If ignoring it worked, we’d all be millionaires Let’s be honest: Nobody wakes up excited to do a MarTech audit. No one’s brewing their morning coffee thinking, "You know what would really spice up my day? An exhaustive review of underused CRM plug-ins and integration flows." In fact, given the choice between a MarTech audit and, say, assembling flat-pack furniture with no instructions - most marketing teams would happily grab the Allen key. And yet... ignoring your MarTech stack is a little like ignoring a weird rattle in your car engine: You can pretend it’s “probably fine” - right up until you’re stranded on the side of the highway in a rainstorm. MarTech audits aren’t fun. They’re just necessary. And the longer you put one off, the worse it gets. The real reasons people avoid MarTech audits We’re not here to judge. We get it. Here’s why audits land permanently on the “someday” list: ✦ Fear of finding skeletons Deep down, everyone knows  the stack is messier than it should be. Auditing means shining a flashlight into dark corners - and who’s emotionally ready to discover 12 forgotten platforms, 3 expired licenses, and a workflow that’s been broken since 2022? It’s the adult version of being afraid to check your bank account after a big weekend. If you don't look, it's not real... right? ✦ Political minefields MarTech ownership is often fuzzy. Start poking around and you risk stepping on toes: Who approved that six-figure ABM platform nobody uses? Why is SalesOps paying for a tool Marketing also pays for? Whose “critical tool” actually delivers no measurable ROI? An audit doesn’t just uncover software problems. It uncovers people problems. And sometimes, it’s easier to keep smiling and nodding. ✦ Analysis paralysis Stacks are complicated. Even if you want  to audit, it feels overwhelming. Where do you even start? How do you assess integration health? What if the person who set it up is no longer with the company (and left behind exactly zero documentation)? There’s a perception that tackling the audit will take too much time , so ironically, people waste even more time working around problems they refuse to confront. ✦ Fear of triggering budget cuts Let's be real: If you highlight that half your tech stack is redundant, leadership might start asking other uncomfortable questions - like how the marketing budget got so bloated in the first place. Sometimes, it feels safer to let sleeping MarTech dogs lie. Listen to our Podcast Why avoiding a MarTech audit is a terrible idea Ignoring your MarTech audit needs is like refusing to go to the dentist because you suspect  you have a cavity. Congratulations - you just upgraded yourself from “simple filling” to “root canal.” Here’s what happens when companies delay audits: Situation Consequence Disconnected systems quietly corrupt CRM data Sales doesn’t trust Marketing’s leads Overlapping platforms bloat costs Budget cuts land harder and more randomly later GDPR compliance gaps go unnoticed Legal exposure and potential fines Low adoption platforms quietly rot Teams invent rogue workarounds that break everything else Legacy tech blocks new strategic initiatives Digital transformation projects stall or fail By the time these problems show up on the leadership radar, the fix isn’t a tidy weekend project. It’s a six-figure, six-month rehab. The brutal irony: Audits save  time, money, and credibility Here's the kicker: The same MarTech audit everyone dreads could prevent 80% of the stack-related disasters  that suck up time, money, and CMO reputations later. A good audit: Cleans up wasted spend Streamlines workflows Exposes easy wins Strengthens your marketing data quality Shows leadership that Marketing actually knows how to self-regulate and drive efficiency In a World where every department is fighting for budget, showing operational maturity isn’t optional. It’s a survival skill. Download our whitepaper Final thoughts: Open the closet. It’s never as bad as you think. Auditing your MarTech stack isn’t glamorous. It’s not exciting. It’s definitely not going to trend on TikTok. But it’s how you stop bleeding budget, stabilize your tech foundation, and actually future-proof  your Marketing Operations. Ignore it long enough, and you’ll end up doing an audit anyway - but it’ll be under someone else's flashlight, at someone else’s request, and on someone else’s timeline. Better to open the closet now. It might be messy. It might be awkward. But it’ll also be the smartest move you make this year... Discover our Services

Starting May 5, 2025, Microsoft Outlook is rolling out new rules for high-volume email senders - and if you're sending more than 5,000 emails a day, you're on the list. These new requirements are all about cleaning up the inbox: better security, fewer shady senders, and (hopefully) more trust in the emails that do  make it through. But for Marketing Operations teams, it means a little homework - and a lot of DNS updates. Here’s the lowdown. What’s changing? Outlook’s cracking down on emails that aren’t properly authenticated. If your emails don't check all the right boxes, they’ll be sent straight to junk - or blocked altogether. Not ideal if you’re trying to hit your KPIs. To stay on the right side of Microsoft's filters, you’ll need to make sure your sending domain passes: SPF (Sender Policy Framework)  – proves your domain is allowed to send the email DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)  – signs your message to verify it wasn’t tampered with DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)  – ties it all together and tells inboxes what to do when something looks off In short: if your email setup isn’t buttoned up, you’re about to have a deliverability problem. What else Outlook wants from you Along with the email authentication trio above, Microsoft also wants you to: Use a valid “From” or “Reply-To” address—no shady throwaway inboxes Include a working unsubscribe link (and yes, people will test it) Keep your mailing lists clean—bounce-heavy lists are a red flag Be honest in your subject lines—no clickbait nonsense Why Marketing Ops should care Because this affects every. single. campaign. If your emails are flagged or junked, your nurture flows stall, your product launches flop, and your metrics take a nosedive. Worse, you might not even know  it’s happening until the complaints roll in. Compliance isn’t just for IT - it’s a core part of ops now. What to do next Here’s your quick to-do list to stay out of trouble: Check your DNS records  – Make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are in place and properly aligned. Clean your templates  – Unsub links, clear sender info, no weird formatting—polish it up. Scrub your lists  – Remove the bounces, the spam traps, and anyone who hasn’t opened an email since 2021. Monitor like a hawk  – Watch your deliverability metrics. If something tanks, dig into it fast. Bottom line? If you want your emails to land in inboxes - not the void - these changes aren’t optional. They're the new normal for sending at scale. And if you want to hear the conversation about navigating the chaos, well... maybe you should be listening to The MOPS Brief 😉 Would you like some help confirming that you are compliant with these updates? Discover The MOPs Brief Discover our Services

The great unmasking AI isn't the future of Marketing Operations. It's the now. And it's showing up everywhere - embedded in CRMs, powering predictive analytics, writing subject lines, and automating tasks we didn't even know we hated. But as more teams rush to "bring in AI," something uncomfortable is happening: it's revealing just how shaky the foundations really are. AI isn't papering over the cracks. It's putting a spotlight on them. This isn't a tech issue. It's an operations issue. A leadership issue. A strategy issue. And if you're feeling the pressure - or the confusion - you're not alone. AI highlights process gaps you didn’t know you had Before AI, a lot of marketing ops teams were getting by on duct tape and heroics. Manual workflows, Slack workarounds, a few power users pulling rabbits out of spreadsheets. Enter AI, and suddenly: Your workflows need to be structured, not ad hoc. Your data needs to be normalized, not “close enough.” Your taxonomy needs consistency, not creativity. AI can’t operate in a process vacuum. It needs clarity. Logic. Rules. And when it doesn’t get them? It breaks. Or worse—it acts , and nobody understands why or what it just did. If your processes aren’t mapped, documented, and owned, AI will expose the ambiguity. Fast. AI makes your dirty data everyone's problem Most MOPs teams already know their data is a bit of a mess. But AI doesn’t just make the mess visible - it operationalizes it. You train a model on inconsistent lifecycle stages? It’ll happily optimize junk. You ask a chatbot to summarize an account journey across disconnected systems? Expect a work of fiction. AI assumes the data it’s fed is accurate. It’s not checking your work. That means: Dupes, missing fields, and disconnected IDs create false insights. Poor segmentation or attribution data ruins personalisation. AI-generated recommendations get ignored because they don’t make sense. AI doesn’t make bad data look better. It makes it louder. AI pushes you to define ownership and accountability Who owns the output when an AI model makes a recommendation? Who signs off on an AI-generated nurture sequence? Who updates the rules that the AI uses to score leads? In many teams, nobody has these answers - because nobody had to before. AI doesn’t just require better tech. It requires better governance. Someone needs to: Own the inputs and outputs. Validate performance and flag risks. Monitor ethical and compliance implications. In short: AI doesn’t just ask for new skills. It demands new roles. If you haven’t addressed that yet, expect operational chaos. AI reveals skill gaps in your team AI doesn’t replace people - it raises the bar for them. You can’t drop AI into a MOPs team and expect magic. You need: People who understand how models work (and when not to trust them) Analysts who can interpret outputs, not just visualize them Strategists who can connect AI capabilities to business outcomes If your team is made up entirely of campaign builders and platform admins, they’ll quickly find themselves overwhelmed - or out of the loop. AI requires: Technical literacy Data fluency Strategic thinking Marketing Operations needs to upskill or risk becoming a bottleneck. AI exposes tool and integration sprawl AI is only as effective as the ecosystem it lives in. But most MOPs stacks have grown organically, not strategically. A bit of Eloqua here, some HubSpot over there, a Salesforce instance that’s been duct-taped since 2018… And now everyone wants to integrate a shiny new AI-powered platform on top of it all. The problem? Data can’t flow cleanly. Models get trained on partial or siloed views. Different tools have different rules, structures, and definitions. Instead of adding intelligence, AI ends up amplifying fragmentation. AI doesn’t just highlight tool sprawl. It punishes it. AI accelerates decision fatigue and cognitive overload Once AI is in play, the volume of information your team has to interpret explodes. Dashboards now offer predictions, not just metrics. Journeys are optimized in real-time, not in quarterly reviews. Content is dynamically personalized - at scale. It’s a lot. Without clear priorities and strong operational focus, teams get stuck: Ignoring insights because they don’t trust them Reacting instead of strategizing Spending time chasing anomalies instead of driving outcomes AI makes everything faster. If your team isn’t aligned and focused, it’ll just make them faster at running in circles. AI reveals the real state of your leadership Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if there’s a lack of direction, strategy, or accountability at the top, AI won’t fix it - it’ll magnify it. Misaligned priorities become conflicting automations Vague goals turn into poorly trained models Lack of governance creates chaos at scale Leadership that doesn’t understand AI - and doesn’t empower their teams to use it wisely - will find themselves overwhelmed and reactive. AI requires: Strategic clarity Clear measurement frameworks Investment in people and process, not just platforms If the leadership isn't ready to support that shift, the cracks start to show very quickly. Key takeaways for MOPs leaders ✅ AI is a stress test.  It forces you to confront the weaknesses in your processes, data, tools, and team structure. ✅ Don’t start with the tech.  Start with the problem you’re trying to solve, then decide if AI is the best way to solve it. ✅ Get your house in order.  Fix your taxonomy, map your workflows, clean your data. Boring? Yes. Essential? Also yes. ✅ Invest in people.  Your team needs training, not just tools. Give them the time and space to experiment, learn, and adapt. ✅ Define governance early.  Someone needs to own the models, the data, the decisions. Build those frameworks before  the tech goes live. ✅ Use AI to drive maturity.  The best MOPs teams use AI not to patch over problems—but to evolve how they work. Final thought: AI is not the enemy. Distraction is. When used right, AI can absolutely help scale and sharpen your operations. But if you’re using it to dodge strategy, skip hard decisions, or chase shiny things - it’s going to hurt. The cracks AI exposes? They were always there. Now you have a chance to fix them. And if you're not sure where to start? Ask for help. That's the smart move. Discover our Services

by Sue Wieberg Global Head of Delivery Sojourn Solutions The rise and fall of the contact field, {misc_info_3} in the age of AI and ABM One day I held important data that supported the Marketing Ops team with critical data that facilitated personalization for an event campaign.  The next? “Loves pickles.” I’ve seen emojis, lorem ipsum, broken HTML, and once - a confession about someone’s boss. I am full of secrets. And none of them are good. I wasn’t always like this. I was created with purpose. Potential. They said I’d be “ a flexible metadata field for edge cases. ” The kind of field you use when the structured fields just don’t cut it. But somewhere along the way, I became the junk drawer of your Marketing Automation Platform. Now, in the age of AI and account-based marketing, I sit silently in the shadows… bloated, unindexed, and untrustworthy. I know I shouldn’t be here, but no one has the heart to delete me. The high stakes of dirty data in modern Marketing Ops The analysts avoid me. The business analytics team refers to me as ‘that cursed field.’ I once made a data scientist cry. They tried to parse me. They failed. You’re running AI-generated nurture sequences and building ABM tiers based on firmographics and behavioral intent. But I have to ask…are you really ready for automation when I am still in your database? Alone and unclean? Data like mine - messy, unlabeled, ambiguous - kills AI’s potential. And ABM? It’s nothing without clean, actionable data. Dirty fields like me lead to: Confused targeting; Awkward personalization; Broken integrations; Wasted spend; and Deep existential shame (mostly mine). What I wish you’d done instead I didn’t want this life. You gave it to me. With every import, every lazy copy-paste, every ‘just for now,’ you chipped away at my purpose. Here’s what your modern Marketing Ops data strategy should be built on Clear Purpose for Every Field If a field exists, it should have a name, a defined use, and a reason to live. I never got that. I was your “misc” field. Your fallback. Your data orphan. Input Validation & Guardrails People shouldn’t be able to paste 1,000-character XML into a text field meant for "preferred language." But they did. To me. Daily. Field Audits & Schema Reviews Look back. What am I even doing here? When was the last time someone reviewed the fields you're actually using? Spoiler: it's not the ones you think. Structured Data for AI & ABM Machine learning needs consistency. ABM needs segmentation. I provide neither. If your programs rely on me, they’re doomed. Documentation & Training Teach your teams how to treat their data with care. Show them the horror that I’ve become and let me be a cautionary tale. AI and ABM is not a Band-Aid for broken data Sometimes I fantasize about being renamed. Something dignified like {aux_metadata} or {custom_notes_json}. But no. I am, and will always be {misc_info_3}. Forgotten. Feared. Full of things no one should ever see. We’re in a new era of Marketing Ops. AI is powerful. ABM is precise. But neither of them can thrive on a foundation made of random fields, duplicated notes, or wild data like mine. If you want to automate smarter, target better, and move faster, you have to fix your foundation. Start with your fields. Rescue the ones you can. Retire the ones like me. Let me go. Please. Final word: From {misc_info_3} and your future AI model You didn’t think I mattered. But now, I’m the reason your AI personalization is suggesting cat food to a CFO. Good luck explaining that in your QBR. Don't wait until your strategy breaks to realize your data is the problem. Clean data isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the difference between a smart, scalable marketing engine - and a chaotic mess with a dash of existential dread. Need help turning your data landfill into a growth engine?   We specialize in modern Marketing Ops: cleaning data, building smart schemas, and preparing your tech stack for the future. Let's finally give {misc_info_3} the closure they deserve. About the Author Sue Wieberg - Our Global Head of Delivery here at Sojourn Solutions, is a seasoned marketing automation strategist with over 15 years of experience in helping organizations leverage marketing technologies to drive revenue growth. Her expertise spans not just the implementation and optimization of marketing automation platforms, enabling businesses to enhance their marketing operations and achieve measurable results, but Marketing Operations as a whole - she's also a pretty good creative writer too :-) Discover our Services

Ah, the world of B2B Marketing Operations. It’s like a magic trick: you start with a sleek, polished stack of MarTech tools, and next thing you know, there’s an extra 50 SaaS subscriptions creeping around in the shadows. They’re like the mythical creature of MarTech: The SaaS-quatch. No one knows exactly how many are out there, but everyone feels their lurking presence. And let’s be real here: it’s not always what’s written down in the budget spreadsheet that bites you. Oh no, it’s that rogue tool that someone’s been sneaking in through their credit card bill, the one you had no idea about until a frantic finance team starts showing you the receipts. It’s like finding an old Netflix password under the couch cushion. It shouldn’t be there, yet somehow it is. These sneaky, forgotten tools, hidden under the radar, are what we call “shadow stacks.” And just like how you’d hunt a Sasquatch, finding and slaying these rogue elements is a mix of strategy, technology, and a healthy dose of detective work. The curse of rogue tech: "The forgotten platform" and its sneaky cousins For years, Marketing Operations teams have quietly (or not-so-quietly) been battling a growing creature lurking in their budgets: "The Forgotten Platform". This elusive beast first appeared back in 2019 ish, often disguised as a seemingly harmless free trial or a tool that promised to be the silver bullet for a short-term marketing initiative. It starts innocently enough: someone discovers a shiny new tool that claims to save time, boost performance, or “integrate with everything” (we've all been there). Before you know it, that free trial turns into a $1,500-per-month recurring subscription, and no one can quite remember signing off on it. The Forgotten Platform is born. But unlike Bigfoot, "The Forgotten Platform" doesn't leave footprints - it leaves behind email receipts, late-night credit card charges, and a pile of unused, neglected licenses. The only thing it hunts is your budget. And the thing is, you're not alone in this struggle. Research suggests that 70% of companies have some form of rogue tech floating around in their organization. It could be a freemium tool someone started using because it was "free for the first 30 days," or a random license purchased with the best of intentions, only to be forgotten once the tool’s initial allure wore off. These shadow tools may be small, under-the-radar, or just plain forgotten, but they add up over time and quietly siphon away your budget. Because they often don't appear in the official MarTech stack, no one notices the slow drain on resources - until it’s too late. The real damage doesn’t come from the big-ticket items either; those are easy to spot. The problem lies in the seemingly harmless subscriptions that go unnoticed and pile up in the background. So, it’s time to get your detective hat on and start hunting these rogue tech monsters before they consume your resources completely. The MarTech audit: Your tactical weapon Step one in the hunt for your SaaS-quatch: a thorough MarTech audit. It’s a bit like a spring cleaning, but for your tech stack. You’re going to go through every tool, license, and account with a fine-tooth comb to make sure no shadow stack creatures are lurking in the dark corners. Here’s how to do it: Talk to the teams Marketing teams can sometimes become a little too... enthusiastic when it comes to trying new tools. And who can blame them? We all want to experiment, optimize, and stay ahead of the curve. But this enthusiasm can also lead to purchases that may not align with the bigger picture. Sit down with your Marketing Ops team, your content team, and any other team who may have purchased software over the past year or two. Ask them about the tools they’re using - and more importantly, why . You’ll be amazed at the number of “forgotten” tools that crop up in these conversations. Some tools are loved by teams but are so niche that no one else is aware of them. These are your SaaS-quatches. Get the financials in line The next step in hunting down rogue tools is to get access to the financials - specifically, the company’s credit card statements, payment systems, and all those accounts with a subscription model. Start by identifying any recurring charges related to marketing tools. These will often show up as unmarked or ambiguous entries, such as “Tool Co” or “App Inc.” at odd dollar amounts. Once you’ve got the statements in front of you, make sure to cross-check these with your list of official tools. If anything doesn’t match, it’s time to ask questions. Track Usage Data The next step is to look at actual usage data for your tools. Every tool worth its salt has some form of tracking or reporting built in, so check the usage reports. If something hasn’t been used in months but is still racking up charges on the company card, it’s time to start questioning whether it’s still needed. This process should also help identify any licenses that were purchased but haven’t been accessed. This is another sign of The Forgotten Platform making its presence felt. Check for trial account renewals One of the most insidious ways rogue tools sneak into the tech stack is through trial accounts that automatically renew. You’ve all been there — you sign up for a free trial, but before you know it, you’ve forgotten to cancel, and the tool’s been auto-renewing every month since. Check for trial-to-paid transitions in your accounts. Most tools will send a notification when they transition from a free trial to a paid account, but if the tool is “forgotten,” you might miss these alerts. Involve your IT and Security Teams While marketing teams are often the ones driving the adoption of new tools, your IT and security teams are critical in spotting shadow stacks. They’ll have insights into what’s been deployed across the company, whether it’s secure, and if there are any compliance risks tied to certain platforms. IT is often the unsung hero in these audits, so don’t skip this step. Slaying the Beast Once you’ve done your due diligence, it’s time to slay the SaaS-quatch. This is where the real work begins, because you’ll need to address what to do with the rogue tools you’ve found. Evaluate the value of each tool : Just because a tool isn’t officially part of your stack doesn’t mean it’s useless. In fact, it may have value. If you find a tool that’s been used regularly but wasn’t part of your official plan, ask yourself: Is it still relevant? Does it add value to the company? Consolidate and streamline : The goal here is to reduce complexity and improve efficiency. Consolidate similar tools. If you’ve got three different tools for email marketing, for example, do you really need all of them? Consolidating platforms reduces tech debt and streamlines operations. Set up clear guidelines : The best way to avoid this situation in the future is by setting clear guidelines for software purchases and usage. Create a transparent approval process, and ensure every new tool purchase is logged, tracked, and reviewed regularly. Communicate with the team : Make sure that everyone is on the same page about the tools you are using and why certain rogue tools need to be decommissioned. Getting buy-in from the team will make it easier to eliminate unneeded tools without causing friction. The aftermath: Ongoing vigilance The hunt for shadow stacks doesn’t end after the first audit. The beast of rogue tech is ever-present, and vigilance is key. Set up regular check-ins, audits, and reviews to ensure that your tech stack remains lean and aligned with your goals. SaaS-quatches don’t stay gone for long. The MarTech wilderness is filled with hidden tech, and it’s time to make sure your stack isn’t haunted by "The Forgotten Platform" anymore. May your shadow stack be slayed and your budget be freed! Talk to us about our MarTech Audit service. Download our FREE whitepaper Discover our Services

Let’s start with a funeral. Attribution, once the crown jewel of marketing performance, has flatlined. It lived a good life - full of UTMs, tracking pixels, and multi-touch models that tried to please everyone and satisfied no one. But it's time to stop resuscitating it. RIP Attribution (2005–2025): You were never as accurate as we said you were. Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: in complex B2B buying journeys, attribution is becoming the marketing equivalent of astrology. Occasionally helpful, often vaguely correct, mostly a source of spirited debate and questionable tattoos. It’s time for a new paradigm: Orchestration. Where attribution is obsessed with credit, orchestration is obsessed with impact. Where attribution tries to retroactively explain the past, orchestration builds the future. Let’s break this down. With humor. With honesty. And with a better way forward. The problem with attribution (and why it needs to die) Attribution started with good intentions. Marketing needed a seat at the revenue table. Sales got the credit, finance got the trust, and marketing got... vibes. So we built systems to track how prospects engaged: clicks, form fills, ad impressions, webinar attendance. We poured that data into models like: First touch Last touch Linear Time decay W-shaped, U-shaped, Z-shaped, yoga-shaped... And we told ourselves: this is truth. This is ROI. This is the holy grail. But here’s what really happened: People lie to forms.  ("How did you hear about us?" = whatever they vaguely remember or feel like saying.) Buyers self-educate off-platform.  Podcasts, Slack channels, industry groups, analyst recommendations, peer DMs - none of which are captured by standard attribution. Dark social doesn’t show up in your CRM.  But it moves the needle, hard. Data gets lost, tools don’t talk, and everyone interprets it differently. It creates the wrong incentives.  Marketers start optimizing for what can be tracked, not what actually works. In short: attribution is like a funhouse mirror. You think you’re seeing yourself, but you end up with a big head, tiny legs, and a warped sense of reality. So what the hell is  Orchestration? Let’s switch metaphors. If attribution is about assigning credit after the fact, orchestration is about conducting the performance in real time. It’s a mindset and an operational approach. It’s about: Coordinating marketing and sales efforts across the funnel Designing experiences based on buyer behavior, not your internal org chart Using real-time signals to trigger the next best action Thinking in systems, not silos Measuring momentum , not just moments Great orchestration isn’t about asking, "Who do we credit for this deal?" It’s about asking, "How do we replicate this successful sequence at scale?" Attribution asks "who?" - Orchestration asks "how?" Attribution is built for ego. Orchestration is built for outcomes. Instead of fighting over whether the email, the webinar, or the LinkedIn ad gets the win, orchestration says: "Let’s map the full journey, learn what nudges moved the prospect forward, and build a repeatable playbook." Let’s be blunt: nobody buys a six-figure SaaS platform because of one blog post or an MQL score. B2B buying is a team sport. It’s long, political, and full of backchannel conversations. Trying to pinpoint a single "trigger" is not only foolish - it’s a distraction. Anatomy of great Orchestration Want to move from chaos to coordination? Here’s what orchestration actually  looks like in practice: 1. Journey-centric thinking You stop designing around your campaign calendar and start mapping the actual steps your buyers take. Then you build around their  process, not yours. 2. Signals over stages Forget rigid funnel stages. Focus on signals: repeat visits, asset downloads, job title changes, buying committee behavior, tech installs. These tell you who’s moving and when. 3. Next best action models Instead of throwing generic nurture streams at everyone, you use behaviour and context to trigger relevant steps: SDR call, targeted content, retargeting, direct mail, etc. 4. Cross-functional coordination Sales, marketing, and customer success operate off the same playbook. Tools are integrated. Messaging is aligned. Everyone knows what’s happening, and why. 5. Continuous optimization You don’t set it and forget it. You test sequences, measure progression, and double down on plays that work. The orchestration never stops. This isn’t just marketing automation with a facelift. It’s a smarter way of running revenue operations. Metrics that matter in Orchestration If you’re not using attribution as your north star, what do  you measure? Here’s the good stuff: Pipeline velocity : Are deals moving faster based on our plays? Conversion rates between key signals : From hand-raiser to opp, from opp to win. Influence by sequence : Did this orchestration increase account engagement or multithreaded activity? Time to engagement : How quickly are we moving from unknown to known, or from known to engaged? Buying committee penetration : Are we reaching more decision-makers per account? You’re not just measuring who clicked. You’re measuring momentum. The tech you need (and the tech you don’t) Orchestration doesn’t mean buying another 17 tools. It means: Integration : CRM, MAP, intent data, ABM platform - all singing from the same hymn sheet Real-time data processing : Not batch-and-blast. Think streaming signals. Playbooks : Documented sequences tied to personas and buying stages Trigger-based actions : Logic that kicks in when signals appear You don’t need to drown in martech. You need a few good systems that actually work together . Pro tip: If you’re spending more time configuring your platform than executing plays, you’ve missed the point. Objections (and why they’re wrong) "But our CFO wants attribution reports!" Sure, give them a version. Just don’t base your strategy on it. Attribution can be a great sanity check, but it shouldn’t be your GPS. "Isn’t orchestration just a buzzword?" If done poorly, yes. If done right, it’s a revenue engine. Execution is what separates hype from impact. "This sounds complicated." It doesn’t have to be. Start small. Pick one journey, one persona, one play. Learn. Scale. Rinse and repeat. "Can’t we just use ChatGPT for this?" AI can help. But orchestration still needs strategy, context, and human judgment. Think of it as your copilot, not your pilot. The new mandate for CMOs Here’s the harsh truth: if you’re still showing up to the board with just attribution models and MQL dashboards, you’re playing last decade’s game. Modern CMOs are being asked to: Influence pipeline, not just impressions Drive alignment across GTM functions Build revenue operations that scale You can’t do that with attribution alone. You can do it with orchestration steering the strategy. Because the board doesn’t care who gets credit. They care what’s working, what’s repeatable, and what’s next. Final thoughts: Let attribution die in peace Let's be serious for a moment - we’re not saying throw out all your data immediately or stop utilising your existing attribution model straight away. We’re saying get smarter about how you use it. Obsessing over attribution is like arguing about who should’ve been MVP while the trophy gets stolen. Orchestration is about winning the game. So raise a glass to attribution. Thank it for its service. Then quietly and slowly show it the door. Because the future of B2B marketing isn’t about who gets the credit. It’s about building systems that drive actual, scalable revenue outcomes . Attribution is dead. Long live Orchestration. Need help building Orchestration that actually works? That’s what we do. We help B2B Marketing Operations move from fragmented chaos to coordinated revenue-generating machines. If you're ready to stop arguing about leads and start driving pipeline, let's talk . Discover our Services Download our FREE whitepaper

Let’s cut through the fluff: most boardrooms don’t get marketing. They nod politely at the charts, chuckle at the brand videos, and then swivel in their seats to drill into sales numbers. And the CMO? Often stuck playing defense, explaining why brand equity matters more than this quarter’s MQL dip. But that dynamic is shifting. The unsung hero making it happen? Marketing Operations. Or as we like to call it: the CMO’s secret weapon. This isn’t just another back-office function. It’s the engine room, the strategy enabler, the difference between marketing being seen as a cost center or a growth catalyst. If you're a CMO and you don't have an incredible Marketing Ops function by your side, you’re flying blind. Why Marketing Operations is finally having its moment Marketing Ops (MOPs) used to be the people who made sure your emails didn’t bounce and your campaign data made it into Salesforce. Necessary? Absolutely. Glamorous? Not so much. Today, it's a different game. With the explosion of martech tools, the complexity of buying journeys, and the need for accountability at every turn, MOPs has evolved into a strategic powerhouse. It's the function that: Ensures data integrity across the funnel Builds scalable campaign architectures Implements tech stacks that actually work  together Surfaces insights that drive real decisions Enables agility, personalization, and speed to market Put simply: they make marketing work. And more importantly, they make marketing provable . The boardroom problem: perception vs. reality CMOs often struggle with one fatal perception in the boardroom: that marketing is fluffy. You can talk brand value, customer experience, and long-term positioning all day long, but if the CFO doesn’t see a direct line to revenue, you’re going to get side-eyed. This is where Marketing Ops changes the game. Imagine this: instead of wading through subjective campaign results, you're presenting: Attribution data that shows marketing’s influence on pipeline CAC/LTV ratios with breakdowns by segment Campaign velocity metrics tied to sales cycles Real-time dashboards that speak the board’s language: efficiency, growth, ROI Now you're not just the creative lead. You're a performance executive. Thanks, MOPs. The real power play: MOPs as strategic enabler The smartest CMOs know how to use Marketing Ops not just for reporting, but for direction-setting. A great MOPs team can help: Prioritize initiatives based on impact, not politics. With clear data, you can kill underperforming campaigns, double down on winners, and say "no" with confidence. Create operational agility. Whether it's spinning up a new ABM motion or piloting a new channel, ops is the engine that makes it possible without breaking the machine. Make experimentation scaleable. It’s one thing to test; it’s another to test fast, track cleanly, and iterate based on data. MOPs makes the scientific method sexy. Integrate sales and marketing in meaningful ways. From lead routing to SLAs to revenue dashboards, marketing ops is the bridge that aligns go-to-market functions. Traits of an incredible Marketing Ops team Let’s be clear: not all MOPs teams are created equal. If you want yours to be a weapon, not a wrench in the gears, it needs to be built right. Here’s what that looks like: Strategic thinkers, not just button-pushers : They understand business goals and align ops accordingly. Data fluency : Not just pulling reports, but understanding what the data means and how to act on it. Tech-savvy, not tool-drunk : They know when to add a tool, when to kill one, and how to make the whole stack sing. Cross-functional cred : Trusted by marketing, sales, finance, and IT. Process engineers : Able to see workflows holistically and optimize them over time. And yes, they still make sure your campaigns go out on time. But that’s table stakes. Building the dream team CMOs need to treat Marketing Ops hiring as critical, not optional. That means: Paying market (or above-market) rates for top talent Giving ops a seat at the leadership table Encouraging collaboration with sales/rev ops Investing in professional development You wouldn’t underfund your growth team. Don’t shortchange the function that enables  growth. Metrics that matter in the boardroom To really weaponize MOPs, you need to shift your metrics mindset. Move beyond: Email open rates (yawn) MQL volume (alone, this is meaningless) CTRs (cool, but so what?) And lean into: Marketing-sourced pipeline and revenue Campaign ROI by segment Sales cycle length by lead source Customer acquisition cost (CAC) Lead-to-opportunity conversion rates Engagement scoring across accounts Even better? Deliver these in clean, visual dashboards that make it idiot-proof for execs to connect the dots. Aligning MOPs with RevOps Another power move: get Marketing Ops playing nice with Revenue Operations. If these functions operate in silos, expect friction. But when they align, magic happens: Unified reporting Shared goals (hello, pipeline growth) Smarter lead management Less finger-pointing, more collaboration The org structure may vary (some combine MOPs and RevOps), but the mindset should always be integrated. The AI-powered future of MOPs Looking ahead, Marketing Ops isn’t just about dashboards and workflows. It’s becoming the home of automation and intelligence. Your next-gen MOPs team will: Deploy AI to score leads and prioritize follow-up Use predictive analytics to guide campaign planning Leverage chatbots and virtual assistants for ops support Build dynamic, intent-driven nurture paths Surface insights before the CMO even asks In short: less manual wrangling, more strategic firepower. Final thoughts: be the CMO with swagger CMOs have enough battles to fight. Don’t go into the boardroom armed only with branding decks and hopeful charts. Bring the receipts. Bring the strategy. Bring the badass Marketing Ops team that turns creative vision into commercial reality. Because the real secret to gaining respect in the boardroom isn’t louder talking points. It’s showing up with the function that can prove, pivot, and perform. So yeah, MOPs might not have the sex appeal of a brand refresh. But when the boardroom heat is on, they’re the coolest asset you’ve got. Need help building or upgrading your Marketing Ops function? That’s where we come in. We can help B2B CMOs design high-performance Marketing Operations functions that deliver clarity, control, and revenue results. Get in touch – let’s make your ops team the envy of the boardroom. Discover our Services

Salesforce has sponsored and released a massive, 45-page guide to marketing automation platforms, called (fittingly enough) B2B Marketing Automation Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide , describing: The capabilities B2B marketers need in a MAP, and How B2B marketers can select and implement a MAP that’s right for their needs. In this post, we’ll explore how to select and implement the right MAP for you. We also recommend that you watch Sojourn’s recent Marketing Automation Comparison webinar , so you can see what specific features and functionalities multiple MAP vendors offer. Selecting and implementing a MAP: 7 steps to success Here’s a 7-step plan for finding and implementing the best MAP for you, the one that best meets your strategic needs and delivers marketing ROI: 1. “Map out” what you need in a MAP.  Don’t simply run out and buy the first MAP you see. You need to take stock first, beginning with a deep understanding of your strategic goals as a B2B marketing organization as well as the existing martech tools, processes, and people/team you’re deploying to meet those goals. Too many organizations forget to assess the skill sets and capabilities their people/team will need to adopt and work with a MAP. When they purchase a great MAP, their people don’t utilize its full value – making a great MAP “less than great.” The guide explains this self-assessment process well: “Understanding your current marketing processes, knowing how to measure success and being able to identify where you are looking for improvements, are critical information when deciding about a MAP.” This self-assessment will tell you exactly what features, functions, and training support you need in a MAP, so you can begin looking for what you need to achieve your goals. This step will also inform all the other steps below. 2. Know how MAP pricing and purchasing works.  MAP vendors typically offer PaaS/SaaS-based pricing, meaning the platform and software are licensed by the customer and hosted by the vendor. Your actual pricing will generally be based on the number of contacts in your marketing database, the number of email marketing messages you send each month, and/or the number of internal users you have (and instances you need).  You should also consider your training needs and related costs. Pro tip: Many MAP providers will ask you to sign an annual contract (some offer monthly pricing). If you’re willing to offer the MAP vendor a longer-term commitment, you can request a discount for doing so. 3. Know the importance of integration.  A MAP may be amazing in isolation, but if it doesn’t integrate well with the rest of your stack, especially your CRM, then you won’t be able to optimize its value and achieve your marketing/strategic goals.  Since you’ve already conducted a full self-assessment of your stack in step #1 above, you should be ready “to ask [any] marketing automation vendor about integration,” says the guide. “Many vendors offer app marketplaces, which provide faster access to the participating systems. Virtually all marketing automation vendors offer APIs, but they may be an add-on to the price of the platform.”  4. Know how you’ll measure MAP success.  This step ties directly into step #1 above. Knowing why you’re selecting a MAP will help you measure the ongoing effectiveness and success of your chosen MAP. If your goal is to increase conversions, for instance, you’ll need to establish a pre-MAP baseline to know what your conversion rate was before implementing your MAP in order to effectively measure any post-MAP impact.  The guide offers another example: “If [your goal is] to improve email efficiency, be prepared with [pre-MAP] metrics on open rates, clicks, etc. It’s also wise to measure the depth and breadth of [your MAP] platform usage. Many marketers only use basic email capabilities, which can end up being a costly investment” that goes to waste. Again, training your people in using your new MAP and all its functionality becomes very important for driving utilization/usage, as well as MAP ROI. 5. Prepare your RFP and send it out to MAP vendors.  Your RFP or “request for proposals” describes your exact needs for a MAP, listing the core capabilities/functionalities you require as well as some “like-to-haves” such as (maybe) predictive analytics or a native CRM integration. Once your RFP is drafted, create a list of MAP vendors that you believe have the capacity to meet at least your core requirements. Send these vendors your RFP with a deadline to respond with relevant information. 6. Winnow down your vendor shortlist, set up demos.  When the vendor responses to your RFP come back, you’ll need to begin by eliminating vendors who don’t meet your basic/core requirements. From there, you can begin ranking the remaining RFP responses from best to worst, perhaps defining a shortlist of 4-7 vendors to engage with at a deeper level. Request further information from these shortlisted vendors and start to differentiate them on functionality, price, service, and other factors. Request a demo from these vendors, start asking detailed, relevant questions, and open up a preliminary negotiating process with your preferred 2-3 vendors. 7. Select a MAP vendor and begin implementation.  As part of step #6, you should already know how each vendor plans to work with you to implement your new MAP. Make a final decision on your preferred vendor and begin creating an implementation plan together, defining an SLA (or “service level agreement”) that sets expectations and consequences for both you and your chosen MAP provider.  You should also consider bringing in outside expertise in the form of an implementation partner (like Sojourn) to facilitate time-to-value for your MAP. An experienced implementation partner can help prepare your data, other martech tools, and your people for optimizing your MAP utilization. Watch Sojourn’s latest  Marketing Automation Comparison webinar , and reach out  to us if you could use some help selecting, implementing or optimizing your MAP.

Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword anymore - it’s becoming a core pillar of how businesses operate. In the B2B world, where long sales cycles, complex supply chains, and corporate responsibility are under more scrutiny than ever, sustainable marketing is moving from a “nice-to-have” to a business imperative . But let’s be honest - many companies still think of sustainability as a B2C concern, something that applies more to fashion brands and organic food companies than to software providers or manufacturing firms. That mindset is outdated. B2B buyers are demanding more than just cost-effective solutions - they want to work with companies that align with their values, reduce their environmental impact, and contribute to a greener economy. Sustainable marketing is no longer just about reputation; it’s about resilience, revenue, and long-term success. What is sustainable marketing in B2B? Sustainable marketing in B2B isn’t just about slapping a “green” label on your brand or cutting back on paper usage. It’s a holistic approach that involves: Reducing waste in marketing materials, campaigns, and events Optimizing digital footprints to lower carbon emissions from online activities Ethical sourcing of materials and vendors Transparent communication about sustainability efforts Aligning with partners who share sustainability values It’s about embedding sustainability into your brand story, customer engagement, and business strategy - not just using it as a marketing tactic. Why sustainability matters in B2B marketing 1. B2B buyers expect it Sustainability has become a key decision-making factor for buyers. According to a recent study, over 80% of B2B decision-makers prefer to buy from companies with a clear sustainability strategy . Businesses are under increasing pressure to meet ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals, and that means choosing vendors who align with their values. 2. It’s a competitive differentiator In crowded markets, differentiation is everything. If your company can showcase genuine  sustainability efforts—whether that’s through carbon-neutral operations, ethical sourcing, or waste-reducing initiatives—you stand out. It builds trust, credibility, and positions your brand as forward-thinking. 3. Cost savings and efficiency gains Sustainability often leads to leaner, more cost-effective  Marketing Operations. Digital-first strategies, optimized ad campaigns, and reduced print materials don’t just lower carbon footprints—they cut costs. And with energy prices and resource costs rising, sustainable choices are also smart financial decisions. 4. Regulatory compliance and risk reduction Governments and industry bodies are increasingly implementing sustainability regulations. Companies that take a proactive approach to sustainable marketing will be ahead of compliance requirements, avoiding fines, PR disasters, and supply chain disruptions. How to implement sustainable marketing in B2B 1. Stick to digital-first - but optimize Sticking with digital marketing  is a no-brainer, but even digital has a carbon footprint. Data centers, streaming content, and email marketing all consume energy. Sustainable B2B marketers can: Optimize email campaigns to reduce unnecessary sends Use eco-friendly hosting providers Compress images and files to lower website energy consumption Choose carbon-neutral advertising networks 2. Make events more sustainable B2B trade shows, conferences, and networking events generate massive amounts of waste. Sustainable marketing means: Reducing printed materials and using digital brochures Choosing sustainable venues  with eco-friendly policies Offsetting carbon emissions for travel Encouraging virtual or hybrid attendance where possible 3. Re-evaluate your supply chain and partners If your marketing relies on third-party vendors (printers, ad agencies, influencers, software providers), evaluate their sustainability credentials. Work with eco-conscious suppliers and platforms that align with your company’s green goals. 4. Be transparent and authentic Greenwashing - exaggerating or falsely claiming sustainability efforts - is a major risk. Buyers and regulators are becoming more skeptical, so avoid vague claims like “eco-friendly” or “green solutions” without backing them up. Instead: Publish impact reports detailing your sustainability efforts Use concrete data to support environmental claims Share case studies of how your company has reduced waste, emissions, or inefficiencies 5. Align sustainability with your brand story B2B brands that integrate sustainability into their core messaging build stronger connections with customers. Showcase your commitment to responsible business practices  in your content marketing, thought leadership, and social media strategies. 6. Leverage LinkedIn for sustainable thought leadership LinkedIn is a powerful platform for positioning your brand as a sustainability leader. Share: Original research on sustainability trends in your industry Success stories about reducing environmental impact Insights on how sustainability improves B2B business performance Collaborative initiatives with sustainable partners The future of sustainable B2B marketing Sustainability in B2B marketing isn’t a fleeting trend - it’s the new standard. As industries shift toward more responsible practices, the businesses that adapt now  will be the ones that thrive. By embracing sustainable marketing, B2B companies don’t just help the planet - they build stronger brands, attract values-driven clients, and future-proof their business. So, the question is: Is your B2B marketing strategy truly sustainable? 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Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is all about precision - targeting the right people at the right companies with the right messages. But here’s the challenge: how do you ensure your message actually reaches those decision-makers in a way that resonates? Enter social media, specifically LinkedIn, the ultimate B2B networking hub. Gone are the days when ABM was just about personalized email sequences and direct mailers. Today, decision-makers are researching, networking, and engaging on LinkedIn long before they ever talk to a sales rep. If you’re not meeting them there, you’re missing a massive opportunity to influence the buying journey. This article dives into how ABM and LinkedIn go hand-in-hand, and how you can leverage social media to strengthen your intent-based targeting, engage high-value accounts, and drive meaningful relationships with key decision-makers. Why LinkedIn is the perfect platform for ABM ABM is all about building meaningful connections with a highly specific audience, and LinkedIn is where those connections happen. Here’s why LinkedIn is an ABM powerhouse: Laser-focused targeting:  LinkedIn allows you to segment audiences based on job title, industry, company size, and even specific accounts. Account-level engagement:  Unlike traditional demand generation, ABM requires a tailored approach for each target account, and LinkedIn makes it easy to interact with key stakeholders through content, InMails, and networking. High-intent interactions:  Decision-makers are actively looking for solutions, insights, and networking opportunities on LinkedIn, making them more receptive to targeted engagement. Data-driven approach:  LinkedIn’s analytics provide real-time insights on which accounts are engaging, what content is resonating, and where you need to double down. Step 1: Connecting ABM intent lists to LinkedIn The key to making ABM work on social media is integrating your intent data with LinkedIn’s targeting capabilities. Here’s how: 1. Build and refine your ABM intent lists Your intent list is the foundation of your ABM strategy. These are high-value accounts that are actively researching solutions like yours. Intent signals can come from: Website visits Engagement with your content (eBooks, webinars, whitepapers) CRM insights from sales conversations Or ideally use intent data providers like Demandbase or 6sense which measure all these signals within their platform. Once you’ve compiled your list of accounts showing strong buying signals, it’s time to move to LinkedIn. 2. Integrate your intent list to LinkedIn Matched Audiences LinkedIn allows you to upload or integrate a list of company names or individual contacts, creating a highly targeted audience for your ABM campaigns. Go to LinkedIn Campaign Manager Select Matched Audiences Upload or import your list of target accounts or contacts (through live integration if using Demandbase) LinkedIn will match these to their platform data, enabling precise ad targeting This ensures your content and messaging reach the exact companies and decision-makers who are actively searching for solutions like yours. Step 2: Engaging high-value accounts on LinkedIn Once your intent-based audience is set up, the next step is strategic engagement. The goal isn’t just to bombard them with ads but to foster meaningful interactions. 1. Personalized LinkedIn ad campaigns Now that your target accounts are in LinkedIn’s system, it’s time to serve them the right content. Consider these LinkedIn ad formats for ABM: Sponsored Content:  Promote high-value content (reports, case studies, thought leadership) directly into your target audience’s feed. Sponsored InMail (now called Message Ads):  Send personalized messages directly to decision-makers at your target accounts. Conversation Ads:  Interactive messages that guide prospects through a personalized journey based on their responses. Dynamic Ads:  Use LinkedIn’s auto-personalization features to include names and job titles in your ads. The key here is personalization - ABM is not about mass outreach but tailored messaging that feels relevant to each account. 2. Engage organically through content and thought leadership Paid advertising is just one piece of the puzzle. To build long-term relationships, your brand needs to be seen as an industry leader. Here’s how: Encourage your sales team to connect with key decision-makers  and engage with their content. Post high-value content on your company page  that speaks directly to your ABM target accounts’ pain points. Comment on posts from key stakeholders  at your target accounts to get on their radar. Use LinkedIn Live and webinars  to foster direct engagement with your ideal customers. ABM is about quality over quantity. The more relevant your content is to your target accounts, the more likely they are to engage. Step 3: Nurturing relationships with a multi-touch approach One interaction on LinkedIn isn’t enough to drive a sale. ABM requires a multi-touch strategy that keeps your brand top-of-mind throughout the buying journey. 1. Combine LinkedIn with email and sales outreach For maximum impact, align your LinkedIn efforts with your email and sales outreach: Run LinkedIn ads alongside email sequences  so prospects see your content before opening a sales email. Have sales reps send personalized LinkedIn connection requests  after a prospect engages with an ad. Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator  to track account activity and tailor outreach accordingly. The key here is consistency - when your target accounts see your brand across multiple touchpoints, they’re more likely to engage. 2. Retarget engaged accounts with deeper content Once a prospect from your ABM list engages with your content, move them down the funnel: Serve retargeting ads  with more detailed case studies or product demos. Invite engaged decision-makers to a webinar  featuring a topic relevant to their business. Follow up with a personal LinkedIn message  to continue the conversation. Measuring success: Key ABM metrics on LinkedIn ABM success isn’t measured by vanity metrics like impressions - it’s about account engagement and pipeline impact. Here’s what to track: Account engagement rate:  How many target accounts are interacting with your LinkedIn content? Pipeline acceleration:  Are engaged accounts moving through the sales funnel faster? Influenced revenue:  How much revenue is being driven by LinkedIn engagement with ABM accounts? Connection growth:  Are key decision-makers accepting connection requests and interacting with your team? By focusing on these metrics, you’ll get a clearer picture of how LinkedIn is contributing to your ABM strategy. Final thoughts ABM and LinkedIn are a match made in B2B marketing heaven. When used strategically, LinkedIn becomes more than just a social platform - it’s a direct line to the high-value accounts you want to win. By connecting your intent lists, running personalized ad campaigns, engaging organically, and nurturing relationships with a multi-touch approach, you can build real connections that drive revenue. ABM isn’t just about sending the right email - it’s about being present where your buyers already are. And in the B2B world, there is no better place than LinkedIn. So, is your ABM strategy making the most of it? If not, now’s the time to change that. Discover our Services Download our FREE whitepaper

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is supposed to be a game-changer. It promises laser-focused targeting, hyper-personalized engagement, and a direct path to revenue growth. And yet, many B2B organizations struggle to get it right. While sales and marketing misalignment is often cited as the biggest ABM roadblock, there’s another silent killer lurking in the background: Poor data quality and integration. You can have the best strategy, the most skilled team, and the strongest tech stack - but if your data is a mess, ABM success will always be out of reach. Let’s dive into why bad data and disconnected systems are such a massive issue and how you can fix it before your ABM efforts grind to a halt. Why data quality and integration matter for ABM ABM isn’t just another marketing campaign - it’s a data-driven strategy that thrives on precision. Unlike traditional lead-based marketing, where you cast a wide net and hope for the best, ABM requires you to identify and engage a specific set of high-value accounts with tailored messaging. That level of precision is impossible if your data is unreliable, incomplete, or scattered across disconnected platforms. Here’s why good data is the backbone of a successful ABM strategy: Accurate targeting:  You need high-quality data to correctly identify your ideal accounts and key decision-makers within them. Personalization at scale:  Your messaging and content should be based on real insights, not guesswork. Effective measurement:  Without clean, integrated data, proving ABM’s impact on pipeline and revenue is nearly impossible. Better sales and marketing alignment:  A single source of truth ensures both teams are working from the same playbook. When data quality and integration break down, all of these critical ABM functions suffer. The biggest problems caused by poor data quality in ABM 1. Targeting the wrong accounts and contacts ABM is only as strong as your ability to reach the right people. But if your CRM and marketing database are filled with outdated, incomplete, or incorrect information, you’ll end up wasting time and resources on accounts that don’t fit your ideal customer profile (ICP). Common data quality issues that ruin targeting: Duplicate records:  Multiple entries for the same account or contact create confusion and wasted effort. Outdated information:  Contacts who have changed jobs or companies but are still in your database. Missing key details:  A list of account names isn’t enough - you need job titles, pain points, buying signals, and engagement history. Inaccurate firmographics:  If your ICP is enterprise companies in fintech, but your data includes small manufacturers, you’re in trouble. 2. Weak personalization and engagement ABM relies on delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. Poor data makes this nearly impossible. Generic messaging:  If you don’t have clean, complete data on each account, your outreach will be broad and ineffective. Misalignment with pain points:  If your data doesn’t capture relevant intent signals, you’ll miss opportunities to address real challenges. Confused sales interactions:  When reps don’t have a full view of previous marketing interactions, they lose credibility with prospects. Without high-quality data, your content and outreach feel like generic spam rather than the highly relevant, insight-driven engagement that ABM requires. 3. Attribution and Measurement Nightmares One of the biggest benefits of ABM is its ability to tie marketing efforts directly to revenue. But if your data is messy, proving ABM’s impact is nearly impossible. Leads and accounts don’t match:  Sales might close a deal with a key account, but if marketing can’t properly track that account’s journey, attribution falls apart. Disconnected systems:  If your CRM, marketing automation platform, and analytics tools don’t communicate, you’ll struggle to track key ABM metrics. No clear ROI visibility:  When data isn’t clean, leadership may see ABM as a “nice-to-have” rather than a revenue driver, putting future investment at risk. 4. Sales and Marketing Misalignment Poor data doesn’t just hurt marketing - it creates massive friction with sales. Sales doesn’t trust marketing’s leads:  If reps find that contact details are wrong or engagement history is missing, they’ll ignore marketing-sourced accounts. Wasted time on bad-fit accounts:  Sales teams don’t want to chase dead ends. If marketing’s data is unreliable, reps will focus on their own accounts instead. Disjointed handoffs:  If marketing and sales teams aren’t working from a single, integrated dataset, the handoff process becomes chaotic and inefficient. How poor system integration wreaks havoc on ABM Even if your data is high quality, it won’t do much good if it’s scattered across multiple platforms that don’t communicate. ABM requires a seamless flow of information between sales and marketing tools, but many organizations still struggle with: CRM and marketing automation disconnects  – If sales and marketing aren’t looking at the same real-time data, collaboration breaks down. Lack of intent data integration  – Intent signals from platforms like Bombora, G2, or LinkedIn need to be incorporated into your ABM workflows. Siloed reporting  – If marketing and sales teams can’t pull reports from a shared data source, measuring ABM effectiveness becomes a guessing game. Multiple versions of the truth  – When different teams have different datasets, confusion reigns. Without proper integration, your ABM strategy becomes fragmented and inefficient. How to fix your ABM data issues The good news? These problems are fixable. Here’s how to clean up your data and integrate your tech stack to maximize ABM success: 1. Conduct a data audit Before improving your data, you need to understand what’s wrong. Identify duplicates and outdated records. Check for missing fields (e.g., job titles, industry, buying signals). Validate email addresses and phone numbers. 2. Implement data hygiene best practices Regular data cleaning  – Set a schedule to update and de-dupe records. Use enrichment tools  – Platforms like Clearbit, ZoomInfo, or Demandbase can fill in missing data. Standardize data entry  – Ensure all teams follow the same formatting rules to prevent inconsistencies. 3. Integrate your tech stack Connect CRM and marketing automation  – Ensure Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, and other tools sync properly. Centralize intent data  – Make sure third-party insights flow into your CRM. Use a Customer Data Platform (CDP)  – If your data is spread across too many sources, a CDP can unify it. 4. Align Sales and Marketing Around a Single Data Source Agree on a shared ideal customer profile (ICP)  and data criteria. Ensure both teams have access to real-time account engagement data . Use ABM dashboards  to track progress together. Final thoughts ABM is a high-precision strategy that can drive massive results - but only if your data is clean, connected, and reliable. Poor data quality and system integration aren’t just minor annoyances; they’re deal-breakers  that will cripple your ABM efforts before they even get off the ground. The fix isn’t flashy, but it’s necessary: clean up your data, integrate your tools, and align sales and marketing around a single source of truth. Do that, and your ABM strategy will finally have the foundation it needs to deliver real, measurable success. 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At Sojourn Solutions, we’re thrilled to congratulate Nicky Clarke, Head of Marketing Operations at Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) Business , on her recent Bronze award for B2B Marketer of the Year at the B2B Marketing Awards 2024 . This is a testament to Nicky’s leadership, adaptability, and strategic vision-qualities that have driven success in the face of enormous change. Since the Virgin Media and O2 joint venture in 2021, VMO2 has merged two iconic UK brands, creating a telecommunications powerhouse in mobile and broadband services. This merger required not only a united brand identity but also a streamlined marketing operations strategy. Nicky Clarke has been at the forefront of this transformation, leading a newly merged Marketing Operations team and managing an extensive consolidation of MarTech platforms, processes and workflows. Throughout, Nicky has proven herself a steady, inspiring leader, bringing her team’s capabilities to new heights despite resource and budget challenges. A 25-Year Journey of Dedication and Growth Nicky’s journey with the company spans 25 years, starting in 1998 with O2 in a project management role within customer service. Over the years, she steadily rose through the ranks, moving into Marketing Operations in 2011, and later, in 2021, becoming the Senior Marketing Ops Programme Manager as the VMO2 joint venture was announced. Now leading VMO2’s Marketing Operations, Nicky is known for nurturing her team and pushing for excellence in everything from MQL strategies to CRM integrations. Her day-to-day responsibilities include overseeing VMO2’s marketing automation platforms, driving MQL performance, and ensuring smooth integrations across CRM, CDP, the digital landscape and data systems. She keeps her team at the cutting edge of marketing operations, embracing the latest technology, including AI-driven solutions, to continuously enhance VMO2’s marketing efforts. Recent Milestones and Achievements In the last 24 months, Nicky has spearheaded a series of transformational changes. Under her guidance, VMO2 has consolidated and relaunched its MarTech stack, a process that included migrating everyone to their existing Oracle Eloqua instance, saving £31,000 annually. Altogether, her efforts have saved VMO2 over £150,000 in MarTech consolidation costs alone. She’s also automated over 20 previously manual data processes, saving 208 days of resource time and an additional £15,000. One of Nicky’s notable accomplishments was reducing lead-to-sales time by moving from a bi-weekly update process to a 15-minute automated program through Eloqua and Salesforce. This shift has significantly enhanced VMO2’s responsiveness, allowing the team to engage with prospects at precisely the right moments, strengthening the sales pipeline and positively impacting revenue. A Collaborative and Compassionate Leader Nicky’s impact extends beyond numbers - she fosters strong relationships within her team and across departments. She presents quarterly business reviews to highlight her team’s initiatives, providing transparency, driving engagement and reinforcing Marketing Operations’ value to the wider business. Her unwavering focus on her team’s well-being and professional growth has been especially vital during times of major organisational change. Testimonials Reflect Nicky’s Leadership Excellence Nicky’s colleagues describe her as a nurturing, grounded leader who inspires her team to succeed. Jeeten Mistry, Marketing Operations Manager, praised Nicky’s goal-setting skills and approachability: “ Her understanding of people’s needs is outstanding, so much so that everyone in the Ops team feels comfortable giving their input during challenging times. ” From her long-time collaborator Rebecca Le Grange, Managing Partner at Sojourn Solutions, Nicky has earned high praise for her deep technical knowledge and integrity: “ Nicky possesses deep knowledge of her team’s intricacies, including data utilisation and processes down to the individual field level. Her integrity shines through in the strong relationships she’s fostered internally and externally, earning her respect across the board. ” A Well-Deserved Win Nicky Clarke’s Bronze Award for B2B Marketer of the Year reflects her unwavering dedication, innovation, and leadership in one of the UK’s largest marketing transformations. Her success underscores the vital role that Marketing Operations plays in shaping and scaling complex, high-performing marketing ecosystems. For more than nine years, Sojourn Solutions has proudly partnered with VMO2, standing by their side through the many phases of transformation, growth, and change. From navigating the complexities of the Virgin Media and O2 joint venture, to adapting through organisational shifts and evolving market demands, Sojourn has provided steady support and expertise. Together, we have developed and implemented strategies to strengthen VMO2’s Marketing Operations, helping them maximise their MarTech investments, streamline processes, and empower their teams to achieve excellence. Congratulations, Nicky, from all of us at Sojourn Solutions. We’re proud to be your partner in this remarkable journey, and we look forward to many more milestones together!