Dedale Intelligence’s take on MarTech

MarTech 2025: A Gigantic Industry Prone to Disruption

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The MarTech segment is a gigantic industry that is difficult to grasp. Could you share your perspective on how to analyze this segment?

Mathieu CANLER: The industry is a multi-billion-dollar market with dozens upon dozens of solutions. From our point of view, it can be simplified into two main segments:

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1. Digital Content & Product Management
   This includes all the software needed to manage content and product information. Examples include:

• Content Management Systems (e.g., Contentful)

• Digital Asset Management (e.g., Bynder)

• Product Information Management (e.g., Akeneo)

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2. Customer Experience Management
   This covers all the software designed to manage and optimize customer interactions and data. Typical categories include:

• CRM (e.g., Salesforce)

• Marketing Automation (e.g., Brevo)

• Customer Data Platforms (e.g., Tealium)

• Personalization & A/B Testing (e.g., AB Tasty)

• Customer Success Management (e.g., Zendesk)

• Customer Communication Management (e.g., Quadient)

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From a customer’s perspective, it is challenging to understand what is essential versus what is merely a “nice-to-have.” From a software vendor’s perspective, the challenge lies in determining the right product roadmap, identifying the next “must-have” versus what will ultimately become a commodity.

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How has the industry evolved over the past five years? And how will it evolve over the next five years?

Mathieu CANLER: Between 2019 and 2022, the industry experienced spectacular growth fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, with skyrocketing customer demand and an explosion in the number of available solutions.

• The 2023–2024 period saw a slight correction, driven by economic uncertainty (recession risks, geopolitical tensions, etc.). This translated into client-side budget rationalization and a reassessment of the “ideal tech stack.”

• 2025 appears to be a recovery year in terms of customer demand. For vendors, however, a more mature market environment means they must explore new avenues for growth.

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Looking ahead to the next five years, we expect:

• A return to growth,

• An acceleration of platformization (e.g., CMS integrating DAM, PIM integrating feed engines, CRM integrating Marketing Automation, etc.),

• The commoditization of certain services, fueled by both AI advancements and market maturity.

The industry is undergoing a profound transformation, which makes it very exciting.

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From the client perspective, is there real interest in end-to-end platforms?

Mathieu CANLER: It depends on the client segment (size and industry):

• SMB (Small & Medium Businesses):
  Needs remain relatively basic. Many freemium solutions already cover these at low cost. This segment is prone to commoditization since there is little differentiation between vendors and low complexity, with limited need for true end-to-end platforms.

• Mid-Market:
  This is an interesting segment. Clients typically don’t have the budgets of large enterprises, but their needs are more advanced. We see strong interest in platformization, driven by the desire to rationalize their tech stack (given limited in-house IT resources) and optimize budgets (a single platform is often cheaper than combining best-of-breed tools). Here, we see the rise of “good enough solutions.”

• Enterprise:
  Large enterprises generally adopt a best-of-breed approach, the only viable way to support their complexity and meet their requirements. Vendors like Adobe, Sitecore, or Optimizely can serve as “core applications,” but they are often paired with more specialized point solutions.

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AI seems to be at the center of every MarTech discussion. How is it changing the game?

Mathieu CANLER: AI is indeed at the center of every MarTech discussion today, and for good reason. It is disrupting the industry at both a technological and business level.

On one hand, it enables hyper-personalization at scale, delivering tailored experiences in real time by analyzing customer behavior, intent, and context, while also powering predictive product recommendations. It also drives efficiency and automation of marketing operations, from content generation to campaign optimization.

On the other hand, AI is accelerating platform convergence and commoditization. Many MarTech vendors are embedding AI features natively, blurring the lines between point solutions and raising the bar for differentiation.

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This interview is part of Dedale Intelligence’s ongoing series of expert insights, bringing research-driven perspectives on the most dynamic segments in software and technology. For more in-depth analysis, explore our latest articles, or contact us.