In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Adam Sharp, CEO and Co-founder of Clever Touch, Robert Nicholson, Digital Marketing Director at Robert Walters, and Alec Weeks from Clever Touch. Together, they tackle one of B2B marketing's most persistent challenges: MarTech integration. Despite years of investment and countless vendor promises, only 14% of marketing technology systems are properly integrated, and a staggering 60% of MarTech capability goes entirely unused. But why does integration remain so stubbornly difficult, and what's really holding organizations back?
➡️The guests bring unique perspectives from both consulting and practitioner sides. Adam chairs the Mosaic MarTech Think Tank, which convenes senior marketing technology practitioners to explore real-world challenges. Robert has scaled Robert Walters' marketing operations from a team of three to 40+ globally. What emerges from their conversation is a crucial insight: integration isn't primarily a technical challenge—it's a trust challenge that happens to involve technology. They dive into why trust between marketing, IT, legal, and compliance teams is the real bottleneck, how vendor AI promises often clash with compliance realities, and why data governance remains fundamental. The conversation explores whether AI will make integration non-negotiable or add another layer of complexity, while sharing practical insights on building the business case, balancing centralized control with agility, and taking first steps that drive value.
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Trust & Influence in B2B
00:02:36 - The MarTech Integration Challenge
00:05:00 - Why Integration Remains So Difficult
00:10:00 - The Trust Problem Between Teams
00:15:00 - Data Quality and Governance Issues
00:20:00 - Vendor Promises vs Reality
00:24:00 - The Role of Marketing Leaders
00:28:00 - AI's Impact on Integration
00:33:00 - Centralization vs Agility Debate
00:38:00 - Building the Business Case
00:43:00 - Practical Steps Forward
Follow Adam Sharp
https://linkedin.com/in/adamsharpconsultant/
https://clevertouch.com/
Follow Robert Nicholson
https://linkedin.com/in/robert-nicholson-digital/ https://robertwalters.com/
Follow Alec Weeks
https://linkedin.com/in/alec-weeks/
If you're struggling with MarTech integration or wondering why your stack isn't delivering value, this conversation offers honest, practical insights from people who live these challenges every day.
🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/
💬How are you tackling MarTech integration in your organization?
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