that there is an inherent bias when vendors recommend their platform as a part of training. Whilst this can no doubt be useful, just as with the point above, brands should reflect on their specific use case.

Attributes of an effective martech stack

Alfonso argues a healthy martech stack is much like the human body. It should be functional, efficient, and have longevity.

1. Functional: Just like we want to play sports or take a hike, we want our bodies to be functional. Likewise, we want martech to be functional. Understand your goals and customer journey well, what experience you want to make, and use technology to slot in and support those objectives
2. Efficient: Humans want to be lean and fit. Similarly, you want to heavily utilize your marketing technology. When brands have too much shelfware, their marketing technology is underutilized. Alfonso explains that brands can achieve efficiency by thinking carefully about adoption. Recognize who will use the technology. Ensure they get proper training. Consistently review to make sure people are using it in the right way.
3. Longevity: We want to live long lives, so we have healthy best practices. With martech, Alfonso argues you must plan for scalability and the long-term. When you implement and integrate a tool or technology, can it cope with five times more demand? Or will it fall apart?

To achieve each of these goals, marketers must acknowledge the importance of people in technology. Alfonso breaks down Etumos’ four pillars of a thriving marketing operations department that would collectively be responsible for martech: Platform operations, campaign operations, marketing intelligence, and marketing engineering.

Moreover, marketing leaders must develop their skills by constantly listening to new sources of information. Alfonso shares the importance of surrounding yourself with people who can explain technology simply. When jargon is rife, people who can simplify complex topics can help marketing leaders incrementally learn and develop their knowledge of martech.

Timestamps

00:10 – Introduction

00:53 – What makes a great marketing leader?

02:20 – Why is building an effective martech stack so vital for marketing leaders?

04:21 – What are the challenges when it comes to upgrading a martech stack?

06:40 – What are some of the attributes of an effective martech stack?

He uses the analogy that a holistic martech stack should be like the health of the human body.

10:13 – How should brands assess and define what talent they need to support their technology strategy?

13:07 – What skills should leaders develop to support their technology strategy?

15:49 – What benefits or challenges will emerging technology bring to building an effective martech stack?

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Darrell Alfonso is Director of Marketing Strategy and Operations at Indeed. He is an award-winning Martech leader, influencer, and speaker with 15 years’ experience managing marketing technology at startups and the world’s leading enterprises.

Darrell has been ranked as one of the Top Marketers in the US by Propolis 2022 and was named one of the “Top Martech Marketers to Follow” in 2020 by Martech Alliance, among several other awards and recognitions. He has recently authored The Martech Handbook: Build a Technology Stack to Attract and Retain Customers.