AI has stormed through the front gates of marketing. What used to be a tech experiment in some obscure IT backroom is now the core engine driving real ROI. That’s not my opinion ... that’s coming from Kat Warboys, HubSpot’s senior marketing director for APAC (Asia-Pacific), as she laid it out at the latest Digital Marketing World Forum in Singapore.
Kat’s insights? Sharp. Applicable.
And if you’re in the trenches of B2B industrial marketing like my clients, you better start paying attention.
From Gimmick to Growth Tool
Warboys nailed it when she said, “We’ve moved beyond that initial ‘should we or shouldn’t we’ debate about AI.”
Yeah, no kidding. That ship has sailed.
The smart industrial marketers aren’t tinkering with AI on the sidelines anymore. They’re rolling it directly into their go-to-market strategies. They want results ... not just dashboards with pretty graphs. It’s about execution at scale with precision.
A year ago? Everyone was dabbling. A little ChatGPT here. A little Perplexity there. Some email automation sprinkled in. Today? If you’re not integrating AI into your B2B marketing processes, you’re leaving opportunity on the table ... and your competitors are more than happy to take it.
AI and HubSpot as Your New Strategic Advisor
Warboys has watched this evolution up close ... as have I. Ten years ago, marketing platforms were glorified filing cabinets for customer data. When clients asked me, “What is marketing automation or HubSpot?” my standard response was, “You know how QuickBooks manages all your financial assets? ... well, HubSpot manages all your marketing assets.”
Then marketing automation got a little smarter ... started acting like historians, showing us what happened in great detail on some really slick dashboards.
But now? These platforms are stepping into the boardroom.
They’re telling you what’s going to happen, not just what did happen. More importantly, they’re helping you decide what to do next.
This shift is game-changing. And guess what? It’s not just for Fortune 500 marketing departments. Mid-size industrials are up next!
Democratizing Enterprise-Level Smarts
What used to require a seven-figure tech stack ... and was way out of reach for mid-size B2Bs ... is now baked into tools like HubSpot. Small, scrappy industrial marketing teams can now execute strategies that would’ve been unthinkable five years ago.
Think about that.
You can now craft hyper-personalized customer journeys ... without an army of coders or a bloated software stack.
This is what I love about the AI movement right now. It’s leveling the playing field.
You’ve got access to enterprise-level insight and automation ... without the enterprise-level price or bureaucracy.
What’s Holding B2B Companies Back?
Let’s talk reality. According to HubSpot’s own study, only 27% of companies have implemented AI internally. Yet 50% of individual marketers are already using it on their own. I suspect the 50% number is even greater.
That’s a leadership problem.
Here’s what’s really getting in the way:
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Typical fear of the unknown
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Data security concerns
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Weak ROI measurement frameworks
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Worries about losing human touch
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No clear AI strategy ... or someone to lead it
Sound familiar?
Warboys hits the nail on the head. You can’t just bolt AI onto your tech stack and call it a day. You need a real plan ... one that aligns with your B2B business objectives.
A Smarter 3-Part Strategy for AI Adoption
Warboys suggests a three-pronged approach. I think every industrial marketing leader should seriously consider:
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Build Capabilities First
Get your team comfortable with AI at the individual level. Let them experiment. Give them space. Once they gain confidence, they become your internal champions. That’s when the buy-in becomes real. I highly recommend checking out Jonathan Mast’s White Beard Strategies. Jonathan has a real gift for teaching and can bring B2B leaders up to speed fast with his excellent webinars. -
Connect to Revenue
Don’t pitch AI as some shiny new toy. Tie it directly to business outcomes. Show how it shortens the sales cycle, improves lead quality, and drives more efficient spend. -
Get Serious About Data Governance
People aren’t resisting AI because it’s too complex ... they’re resisting because they don’t trust how the data is handled. Get clear. Get compliant. Get ahead of that conversation.
Proof That It Works: Using HubSpot Academy’s Platform
HubSpot recently tested an AI model in their world-class HubSpot Academy platform. (I love HubSpot Academy!) They analyzed a company’s website URL to understand its business context. Based on just a URL address, the platform delivered highly personalized learning content.
Think of it like having your best instructor ... tailoring the content and format just for you.
The result? An 82% increase in conversions.
But let’s pause on the stat.
The real story is the scale. They personalized content for thousands of businesses ... with zero extra headcount.
That’s what we call intelligent leverage.
Breaking Down Silos with a Common AI Language
Industrial companies often struggle with internal silos. Sales is doing their thing. Marketing is in their own bubble. Customer service? Don’t even get me started.
AI, done right, acts like a universal translator. It creates shared visibility across departments. Everyone’s working off the same data ... and finally speaking the same language.
That’s when the magic happens.
That’s when customers feel like your company is actually listening ... not just automating for the sake of it.
Humanizing the Next 18 Months
Warboys wrapped up her message with something that struck a chord with me ... and should with you too.
The next big opportunity isn’t more AI. It’s better human AI.
As in ... how does this help your team connect better? How does it surface the moments that require real human judgment, empathy, and follow-through?
You don’t need more bots. You need better systems that make your people smarter ... more focused ... and more available for the high-impact moments.
Let’s be clear: AI isn’t replacing relationships. It’s giving you the capacity to build better ones.
Bottom Line for Industrial Marketers
This isn’t some trend that’ll fade away.
AI is now deeply embedded in the B2B customer journey. Your job isn’t to master every tool ... it’s to understand where AI makes the biggest impact on your revenue pipeline.
Build the foundation.
Train your team.
Focus on business outcomes.
You do that ... and you’ll not only survive the AI era. You’ll lead in it.
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