As marketers, we use web, video and mobile strategies to reach our customer base. But what if you’re the provider of one or even all these services? While most marketers are focused on leveraging these channels for consumer engagement, top cable and telecomm providers are out there selling the very platforms that marketers depend on.

The appeal of automation makes sense: in a time where marketers are held to high standards and spread thin across an increased workload, anything you can set and forget is a welcome time saver. What companies didn’t predict, though, was how much time is attached to establishing automation. And while there are risks involved in automation’s perceived easy button, companies are still embracing it in droves. So how do marketers keep from blowing it?