Marketing teams are heading into 2026 under pressure to prove value, simplify their MarTech stacks, and deliver more with fewer resources, all while AI noise gets louder every week. In this episode of The CX Equation, hosts Chantelle Casey and Mark Clydesdale are joined by James Gent and Neil Hughes of Tap CXM to unpack what really changed in 2025, what composable actually means in practice, and why the next wave isn’t more AI.

What You’ll Learn:

How to spot the difference between real AI capability and vendor hype
Why consolidating and simplifying your MarTech stack is now a business necessity
How to avoid the AI implementation trap
Why humans plus AI outperform AI-only solutions by every measure
The overlooked challenge that derails most AI projects
How decisioning architecture is becoming the real competitive advantage

Neil Hughes is the Marketing Solutions Director at Tap CXM, specialising in technology consolidation, stack optimisation, and data architecture for enterprise clients. With vast experience helping leading brands navigate the complexities of composable marketing technology stacks, Neil brings a critical, curiosity-driven approach to identifying which technologies genuinely deliver ROI versus which are riding the AI hype wave.

James Gent is a Director and Business Consultant at Tap CXM with a background in designing and delivering marketing technology solutions for global brands. With deep expertise in marketing automation, decisioning frameworks, and AI implementation, James has led numerous technology consolidation and standardisation initiatives across enterprises.

Episode Resources:

James Gent on LinkedIn
Neil Hughes on LinkedIn
Chantelle Casey on LinkedIn
Mark Clydesdale on LinkedIn
Tap CXM Website