With a total market value of upwards of US$500 billion ($770 billion), marketing technology is big business.

Market growth has been driven by a strong preference for brands to interact with customers across both online and offline channels, resulting in massive investments in technologies to capture and analyse customer behaviours and trends and then craft offers and experiences to entice them to part with their hard-earned cash.

The result is a technology landscape that is as diverse as it is fast-moving, with new capabilities emerging rapidly – and perhaps even faster today – thanks to the influence of AI.

Those technologies can be categorised in a multitude of ways, starting with simple data capture tools, and moving on to the complex data management systems to the creative processes that translate that knowledge into compelling offers.

Almost universally, the goal for marketers is to engage with customers in ways that are more personalised to their needs.

The desire to get to know customers better has directly translated into massive investments in first party data management systems (usually in the form or customer data platforms – or CDPs) to categorise and manipulate customer data.

Often those data capabilities are being used to drive the personalised experiences that customers receive, as humble campaign management tools evolve to become sophisticated digital experience platforms capable of working with customers in whatever ways they prefer.

And when customers are engaged, it is through campaign assets that are far more tailored to their specific interests and behaviours than was ever possible before.

Many of these capabilities have arisen directly from advanced data analytics and AI capabilities that were pioneering in the marketing technology sector, but which are now being augmented with generative AI capabilities that are revolutionising content creation and distribution, and rewriting the roles for production quantity, quality and diversity.

In all, it seems that a martech sector that is barely 20 years old may indeed be only in the earliest stages of its development.

Hear from Australian marketing and CX leaders including:

• Jessica Hankinson, senior graphic designer, Seven West Media
• Carly O’Keefe, general manager of marketing, Challenger
• Chris Maccan, chief marketing officer, NOW Finance
• Stuart Heggie, head of marketing technology, Accent Group
• Claire Lawler, senior data and commercial product manager, SBS
• Brad Hancock, head of customer experience, Brighter Super
• Tash Rahalkar, general manager for customer data and strategy, MYOB