• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, January 17, 2025

Email teams will face several top-down changes as the marketing industry is transformed into a more data-driven, AI-powered business this year, judging by a HubSpot study titled The State of Marketing. 

Despite many alarms, marketers feel pretty sanguine — 82% felt their strategies were effective in 2024. And many are leaning into AI. Take those on the B2B side: they outline these five strategies for 2025.

1. Using AI to turn text into multi-modal campaigns
2. Using AI-powered reporting tools to evaluate the ROI of campaigns 
3. Automating marketing strategy and execution with AI 
4. Creating content that reflects your brand’s values 
5. Personality-led content creators, and authentic engagement 

B2C marketers list a different order of imperatives for 2025: 

1. User-generated content 
2. Creating content that reflects your brand’s values 
3. Leveraging AI to turn text into multi-modal campaigns
4. Using social media to DMs (direct messages) for customer service
5. Using AI-powered reporting tools to evaluate the ROI of campaigns
   

In general, the respondents to this survey say the following activities became more important in 2024: 

• Focusing on the customer and their experience with your brand — 44% 
• Creating content that reflects your brand’s values (e.g., social responsibility) —35% 
• Using data to inform your marketing efforts — 35%
• Using data to demonstrate the ROI and business value of your marketing efforts — 31%
• Providing customer service through social media DMs and/or messaging apps — 29%

Another shift is in demographic targeting.

Marketing to Gen Z will be ramped up by 33% of B2B companies and 39% of B2C.

But millennials are the priority audience for 73% of B2B brands and 74% of B2C.

Gen X will be a focus for 40% of B2B and 43% of B2C. In contrast, only 15% of B2B and 29% of B2C are concentrating on Baby Boomers. 

Looking for a new job? Brands are seeking to hire people in the following marketing roles in 2025:

• Social media coordinator — 16% 
• Content creator—16% 
• Social media strategist — 15% 
• Creative director — 14% 
• Marketing data analyst — 13%

HubSpot surveyed  1,200 marketers across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia across industries to gain these data points.