Real Story on Martech

The Present and Future of Martech with Scott Brinker


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Hosts Tony Byrne and Jarrod Gingras sit down with Scott Brinker, chiefmartech analyist and advisor and creator of the iconic Martech Landscape Supergraphic, to unpack the biggest shifts happening across the marketing technology ecosystem. Scott shares insights from the newly released State of Martech 2026 report and discusses why the industry may be entering a new era defined less by applications — and more by AI-driven infrastructure.

Also in this episode:

What is the Martech Landscape Supergraphic?

The Martech Landscape Supergraphic, created by Scott Brinker, is an industry-wide visualization that maps thousands of marketing technology vendors across categories including CMS, analytics, automation, commerce, data, AI, and customer experience platforms.Has martech reached peak growth?According to Scott Brinker, the Martech Landscape reached approximately 15,500 vendors in 2026 and showed signs of leveling off for the first time. However, significant innovation and vendor turnover are still occurring beneath the surface.

What is agentic AI in marketing?

Agentic AI refers to AI systems and assistants that can independently perform tasks, interact across platforms, and automate workflows on behalf of marketers. The episode explores where agentic AI is useful today — and where human oversight is still essential.

What does the future of the martech stack look like?

The future martech stack may become less visible to marketers as AI interfaces increasingly manage complexity behind the scenes. The discussion explores how infrastructure, orchestration, and AI-powered workflows could reshape enterprise marketing operations.

What is the “factory and laboratory” approach to martech?

Scott Brinker describes enterprise martech as a combination of a “factory” — stable, operational systems — and a “laboratory” where teams can experiment with emerging AI tools, workflows, and customer engagement strategies.



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Real Story on MartechBy Tony Byrne and Jarrod Gingras