This document discusses the growing importance and value of marketing automation. It notes that marketing automation software acquisitions totaled over $6 billion from 2010 to 2013 as tools became indispensable. The main challenges for marketing include an expected 20-fold increase in digital data by 2020, empowered customers who complete most of the buyer journey without sales, and pressure to prove marketing ROI. The document advocates for lead nurturing programs to guide customers through personalized, behavior-driven communications. It also emphasizes using automation to improve sales and marketing alignment by delivering better leads and enabling sales to engage opportunities. Analysis of marketing campaigns and attributed revenue is presented as a way to demonstrate accountability through data-driven reporting.