Why choosing the right MarTech tools is so hard

Trying to evaluate MarTech tools for a large, international organization is anything but simple. With over 15,000 tools on the market, narrowing down your options is a pickle.

On top of that:

The tools and companies behind the tools are constantly changing, making it hard to keep up with new features and trends.
New technologies like composability and AI disrupt the market before you’ve even finished your research.
You may not have the in-house expertise, the time, or domain experience to properly compare solutions.

A selection framework is an expert research and selection process for tech. Without this crucial step, many enterprises end up with the wrong tools, duplicate systems or underutilized investments.

The risk of a poor MarTech selection process

Many enterprises face these challenges when evaluating Martech solutions for large-scale digital transformation, leading to wasted time, wasted budget, and tools that don’t deliver. A customized, criteria-driven approach that aligns with your business goals is they key to success.

There are a few common pitfalls in enterprise software selection, including:

Did you know there are 15,384 MarTech tools available on the market?

Business vs. IT conflicts

Marketing wants speed and flexibility, while IT focuses on security and scalability. Without alignment, projects stall or result in tools nobody fully supports.

Mega-spreadsheets & generic requirements

Long lists of “must-haves” rarely reflect what the business actually needs. They often become a box-ticking exercise instead of driving real value.

Vendor influence vs. business reality

Sales teams are persuasive, but their pitch doesn’t always match your company’s unique context.

Proof-of-concepts without adoption

Running demos or pilots might look good, but without a clear framework, these experiments rarely translate into long-term success.

Relying on popular analyst reports

While analyst reports like Gartner and Forrester are useful, they are too generic and not tailored to specific business models or regions.

Enter the Vaimo MarTech stack selection framework service

The Martech stack selection framework is a well-structured, proven research exercise where a multidisciplinary Vaimo team helps to clarify the requirements (strategic, organizational, and technological), narrow down a shortlist of a few solutions that meet the defined requirements, and evaluate each solution against weighted criteria.

What we do

Clarify requirements and define the scope of your MarTech needs
Analyze the platform landscape to highlight the most relevant options
Shortlist solutions based on business priorities and technical fit
Guide structured evaluations with clear comparison criteria
Provide an objective framework that supports confident decision-making

Why it works

Offers a structured process that cuts through an overwhelming vendor landscape
Builds alignment between stakeholders by grounding choices in data
Balances business goals with technical considerations for long-term success
Reduces bias and guesswork with a transparent evaluation framework
Creates a repeatable process you can apply to future technology decisions

How it helps you

Simplifies the evaluation journey and saves significant time and effort
Provides clarity and structure for organized stakeholder discussions
Equips you with the insights to make informed, future-proof investments
Increases confidence that your chosen stack will deliver measurable outcomes
Ensures technology decisions directly support your business growth strategy

MarTech Selection Framework case study: How Ethias strengthened marketing insights with the Martech Stack Selection Framework

Europe

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For Ethias, one of Belgium’s leading insurers, campaign results were harder to trust, audiences were difficult to refine, and valuable ad spend risked being wasted. Ethias had to evolve to a first party data strategy and towards a future-proof server-side data collection.

By aligning with Ethias’ existing Adobe ecosystem, we guided the selection of Adobe Experience Platform Real-Time CDP Connections as the best-fit solution to further future proof their MarTech stack. The framework ensured the choice wasn’t just about features, but about long-term strategic value, compliance, and integration with the tools their teams already used.

The impact was immediate:

+13% more lead conversions and +38% more purchase conversions on Meta campaigns
Stronger audience matching through hashed customer data
Greater confidence from legal teams around data protection and compliance

How our MarTech stack selection works

Here is how we break down the discovery and evaluation phases, that end with a comprehensive selection report with our findings. This includes a prioritized platform recommendation, and a rollout plan to guide the implementation and adoption.

Typically, the discovery phase takes 2-4 weeks, and the evaluation phase lasts 3-6 weeks.

Platform requirements
We begin by clarifying the business context and defining what your MarTech stack truly needs to deliver.

Map target audiences and key user journeys
Define use cases and required capabilities
Assess platform architecture and integration needs
Document essential features for success
Draw on our domain experience with leading MarTech tools

Qualification
Next, we evaluate the broad platform landscape and narrow it down to the most relevant options.

Continuously scan the market for potential solutions
Screen vendors against core business and technical criteria
Build a shortlist of platforms best suited to your requirements

Comparison
We then conduct a detailed, side-by-side evaluation of the shortlisted platforms.

Apply a structured set of evaluation parameters
Compare features, scalability, usability, and costs
Assess alignment with long-term business and technology goals

The MarTech stack selection report

When our engagement concludes, you’ll receive an in-depth, polished report that consolidates every insight, deliverable, and recommendation into one cohesive resource. Here’s what you can expect:

Executive summary: A concise overview of the project scope, methodology, and key outcomes.

Platform landscape overview: A review of the current vendor market, highlighting trends, emerging players, and how each option aligns with your needs.

Inclusion criteria matrix: A transparent breakdown of the requirements that determined which platforms made it to the shortlist.

Evaluation criteria & descriptions: Clear definitions of the parameters used to assess each platform, covering business, technical, and usability perspectives.

Comparison matrix: A structured, side-by-side analysis of shortlisted platforms, showing strengths, weaknesses, and differentiators.

Solution considerations: Contextual notes on each option, such as integration complexity, vendor roadmap, scalability, and potential risks.

Summary & recommendation: A prioritized platform recommendation with supporting rationale, plus a rollout roadmap to guide adoption.

Choose with confidence. Build for growth.

Since 2009, Vaimo has helped leading brands and retailers navigate the complexity of digital and MarTech decisions. With experts across the world, we bring the experience, structure, and clarity you need to select the right platforms for long-term success.

Ready to find the right MarTech stack for your future?

Let’s talk.

Ready to talk about your MarTech solution?

Reach out to Steven Volders, Global Director GTM Customer Data, Insights & Activation, directly at [email protected].