Every week, a fresh wave of AI-driven marketing tools shows up, each one claiming it will transform your workflow. It’s easy to feel like you should test them all. But here’s what’s really going on: marketing stacks are more bloated than ever, teams are overloaded, and a large share of tools sit idle while the invoices keep rolling in. The core issue isn’t a lack of software. It’s that you’re drowning in tools, and many of them aren’t delivering real value.
Marketing technology debt goes far beyond a few unused licenses. It’s the cumulative cost of complexity, failed integrations, and mounting team frustration that grows over time. Consider this: every tool you add introduces more connections to maintain, more logins to track, more scattered data sources, and more confusion about which platform should be used for which task. Each new addition makes the entire ecosystem more fragile.
AI tools are speeding this problem up. They’re simple to plug in and promise quick productivity wins, but they’re often difficult to weave into your existing stack. Most teams are adopting them faster than they can realistically operationalize them. The outcome? Your stack becomes bulkier, your team slows down, and you’re funding capabilities that never get fully used.
Wondering if you’re dealing with marketing technology debt? Use this checklist to take an honest look at your situation. If you tick three or more boxes, it’s time for a thorough audit.
Usage and adoption warning signs
Your team actively avoids tools you’re paying for — they’ve created workarounds or simply ignore certain platforms. New hires need more than two weeks just to get up to speed on your tools (and…