Integration issues are holding back global brands, despite significant investments in marketing technology, according to new research from enterprise tech provider Storyblok.

The study reveals that 93% of IT and marketing leaders are dissatisfied with their current Content Management System (CMS), with many citing limited integration capabilities as a key frustration.

Surveying 300 leaders from businesses with revenues exceeding $100 million, the research highlights the struggle to adapt legacy CMS platforms to evolving needs. While businesses spend an average of $453,126 annually on martech, over a third (38%) say they constantly need better integration, and nearly a quarter (24%) find integrations “difficult.”

Most respondents admit that 20-30% of their CMS content is no longer relevant, yet only 29% update content monthly or less. Many also lack effective processes for auditing and refreshing their digital assets, leaving their websites underperforming.

“Many companies are hitting the limits of their current CMS,” said Dominik Angerer, CEO of Storyblok. “They dream of systems that sync seamlessly without constant workarounds.”

The research also exposes strained collaboration between IT and marketing teams. Two in five leaders (40%) describe their working relationship as ineffective or nonexistent, with bottlenecks in content updates often delaying projects by months. Marketers frequently rely on developers to make even minor edits in monolithic CMS setups, creating inefficiencies that hinder agility.

Experts warn that platform integration failures could impact Christmas sales and stress the need for improved martech alignment in 2025. Flexible, integration-friendly solutions like headless CMSs are emerging as a way forward.

Storyblok’s findings also uncover the cost of inaction. A previous study revealed poor website user experience results in an estimated $72,000 in lost sales annually. With new technologies proliferating and cross-system data management becoming essential, integration is poised to dominate martech priorities in the year ahead.

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