As we know all too well, marketing seldom follows a set plan. It rarely looks the same from one organization to another, and sometimes from one day to the next. The best learning happens when we have the confidence (and insight) to move off the beaten path and blaze a trail that works for our organization.

As we look ahead into the next decade, there are a number of predictions we can make as to how B2B marketing in general – and Revenue Marketing specifically – will change and evolve. From the death of the organizational silo (hooray!), to the changing Martech landscape, to the importance of data centricity – there is no end to the evolution that is happening and the changes that will continue to impact organizations over the next decade.

Demand Spring has a whole slew of revenue marketing predictions for 2020 and beyond, but let’s dive in and take a closer look at just a few.

Breaking Down Silos

Not a moment too soon! Organizations have been talking about the break down of silos for at least a decade, but finally, they are facing their ultimate demise!  Why now?

Well a number of reasons. New marketers do not have the same tolerance for these boundaries. They ask bolder questions; they want new information; and, they’re not afraid to move on if silos and roadblocks remain in place. Additionally, previously structured roles are now being blurred by access to data and technology.

The responsibilities of the marketing team don’t just belong to marketing any longer. Working cross-organizationally is how we need to work – it’s how we’ve always needed to work – and it’s now within reach!

The MarTech Landscape Is Slowing Down

Last year, the MarTech landscape increased by only a fraction of what it had over the previous four years – for a number of reasons.

From a significant number of MarTech acquisitions and mergers (ie. Salesforce acquiring Tableau; Google acquiring Looker; DiscoveryOrg acquiring ZoomInfo – to name but a few); to the decrease in VC dollars; to new privacy regulations taking a toll on MarTech vendors – all of these forces have converged. So, what does this mean for your organization? The technology is already out there – but marketers will now start to invest in more full-service MarTech providers rather than individual vendors.

Customer Data Platform (CDP) vendors are jumping for joy.

Growing Importance on Being Data-Centric

Most organizations struggle with analytics and data. Many marketers have spent time focusing on attribution tools rather than trying to understand the metrics that matter most, and how to operationalize them. Beyond that, marketers have continued to invest in hiring data analysts rather than training their own teams on how to use data to optimize campaign performance across channels; and haven’t trained their leadership teams on what metrics will be reported on and when. But we can learn from those organizations that have succeeded in becoming data-centric because they have done some key things right, including:

• clearly defining metrics at both the executive and operational level;
• identifying the minimum metrics that matter; understanding the metrics and how they provide insights that drive action; establishing a clear cadence of when metrics are delivered; and
• most importantly, investing in training their teams on how to operationalize metrics.

These are the organizations that are able to make data-driven decisions that drive efficiency and results.

These are just a few of the many areas that are evolving and impacting marketers within organizations throughout a variety of industries. As we move through this decade, we expect more change, and more refinement of the role of marketing, and more and more recognition of its importance to organizational bottom-line.