Read full reportANZ marketing leaders are under growing pressure to prove impact while navigating tight budgets, fragmented tech stacks, and rising expectations. This report explores how CMOs and their teams are shifting from chasing shiny tools to building connected, ROI-driven martech foundations that actually move the needle. Backed by fresh survey data, Factor reveals where martech investments are going, what’s holding teams back, and what leaders need to prioritise next to turn marketing into a true growth engine.
Key Findings:
- ANZ marketing leaders are at a critical juncture: they need to prove measurable business impact while managing budget pressures, fragmented tools, and rising expectations. This article explores how CMOs are shifting focus from hype-driven martech adoption to investments that fix core operational gaps and deliver connected, ROI-focused execution.
- Decision Power, But Cautious Adoption: Nearly 90% of marketing leaders in ANZ hold decision-making power or strong influence over martech investments. However, with only 18% identifying as early adopters, most are taking a measured, outcome-first approach, prioritising proven tools that are easy to integrate, cost-effective, and directly tied to business value.
- Ownership Brings Silos: Marketing’s control over martech has accelerated adoption, but limited input from sales, finance, and data teams has created silos. Challenges around ROI measurement, fragmented data, and disconnected customer journeys persist, highlighting the need for marketing to collaborate more closely with the broader business to maximise martech value.
- Investments Focused on Execution, Not Hype: Top investment areas—marketing automation, inbound lead generation, campaign ROI analytics, and AI-driven optimisation—show that leaders are prioritising execution over experimentation. They aim to improve workflows, attribution, and revenue alignment, yet underutilised tools, data silos, and unclear measurement frameworks continue to slow progress.
- AI Adoption Is Practical, But Underdeveloped: AI is being used in ANZ marketing to ease content bottlenecks and optimise campaigns, but advanced applications like predictive analytics and personalisation remain underutilised due to data immaturity and skill gaps. To unlock AI’s full potential, marketing teams must build stronger data foundations and connect insights to business decision-making.
- Building a Connected Foundation for Growth: ANZ marketing leaders are prioritising martech investments that enable smarter, faster, and clearer impact across the business. To move marketing from a cost centre to a true growth engine, leaders will need to focus on unifying data, strengthening measurement, and aligning martech with business outcomes and customer value.
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Exclusive membership organisation, Factor, has launched a new Research and Advisory arm, aimed at helping both C-Suite leaders and providers in the enterprise and public sectors.
It comes after Factor rebranded at the beginning of the 24/25 financial year, with the new identity representing an expanded vision and commitment to offering top-tier thought leadership and networking opportunities to senior executives across ANZ, Singapore and a number of other countries and regions. Now, the new arm of Factor is being spearheaded by VP and Head of Research Craig Baty and VP of Advisory Partnerships Shayne Arundell.
Factor
With over 30 years of C-level experience in ICT, HR, marketing, sales, operations, market research, and international business, Craig brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Factor.
“I’m pleased to be part of Factor’s expansion into Research & Advisory services, and I’m looking forward to sharing actionable insights with our members and providers to guide them on best practices in the market,” says Craig.
Craig has held a number of C-level roles including his own start-up, Global VP Global Marketing and VP Digital Services in Fujitsu Tokyo HQ and CTO & Head of Marketing for APAC. He also served as Distinguished Lead Analyst for ISG and established the Provider Lens research arm in AP. As Group VP and Head of Research for Gartner AP/J and CEO of Gartner Japan he earned the first AP/J Gartner Thought Leadership award, established what is now Gartner for Marketing, and pioneered the Gartner SWOT analysis methodology.
Factor
While, Shayne Arundell, a seasoned leader with a proven track record of success in the APAC region. Bringing over 15 years of Partnerships experience to Factor from FMCG, Fintech and Research and Advisory industries.
Shayne is also a Gartner alumni, previously serving as Director of Enterprise Sales, and as APAC Vice President for Intelligence Cloud at Korn Ferry, both being leading global consulting firms.
“Factor is the newest leader in advisory, backed by fiercely local insights, from an extensive market research database you won’t see anywhere else,” Shayne explains.
Within our expertise Factor will cover a range of topics, including, but not limited to:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Cyber Security
- 5G Landscape
- Hybrid Cloud
- Technology Profitability
- AU Fintech
- Digital Transformation and Enablement
- CX, EX, UX
Both Craig and Shayne are supported by Factor’s team of experts and analysts, including Director of Insights and Value, Darren Adams, who is a highly regarded professional in the APAC data and analytics space, drawing on his experience in communications, client relations, B2B marketing, data and strategy in the technology sector.
“People are at the heart of everything we do at Factor, and data is our key in transforming their interactions into understandings. I'm excited to share cutting-edge insights and understanding with our community, to help foster deeper, lasting and beneficial connections,” Darren says.
While Factor’s Editor-In-Chief, Madeline Palmer, an expert media professional, oversees a broad range of strategic, editorial, and managerial tasks to ensure the production and dissemination off high-quality research content.
“Our new membership app will be one-stop shop for all technology leaders to connect and learn through events, advisory and multi-media content, and I am looking forward to being part of that journey,” says Madeline.
The Directions™ portal on Factor’s new membership app is a cutting-edge platform, allowing users explore a repository of reports and other content, as well as create their own research visualisations with Factor’s existing database.
Factor’s CEO and founder, Josh Heid, says this new phase for the company is something he’s been working towards for quite some time.
“After six incredible years of empowering and enabling leaders, our rebrand as Factor, coupled with the launch of our Research and Advisory arm, is about offering our members and providers with the best services and products the market can offer,” Josh explains. “I’m very proud of the team at Factor and what we have built.”
For more information about Factor’s new Research and Advisory offerings click below.
