European marketers plan to simplify martech stacks

European marketing teams plan to simplify their marketing technology stacks, even as most say they like the tools they already use, according to research from SALESmanago.

The study found that 61% of marketers love their current martech stack. At the same time, 92% feel "overstacked" with too many tools. Nearly all respondents (99%) plan to simplify their stack this year.

The findings highlight a familiar marketing operations challenge: teams have accumulated large collections of products over time, but day-to-day costs and complexity now influence buying decisions as much as features.

Cutting tool sprawl

The survey covered marketing decision-makers in the UK, Poland and Italy, and suggests consolidation is already under way. Some 59% are actively planning to cut or consolidate tools in 2026, while another 40% are considering doing so.

Respondents pointed to several drivers. Pressure to prove return on investment was cited by 34%, while complexity and maintenance overhead was cited by 31%.

When asked about the biggest pain points, half cited complexity and maintenance overhead. Another 50% cited slow execution, and 50% cited high total stack costs. The results suggest the leading concerns are operational rather than strategic, with teams focused on how quickly they can deliver campaigns and how much time they spend keeping tools running.

Control over the end-to-end customer experience was another pressure point. Only 42% said they have full control, while 52% said they have limited control.

That gap between ambition and execution is more visible as brands put greater emphasis on consistency across channels, including email, web, mobile, paid media and customer service. In practice, fragmented data and disconnected workflows can make it difficult to manage customer journeys from first touch to repeat purchase.

Why stacks still matter

Despite the push to simplify, marketers still reported benefits from their existing stacks. Reporting and insights were the most-loved capabilities, cited by 36% of respondents, followed by straightforward onboarding at 33%.

Respondents also expressed confidence in personalisation. Some 96% said their martech tools give them confidence in the quality of their personalisation, which they linked to ease of testing and optimisation (38%) and access to real-time or near real-time data (35%).

The findings show how marketing teams evaluate platforms in practice. Testing, measurement and iteration speed shape how much value teams can extract from personalisation strategies. Data freshness also affects how accurately marketers can respond to behaviour and intent.

SALESmanago frames the results as evidence that marketing teams are entering a new phase of technology procurement, with more focus on integration, execution speed and demonstrable value than on expanding toolsets.

Chief executive Phil Draper said the research shows teams want fewer products and less operational friction.

"Martech is central to how modern teams drive personalisation and growth. Marketers still believe in its value, but our research shows many are reaching a tipping point. They don't want to break up with their technology; they want it to be simpler-fewer disconnected tools, lower costs and faster execution. The next phase of martech isn't about adding more to the stack. It's about bringing data and experiences together, simplifying day-to-day operations and being able to clearly prove real ROI," Draper said.

What marketers want next

Looking ahead, respondents said their martech "relationship" would improve with faster execution and onboarding (35%) and better unified customer data (35%). Fewer, more integrated tools followed at 28%.

Those priorities point to demand for systems that reduce hand-offs between products and cut the time needed to launch, monitor and adjust campaigns. Unified customer data also ties directly to concerns about end-to-end experience control, since fragmentation often drives inconsistent messaging, duplicated outreach and gaps in attribution.

SALESmanago is a European software-as-a-service company that sells an AI customer engagement platform for eCommerce marketing teams. It says the platform is used by more than 3,000 mid-sized businesses worldwide.

Recent product development has included adding personalisation, conversational marketing and contact-centre functions following acquisitions of Leadoo and Thulium. The additions reflect a broader market shift, with marketing platforms extending into sales and service workflows and emphasising data sharing across teams.

The research suggests 2026 budget cycles may include more formal programmes to cut tool counts, reduce integration workloads and renegotiate supplier contracts, as marketing leaders place greater weight on execution speed and clearer measurement of return on investment.