Unpacking HubSpot's 2025 State of Marketing & Trends Report

In a landscape transformed by artificial intelligence and shifting consumer expectations, marketers are facing a pivotal moment. HubSpot's 2025 State of Marketing Report reveals a profession at the crossroads of technological advancement and human connection, where success increasingly depends on balancing AI-powered efficiency with authentic brand storytelling.

Covered in this article

The Great Attention Shift
AI: The New Team Member
The Visual-First Future
The Authenticity Imperative
The Power of Personalisation
Looking Ahead: The New Marketing Team
The Bottom Line
FAQs about the State of Marketing in 2025

The Great Attention Shift

Perhaps the most significant finding is the fundamental change in how marketers approach growth. "Instead of scaling traffic, we need to scale attention. It's different. Marketers need to learn a new skill set," explains Kieran Flanagan, SVP of Marketing at HubSpot. This shift comes as the marketing world grapples with information overload and increasingly sophisticated audience expectations.

The data supports this evolution: 82% of marketers reported their strategies were effective in 2024, but there's a striking disparity. Among those using connected CRM systems like HubSpot, the success rate jumps to 87%, while only 52% of marketers without CRM systems reported effective strategies. This gap underscores the growing importance of integrated, data-driven approaches to capturing and maintaining audience attention.

AI: The New Team Member

The report reveals that 92% of marketers say AI has impacted their role, with over a third reporting "very significant" changes. However, this transformation isn't without its challenges. A notable 54% feel overwhelmed by implementing AI into their workflows, and only 47% understand how to measure its impact effectively.

Despite these challenges, AI adoption is accelerating. One in four marketers plans to use AI for converting text into multi-modal campaigns, while one in five intends to deploy AI agents for end-to-end marketing automation. The technology is particularly valuable for content creation, research, data analysis, and brainstorming – essentially becoming the extra team member marketers have always needed.

The Visual-First Future

Content marketing is experiencing a decisive shift toward visual storytelling. Short-form video has emerged as the top-performing format across both B2B and B2C sectors. This trend aligns with the growing influence of platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, which the report identifies as the leading channels for 2025.

Audio content is also seeing remarkable growth, with 91% of marketers planning to maintain or increase their podcast investments. This comes as no surprise, given that the average adult now listens to approximately eight hours of podcasts weekly, with 46% of weekly listeners making purchases based on podcast recommendations.

The Authenticity Imperative

Perhaps counterintuitively, as AI usage grows, so does the importance of authentic human connection. The report shows that 92% of marketers plan to maintain or increase their brand awareness investments, with a particular focus on authentic storytelling and value-driven content.

This trend is especially relevant when targeting Millennial and Gen Z audiences, who now represent the largest demographic focus for marketers (73-74% targeting Millennials). These generations show a strong preference for brands that demonstrate authentic values and social responsibility, with 65% of marketers reporting success when addressing social issues in their campaigns.

The Power of Personalisation

One of the most striking findings is that 96% of marketers report increased sales from personalised experiences. This success is driving investment in data quality and privacy measures, as marketers navigate the challenges of consumer data resistance and increased privacy regulations.

Looking Ahead: The New Marketing Team

The report also offers a glimpse into the future of marketing team structures. The top priority roles for 2025 reflect the industry's evolution:

• Social Media Coordinator (16%)
• Content Creator (16%)
• Social Media Strategist (15%)
• Creative Director (14%)
• Marketing Data Analyst (13%)

This mix of creative and analytical roles suggests a future where successful marketing teams will need to balance technical expertise with creative storytelling abilities.

The Bottom Line

The 2025 State of Marketing Report paints a picture of an industry in transformation. Success in this new landscape requires marketers to master a complex balance: leveraging AI for efficiency while maintaining authentic human connections, scaling attention rather than just traffic, and delivering personalized experiences while respecting privacy concerns.

As Emmy Jonassen, VP of Marketing at HubSpot, puts it: "Never in the history of marketing have we been able to do something like this." The tools and opportunities are unprecedented, but so are the challenges. The marketers who will thrive in 2025 and beyond will be those who can harness new technologies while keeping their focus firmly on authentic human connection and value creation.

For more information about HubSpot CRM or inbound marketing for your business, contact Velocity today. 

FAQs about the State of Marketing in 2025