We’re all standing at the crossroads of automation and creativity, where AI-powered marketing tools hum alongside human strategists - but where do we go from here?
HubSpot’s Marketing Report has some ideas, and whilst it's not the robot apocalypse many feared, there’s no denying AI is only going to grow in 2025. After a deep dive with our Head of Marketing, Hollie Higa, in a recent episode of our podcast, we've decoded what this means for marketers. Let's dive into the key takeaways - or you can watch the full video here.
1. AI is transforming marketing, but it won't replace human marketers.
As AI technology gets better at content creation, the value of authentic human connection isn't diminishing—it's becoming more crucial than ever. While tools like HubSpot's content remix show AI's impressive capabilities in automating content, the true advantage lies in our human abilities: strategic thinking, contextual understanding, and meaningful connection.
The key differentiator isn't found in the outputs that AI generates, but rather in the questions we pose. Great marketers distinguish themselves through critical thinking and their ability to probe deeper—skills that AI simply cannot replicate. As Hollie notes, success comes from developing a "journalistic mind," one that knows how to extract valuable insights from multiple sources: data, business operations, colleague perspectives, and customer feedback.
AI can analyse data and generate reports, but it can't truly grasp the 'why' behind the numbers without solid context. It's up to human marketers to interpret the data, identify trends, extract actionable insights and crucially - find the unique story.
2. Brand values and authenticity are more important than ever in a world of AI-generated content.
With AI making content creation easier, it's crucial to stand out by infusing your brand values and authenticity into everything you produce. Remember when brands could get away with being faceless entities? Those days are gone.
As Hollie notes,
It’s the people, the voice, the emotion that you invoke from your audience, that makes it different.
Think of your brand as a person – it should have its own unique personality, voice, and set of values. This is what will resonate with your audience and build lasting connections. Spend time thinking about what ‘authenticity’ means for your brand. An example Hollie called out was how we display authenticity when we’re sharing use cases for HubSpot product updates. One of our values is ‘transparency’, and it’s really important to us that we be transparent when the use case for a particular update isn’t that strong.
3. Video content is still king, but it needs to be authentic and engaging.
We're witnessing a seismic shift from text to visual and audio content, but it's not just about making things look or sound good. It's about creating experiences that cut through the digital noise.
They need to be authentic, engaging, and reflective of your brand values. Hollie suggests focusing on "how to create authentic video," rather than just incorporating more video. This means thinking about the message you want to convey, the emotions you want to evoke, and the overall experience you want to create for your viewers. A shaky smartphone video that captures genuine emotion will outperform a polished but soulless production every time.
4. The rise of content creators and personality-led content is a natural consequence of AI.
The rise of content creators and personality-led content is a direct response to the increasing saturation of AI-generated content. To stand out, brands need to showcase their personality and expertise. Hollie believes that "content now is so saturated, you need to be able to show personality."
People connect with people, not robots. By putting a human face on your brand, you can build trust and credibility with your audience.
5. Personalisation is key to increasing sales, but it needs to be done in a way that adds value and doesn't feel creepy.
Hollie addresses the elephant in the room: personalisation is powerful, but it's also precarious. It's like seasoning in cooking—the right amount enhances everything, but too much ruins the dish.
Her advice?
The personalisation itself needs to add value. It's not always just sticking someone's name in.
Think about how you can use data to anticipate your audience's needs and provide them with relevant and helpful content. For example, instead of saying “We know you have 20 sales people, so you should buy HubSpot” you should say, “If your 20 people sales team used HubSpot you’d save £X of money a month”. Use your data to create moments of genuine value for your audience.
Personalisation is an art form, not a checkbox. Our strategic consulting team can help you design data-driven strategies that feel less like algorithmic guesswork and more like genuine human connection. Get in touch here.
6. Brand awareness is still important, but it's getting harder to measure.
Brand awareness isn't just about being seen—it's about being remembered. In a digital ecosystem where attention is the new currency, marketers are facing a measurement crisis. Hollie nails it:
The only thing that's truly going to differentiate you is your brand.
But traditional measurement tools are becoming as obsolete as a fax machine.
Your brand's true reach isn't measured in clicks, so marketers need to find creative ways to assess the impact of their brand-building efforts.
Speak to our HubSpot experts to find out how to bring your reporting to life.
7. Collaboration with other brands is key to reaching new audiences.
Modern brand expansion is about strategic symbiosis—what Hollie calls "micro-collaboration." This isn't about finding perfect partners; it's about creating unexpected value ecosystems that expand your reach exponentially.
Look for partners who:
- Complement your core capabilities without direct overlap
- Bring adjacent audience segments
- Enable capabilities you can't efficiently build internally
- Share similar strategic vision and audience values
Real collaboration goes beyond logo swaps and superficial cross-promotions. It's about creating integrated value propositions that fundamentally expand what's possible for both brands. Think of Spotify and Strava's partnership—two distinct platforms creating a seamless experience that neither could deliver alone.
8. Be very clear on what content can be created via AI and what can’t.
When it comes to incorporating AI into your content strategy, it’s not just about what AI can do—it’s about making smart choices on where it should step in and where it shouldn't.
For content that’s more data-heavy or technical—like product specs, SEO-driven blog posts, or simple market reports—AI is a fantastic choice. These types of content often follow predictable patterns and require lots of data crunching, which AI excels at. For example, AI can help you generate drafts for product descriptions in minutes, and then a human editor can fine-tune them for accuracy and to make sure the tone matches your brand's voice.
On the flip side, content that has a strong emotional or brand-driven component—like thought leadership, personal social media, storytelling, or crisis communications—should still be led by humans. The key here is brand resonance; if a piece doesn't connect emotionally or reflects the wrong tone, it can hurt your reputation.
So, what’s our advice? First, audit your content calendar. Break down each piece by its importance to brand personality and its level of technical complexity. Ask yourself: "If this piece felt off-brand, would it damage our image?" If the answer is yes, that’s your cue to have more human involvement.
Next steps for 2025
Here’s what we learnt from HubSpot’s report: That the marketers who will thrive in 2025 aren't those who resist technological change, nor those who surrender entirely to automation - the real winners are those who adapt and use AI as a collaborative partner. Your competitive advantage won't come from having the most advanced tools, but from your ability to ask the most provocative questions, interpret data with nuanced intelligence, and craft narratives that pulse with genuine human emotion.
If you have questions about what these findings mean for your marketing strategy or you’d like help incorporating more AI into your process - reach out to our consultants.
Watch the on-demand recording
Want to see exactly what Hollie and Bridget had to say about HubSpot's 2025 Marketing Report?
