There’s no question about it: Marketing automation is a lifesaver for the marketing departments and agencies grappling with big cuts in both budgets and people that are still expected to maintain a high level of output.
No wonder you have companies gobbling up automation platforms and investing in the future of these companies. The acquisitions (Eloqua and ExactTarget), IPOs (Marketo) and the $150 million in new VC funding — not to mention the legions of agencies and organizations that are adding marketing automation to their arsenal of tools — amounts to a 50 percent boost in adoption by 2015.