Real Story on Martech

Learn what Martech leaders should be doing today to build a scalable foundation for AI-driven personalization tomorrow. In this episode, Tony Byrne and Jarrod Gingras explore why most personalization initiatives struggle, how AI is changing the equation, and why success depends less on generative AI and more on content, context, data, and architecture.  In this episode: How is AI changing personal...

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...

As AI reshapes marketing, what happens to the role of agencies? In this episode, hosts Jarrod Gingras and Tony Byrne explore how enterprise teams must rethink agency relationships, ownership of data and content, and the shift from traditional supply chains to AI-driven demand chains. Discover why the future belongs to organizations that control their own learning loops—and what that means for your...

Hosts Jarrod Gingras and Tony Byrne welcome taxonomy expert Stephanie Lemieux, president & principal consultant at Dovecot Studio, to explore the critical role of taxonomies in modern MarTech stacks, particularly across content, data, and decisioning systems. Stephanie explains how structured metadata and semantic frameworks help organizations integrate platforms like CMS, DAMs, and CDPs while...

Tony Byrne and Jarrod Gingras explore the future of digital asset management in an AI-driven world. They break down the shift from DAM as a passive content repository to DAM 3.0 content warehouses and ultimately DAM 4.0 as an “intelligent responder” within a content demand chain.  In this episode: What is DAM 3.0 and how is it different from traditional DAM? DAM 3.0 shifts digital asset management...

Agentic AI is being hailed as the future of the MarTech stack—but is it truly transformational or just the latest hype cycle? In this episode, Jarrod Gingras and Tony Byrne break down what agentic AI really is, where it delivers real value today, and why most enterprises are still far from running their stacks autonomously. From task agents to cross-platform orchestration, they share practical use...

In this Thanksgiving episode, Tony Byrne and Jarrod Gingras trade their usual vendor skepticism for gratitude as they reflect on what’s going right in the Martech world. From the death of the “hunter-farmer” sales model and the rise of thoughtful enterprise architects to the growing respect for taxonomists and smarter AI adoption, you’ll walk away with a fresh dose of practical insights.  In this...

Some martech vendors are “zombies” — drifting through the market on legacy code, outdated R&D, or dwindling venture cash. Hosts Jarrod Gingras and Tony Byrne of the Real Story Group teach us how to spot the undead in your stack, from legacy vendors coasting on maintenance fees to AI startups masking decline behind funding rounds.  In this episode: What’s a “zombie vendor” in MarTech? A zombie...

Real Story Group founder Tony Byrne and managing director Jarrod Gingras share the biggest career killers and kudos for MarTech leaders, based on decades of advising enterprise teams. What career mistakes should MarTech leaders avoid? They warn against aligning too closely with a single vendor, relying too much on platform expertise, and treating data teams as “the help.” Each of these can stall y...

Jarrod Gingras and Tony Byrne break down the four phases of Digital Asset Management (DAM)—from chaotic file storage to AI-powered predictive content platforms. Whether you're just getting your DAM off the ground or exploring advanced omnichannel content strategies, this episode offers a practical framework to help you understand where you are in your DAM journey—and where you need to go next.  In...

Jarrod and Tony share real-world lessons from enterprise Martech leaders—covering what’s working (and what’s not) across key areas like customer data, personalization, content supply chains, stack modernization, AI, and organizational models. Based on years of conversations inside their vendor-free Martech Leadership Council, this is a grounded look at how top enterprises are tackling today’s Mart...

Jarrod and Tony explore why major analyst firms often mislead enterprise tech buyers—by favoring big vendors, recycling outdated ideas, and creating hype-driven, nonsensical categories. Drawing from decades of experience on the buyer’s side of the table, they break down the conflicts of interest baked into the analyst model, then explain how enterprise MarTech leaders can cut through the noise, an...

Choosing the right MarTech platform is one of the most critical — and most commonly botched — decisions enterprise teams face. Real Story Group’s Jarrod Gingras and Tony Byrne break down the “good” practices that lead to successful outcomes, the “bad” habits that derail teams, and the truly “ugly” missteps that can doom a project before implementation even begins. From building a solid business ca...

Is headless architecture enough in today’s complex, AI-fueled marketing landscape? Hosts Jarrod Gingras and Tony Byrne introduce the provocative concept of “legless” architecture—a strategic shift that goes beyond decoupling content from channels to redefining the foundation of your entire Martech stack. They break down how enterprises are moving from bloated, channel-specific tools to leaner, mor...

In this debut episode, hosts Jarrod Gingras and Tony Byrne of Real Story Group tackle a pervasive problem in the martech industry: vendor bullying. Drawing from over two decades of experience, they unpack the high-pressure tactics some vendors use—from fear-based sales and contract traps to backchanneling and undermining decision-makers. Through real-world examples and actionable advice, Jarrod an...

This no-BS podcast cuts through the hype to bring you the “real” stories behind marketing technology. Enterprise advisors Tony Byrne and Jarrod Gingras of Real Story Group share hard-won lessons, sharp insights, and candid takes from the buyer’s side of the table. From vendor bullying and the pitfalls of “headless” platforms to smart selection strategies and tech stacks that actually deliver, noth...