Surgo Advisors Blog

Why Your Marketing Data is Holding Back Your Growth (and How to Fix It)

Written by By Sharon Spooler | Jun 19, 2025

 

If your marketing team is drowning in reports but still can’t answer basic questions like “What’s driving our pipeline?”—you’re not alone. The data is there. But the connections between systems, metrics, and outcomes? Often missing.

While guiding a strategic discussion with IT and marketing leaders this April, we unpacked one of marketing’s most overlooked challenges: fragmented data. Using real statistics and field-tested solutions, we explored how tech and marketing teams can work together to clean up the chaos—and turn information into impact.

The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Data

Let’s start with the reality check:

  • Only 20% of marketers say their data is fully integrated.
  • 30% report that their tools barely communicate.
  • 34% struggle to share their data across teams.


These aren’t just workflow hiccups—they’re growth blockers. Disconnected systems lead to double work, missed handoffs, and strategies based on incomplete visibility. When data lives in silos, so does decision-making.

Focus on the KPIs That Actually Matter

We all know likes, impressions, and pageviews don’t close deals. But without the right data infrastructure, marketing teams often default to what’s easiest to measure—not what actually moves the needle.

That’s why we emphasize aligning around the metrics that matter to growth:

  • Leads generated

  • Opportunities created

  • Deals closed/won tied to marketing activity

When marketing, sales, and tech teams consolidate reporting around these revenue-driving KPIs, they shift from just reporting activity to demonstrating real impact. And executives start paying attention.

You Don't Need an Expensive Tool Stack to Start 

The good news? You don’t need a full-blown data warehouse to build smarter reporting. Some of the most effective solutions we’ve implemented at Surgo Advisors are lightweight dashboards created using tools like Google Looker Studio, Power BI, or even Excel.

One of the fastest wins? A shared Google Sheet updated weekly with just 3–5 core KPIs. That simple system can dramatically improve visibility, guide better decisions, and build a consistent rhythm of accountability. Even better, it can be owned jointly by marketing and technology—making it a truly cross-functional asset.

Clean Data = Smarter Budgets

I’ve worked with mid-market teams buried in redundant tools and unclear metrics many times. In one case, simply mapping out the martech stack and aligning data around key KPIs led to significant returns.


One of my clients reallocated $80,000 from underperforming channels to campaigns that were directly tied to closed deals—all based on clarity gained through structured, centralized reporting. That kind of insight doesn’t emerge when data is fragmented across systems and teams.

See the Full Blueprint for Turning Marketing Data Into ROI

Want to stop spinning your wheels and start making marketing decisions with confidence? Download the full presentation deck for practical frameworks, real-world metrics, and step-by-step guidance on how to consolidate your marketing data and drive real growth.