New Arktic Fox Report Reveals Only 19% of Brands Have Strong Utilisation of Their MarTech Tools

Australian marketers are grappling with significant maturity gaps, underutilised technology, restructures, and talent shortages against a backdrop of massive AI disruption and economic upheaval, according to a new report.

The Digital, Marketing & eComm in Focus 2025 report highlights striking trends across the strategic and technological maturity of brands engaging with digital, marketing, and eCommerce in Australia.

Key Findings

  • Almost 75% of Australian brands are either resizing their business or planning to do so.
  • 73% of leaders state their marketing budget has remained static or been reduced.
  • 59% of brands are experimenting with or scaling efforts around generative AI and AI to drive personalisation.
  • Only 19% of brands feel they have semi or strong utilisation of their marTech tools.
  • 53% of brands admit lagging behind in customer and first-party data capabilities.
  • Just 14% of brands believe they’re progressing towards a unified customer view.
  • Only 4 in 10 leaders agree their brands have clear plans to adapt to proposed privacy act changes.
  • ‘Emerging technologies’ is now the number one skill gap in marketing teams.
  • 75% of brands feel their eCommerce maturity lags behind global leaders.
  • 54% of respondents have low trust in retail media networks.

The study, produced by Melbourne-based digital, data, and eCommerce consultancy Arktic Fox in collaboration with Six Degrees Executive, surveyed more than 200 senior marketing and business leaders.

Maturity Gaps and Resource Pressures

Arktic Fox Founder Teresa Sperti notes that brands are struggling with emerging tech, tighter budgets, and increasing pressure to deliver value.

“We see maturity gaps across marTech, data, analytics, and customer experience. Generative AI adoption is moving beyond experimentation, with some brands reskilling teams, embedding AI in workflows, and building governance for scale,” she says.

MarTech Utilisation Remains Low

The report highlights several trends in marTech adoption: AI integration, composable best-of-breed stacks, and increased focus on homegrown solutions. However, utilisation remains low—only 19% of brands report semi or strong usage.

51% of brands are focused on maximising existing tools rather than purchasing new ones, while 23% plan new investments and 18% are consolidating. Still, nearly half of brands say they are under pressure to demonstrate ROI.

Sperti explains: “Those leaning towards more flexible, composable stacks (76%) report better utilisation. The challenge is aligning IT’s decisions with broader marketing strategy.”

AI and Generative AI Adoption Accelerates

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have reshaped how consumers and professionals interact with information. Globally, Amazon’s AI tool Rufus and locally NAB’s AI-powered customer matching exemplify the shift.

Key insights from the report include:

  • 59% of brands are experimenting with or scaling generative AI.
  • Half of brands are testing AI for content creation, with 24% scaling efforts.
  • 49% are experimenting with AI for insights generation, with 19% scaling.

Despite growth, only 13% of leaders believe their organisations are advanced in predictive analytics, typically larger companies with revenues above $100 million. Sperti warns that without a strong data foundation, AI personalisation efforts will fall short.

First-Party Data and Privacy Challenges

The report reveals a widening gap in data and analytics maturity. While 83% rank first-party data as strategically important, 53% admit their organisations are lagging. Just 14% are making meaningful progress towards a unified customer view.

Identity resolution remains overlooked, with only 25% of brands prioritising it despite its necessity for customer unification. Billy Loizou, Amperity VP for Australia, warns: “Without robust identity resolution, personalisation fails and growth stalls.”

On privacy, less than half of leaders feel prepared for upcoming Privacy Act changes. Only 40% of brands have clear adaptation plans, and fewer than half believe executives prioritise compliance.

Conclusion

Despite heavy investment in marTech and first-party data, many brands are failing to extract value. Activation and insight generation often lag behind technical adoption.

Sperti concludes: “Brands are being asked to do more with fewer resources. Closing maturity gaps across marTech, AI, and data is now critical to unlocking growth and meeting customer expectations.”

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