Marketing Resource Management (MRM) vs Dedicated Marketing Planning Software: What B2B Marketers Need to Know

Introduction

In my 25 years in B2B marketing leadership, I have seen many organisations invest in large marketing operations platforms only to find that their strategic plan still lives in spreadsheets and slide decks. The “workflow and asset” side is often covered with Marketing Resource Management (MRM) or Digital Asset Management (DAM), but the “plan and strategy” side is not. That gap matters.

This article explains the difference between Marketing Resource Management (MRM) systems and dedicated marketing planning platforms. It looks at how they are defined, what they do well, where they fall short, and why dedicated planning software is essential for B2B teams.

What is Marketing Resource Management (MRM)?

The term Marketing Resource Management, or MRM, is defined differently depending on who you ask. The variation itself shows how broad and sometimes confusing the category has become.

• Gartner describes MRM as “applications that enable strategic planning and budgeting, program management, creative development and distribution, content management, media planning and execution, event coordination and resource measurement.”

• Sitecore calls it “a set of software tools that support strategy and workflow optimisation within organisations. These tools help teams manage and centralise marketing projects while providing an integrated environment for content planning, production, governance and execution.”

• ClickUp defines it as “a set of activities and tools for planning and leveraging your budget, time, human resources, technology, and supplies to streamline your marketing operations.”

• Aprimo says it “focuses on managing marketing campaign resources, including budgets, staff, and materials. Digital asset management enhances effectiveness by providing organisation, searchability, and context to digital marketing assets.”

From these definitions, several themes stand out. MRM is both a discipline and a software category. It focuses on managing the resources of the marketing function: people, assets, budgets, and workflows. It aims to make marketing more efficient, transparent, and consistent across teams and regions.

While Gartner’s definition includes planning and budgeting, most real-world use focuses more on execution and operations than on strategic decision-making.

Why MRM is Focused on Assets and Execution

Most companies adopt MRM platforms to solve practical operational problems. These often include inconsistent branding, multiple versions of assets, approval bottlenecks, and lack of visibility into campaign delivery.

1. Focus on asset creation, storage, and distribution

MRM systems almost always include digital asset management. They provide libraries of approved brand images, videos, and documents, with tagging, search, and review features. In short, MRM is about managing and distributing assets efficiently.

2. Emphasis on campaign execution rather than pure strategy

In practice, MRM platforms are used to manage production workflows, resource scheduling, vendor coordination, and campaign delivery. AgencyAnalytics summarises this by saying MRM tools “streamline the management of marketing resources, from budgeting and scheduling to asset management and utilisation.”

This operational focus works well for large, distributed teams where campaign consistency and speed matter most.

3. Weak support for strategic planning and budget modelling

While some vendors claim their tools include planning modules, these tend to be limited. They rarely support the deeper work of defining objectives, modelling scenarios, or aligning investments with business outcomes.

Budgeting may be present, but forecasting, ROI modelling, and strategic program design are often left outside the system.

4. Implementation and configuration requirements

Many MRM platforms are enterprise-grade and need significant setup and configuration. They are often not tailored to specific industries or company types.

For smaller or mid-sized B2B marketing teams, the time and cost required to configure and maintain these systems can outweigh their benefits.

The Limitations of MRM for B2B Marketers

For experienced B2B marketers, these limitations are clear:

• MRM platforms are strong at managing creative assets and workflows but weak in the early strategic stages of marketing planning.

• Most are designed for large B2C enterprises, not for the more focused and sales-integrated nature of B2B marketing.

• They are built to support many industries and use cases, rather than the specific needs of technology, manufacturing, or professional services businesses.

• Their budgeting tools rarely go beyond tracking spend, leaving gaps in investment modelling and return forecasting.

The result is that even with a sophisticated MRM in place, many marketing teams still rely on spreadsheets and slides to plan their year, define objectives, and align with business goals.

What Dedicated Marketing Planning Software Does

Dedicated marketing planning platforms focus on strategy and structure. They help teams decide what to do, how to do it, and how to allocate resources effectively.

These tools are built around planning first, not asset management. Key features include:

• Setting marketing objectives that link to business goals.

• Defining strategies and programmes of work with clear outcomes.

• Modelling different investment scenarios to forecast results.

• Tracking budgets, performance, and ROI across time periods.

• Keeping all plans and updates in one consistent, shareable format.

Because these platforms are built for planning rather than asset production, they are often simpler to deploy, easier to use, and better suited to smaller or mid-sized B2B teams.

They allow marketing leaders to see at a glance where money and time are going, what is working, and where adjustments are needed.

How MRM and Planning Platforms Work Together

In the most effective marketing operations setups, MRM (or DAM) and dedicated planning tools work side by side.

The planning platform defines what the business will do and why. It provides the structure for goals, programmes, and budgets. The MRM platform then handles the what and how that plan gets executed — the assets, workflows, and approvals needed to deliver it.

Data can flow both ways. The plan informs execution, and the MRM system provides real-time feedback on asset use, production timelines, and spending.

For B2B marketing leaders, the practical question is: do you have a system that captures your strategic choices and tracks them to completion, or are you relying on disconnected files and presentations?

If it is the latter, then adding a dedicated planning platform is a logical next step.

Conclusion

Marketing Resource Management (MRM) is an established software category aimed at managing marketing resources, workflows, and assets. It provides structure for operational consistency but is less suited to high-level strategic planning.

Dedicated marketing planning platforms fill this gap. They focus on helping marketing leaders decide what programs to run, how to allocate budgets, and how to measure results.

The best approach is not to treat MRM and planning tools as competitors, but as complementary. The planning platform captures the strategy; the MRM ensures its smooth execution.

For B2B organisations, especially in technology, manufacturing, or professional services, adopting both tools can create a clear, measurable link between marketing strategy and operational performance.