Marketers lose a month every year sorting out unreliable technology tools

Over the past year, senior marketers have spent the equivalent of an entire working month just trying to get their marketing tech to function.

In our latest study, we found that CMOs are spending an average of 13.3 hours a month, more than 21 working days a year, troubleshooting martech tools instead of focusing on strategic marketing. For nearly a third (31%), that number rises to more than five hours a week, totalling over 34 working days a year.

With over 15,000 tools now available to marketers, it’s no wonder the tech stack has become unmanageable.

• 71% of CMOs say they often lose time set aside for creativity, like team brainstorms or thinking time, because they’re dealing with a martech issue.

• That jumps to 95% among those who’ve been in-role for just one to two years.

• 1 in 3 admit this happens very often.

It’s not just productivity that’s suffering, 1 in 12 CMOs say that dealing with martech and data has made marketing less enjoyable for them.

What’s more, 13% of CMOs say their current martech stack isn’t having a positive impact on team morale or motivation, despite supposedly being there to improve efficiency and outcomes.

“When your team is constantly firefighting tool failures, compatibility issues, or legacy systems that can’t keep up, it’s no surprise creativity and strategy take a back seat,” says Steve Kemish, our CEO.

“Martech should be a help, not a hindrance. That’s why we developed our Marketing Experience (MX) approach, to simplify your stack, reduce friction, and give time back to the people doing the work.”

With budgets and resources under pressure, CMOs can’t afford to waste time battling with systems that are supposed to make life easier.

At IMG, we help ambitious marketing teams untangle their martech, clean up their data, and streamline how they work—so they can focus on what actually moves the needle.

If your marketing feels chaotic, we’re here to sort it.