Martech vendors change labels so often that categories no longer describe products
An analysis of homepage snapshots from 24 martech vendors over six years found that most changed their category labels multiple times, with one vendor using six different terms. A separate study of 445 B2B software leaders found that 99% claim AI capabilities and that messaging overlaps heavily, making it hard to distinguish brands. The author argues that category labels have become meaningless as vendors chase trends.
The analysis tracked homepage snapshots from 23 vendors over six years, finding that most shifted their category labels repeatedly—one vendor cycled through six different identities, from Jamstack to agentic DXP. Only four vendors maintained consistent terminology throughout the period.
Wynter's testing of 445 B2B software leaders found that 99% claim AI capabilities and messaging overlaps by an average of 57%. When five major CRMs' value propositions were stripped of brand names, marketing executives scored only 1.86 out of 5 on matching them correctly—barely above random guessing.
The erosion of meaningful category labels could make purchasing decisions harder for enterprise buyers, who must now rely on deeper product evaluation rather than surface-level positioning. As vendors chase trends like AI and agentic capabilities, buyers may face increased confusion and risk of misaligned investments, potentially slowing adoption and raising the cost of software evaluation.