Why Martech Stacks Are Consolidating in 2026 (And How AI Fits In)

By Lisa Heay, Vice President of Enterprise Operations at Heinz Advertising and marketing

In the event you’ve labored in or round advertising and marketing operations for the previous few years, you’ve most likely felt the stack sprawl firsthand. “Simply add one other software” turned the default resolution to each drawback. There was at all times a cool new platform prepared to repair it. Budgets had been flowing, development targets had been aggressive, and experimentation was the secret. Bear in mind development hacking?

Quick-forward to 2026, and the vibe is completely different. CFOs need ROI, not novelty. Groups are anticipated to maneuver sooner and ship extra, however with out including headcount or spend. RevOps has extra affect over tech choices than ever. And in the meantime, generative AI is quietly reshaping all of it. The consequence? A significant consolidation second and a brand new effectivity mandate that’s altering the Martech panorama.

So how did we get right here, what’s altering, and the way can groups get extra worth out of the instruments they already personal?

How We Ended Up With Bloated Stacks

From roughly 2020 by 2023, digital transformation was in overdrive. Distant promoting took off, digital purchaser journeys expanded, and consumers anticipated customized, always-on experiences. Distributors responded by constructing or shopping for area of interest options for each possible workflow. 

Throughout this development period, Martech classes break up and re-split into extra specialised buckets. And since budgets had been beneficiant and GTM groups wanted to maneuver quick, no one stopped to ask whether or not the brand new software overlapped with the previous one. It was simpler to purchase than to construct. Simpler so as to add than to combine.

The consequence for lots of firms right now is similar: overlapping instruments, costly instruments going unused, disconnected information, and complex workflows that solely few closest to the software perceive.

Why Consolidation Is Lastly Taking place

Consolidation isn’t a brand new prediction. In actual fact, analysts have been forecasting it for years. What’s completely different now could be that the financial, technical, and organizational pressures all hit without delay.

Finances strain and CFO scrutiny.
Even wholesome firms are tightening operational effectivity. Advertising and marketing and RevOps leaders are getting requested a really affordable query: “If we’re not rising headcount, why are our software program prices going up?”

Automation over hiring.
Groups aren’t getting further folks, however they’re getting extra pipeline, extra channels, and extra analytics to assist. One thing has to provide, and AI-enabled automation is turning into the lever.

RevOps affect.
5 years in the past, particular person advertising and marketing leaders might swipe a bank card for brand spanking new software program. Immediately, RevOps groups typically personal stack governance, vendor evaluations, and information structure…they usually hate duplication.

Finance and GTM alignment.
Finance doesn’t need to stunt innovation, however they do need predictability. Distributors who can change three instruments with one now have the higher hand.

Consolidation isn’t about slashing spend for the sake of it. It’s about lowering complexity so groups can execute sooner and combine higher.

How Consolidation Is Enjoying Out

There are three large patterns rising throughout Martech and RevOps stacks:

1. Class consolidation

Suites and platforms are absorbing adjoining classes. CRM platforms now provide advertising and marketing automation, gross sales engagement, and enablement. MAPs are increasing into CDP territory. Buyer platforms are absorbing assist and repair.

When one vendor can deal with 60–80% of a workflow, the argument for specialised options will get weaker.

2. Platform-first determination making

Extra firms are gravitating towards multi-function “working programs”: single platforms that deal with workflows end-to-end as a substitute of sewing collectively 12 separate instruments. It’s a lot simpler to keep up.

3. Vendor rationalization

As an alternative of shopping for one factor from many distributors, firms are shopping for extra from fewer. Fewer invoices, fewer safety opinions and procurement processes, fewer integrations, and fewer renewals to maintain monitor of.

In the event you’re a platform that performs properly with information, APIs, and AI, 2026 is your second.

Generative AI as a Capabilities Layer

The wildcard on this complete shift is generative AI. When the primary wave of AI instruments hit the market, we noticed two extremes: hype that AI would change entrepreneurs, and hype that each AI software was essential.

What truly occurred is extra attention-grabbing: AI is turning into a capabilities layer throughout present instruments relatively than a separate class.

Immediately you’ll discover AI embedded inside:

• CRMs (deal intelligence, forecasting, notice summaries)
• MAPs (content material technology, segmentation suggestions)
• Enablement platforms (playbook creation, name evaluation)
• CMSs (content material drafting, metadata tagging)
• Analytics instruments (insights, QA, anomaly detection)

Meaning a whole lot of standalone instruments that when justified their worth with AI options are shedding differentiation as native capabilities catch up.

As well as, the actual worth isn’t having the most effective AI characteristic. It’s having AI operating on prime of fresh information and actual workflows.

The place AI Delivers Worth Immediately

AI hasn’t come to interchange us entrepreneurs fairly but, nevertheless it’s helpful in a handful of possibly boring however very sensible and impactful methods:

Content material workflows inside present instruments
Drafting emails, touchdown pages, adverts, and promotional sheets within the precise instruments the place they get printed saves time.

Pipeline and deal intelligence
CRMs utilizing AI to summarize calls, analyze danger, and spotlight shopping for alerts are changing guide evaluation and saving reps tons of time.

Viewers and scoring fashions
AI-assisted scoring isn’t excellent, however it may well floor patterns sooner than conventional scoring if the info is clear.

Workflow QA and error detection
AI catching damaged hyperlinks, typos, outdated pricing, or misconfigured workflows can avoid wasting embarrassment and ship actual operational worth.

Reporting and summarization
Is AI changing human evaluation, the place somebody can apply thought and expertise? No. However having AI summarize your pipeline well being information for Tuesday’s assembly is useful.

Discover what’s lacking from this listing: technique, messaging, GTM design, messy information, and something involving actual judgment. People have to deal with these.

What Ought to Groups Do Subsequent?

The considered consolidating your stack can really feel daunting. However take it step-by-step:

Step 1: Audit for duplicates
Checklist each software by class and mark the place you’ve got overlapping performance.

Step 2: Verify utilization and adoption
If solely two energy customers love a software, it’s most likely not value a six-figure renewal. And something not utilized in 12+ months needs to be intently reviewed.

Step 3: Re-evaluate native capabilities
Earlier than shopping for a shiny AI level resolution, verify whether or not your core instruments already added options in latest updates.

Step 4: Prioritize platforms for workflows, not classes
Information and course of movement matter greater than particular person options.

In Closing

Martech consolidation isn’t about reducing prices for enjoyable, it’s about lowering friction to unlock worth so groups can transfer sooner. The distributors that win the subsequent decade would be the ones that combine deeply, floor significant AI options on prime of actual information, and ship worth with out requiring 5 different instruments to make them helpful.

If the final decade was about including instruments, the subsequent one is about getting them to work collectively seamlessly with AI filling within the gaps.

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