How AI is transforming marketing, sales, and service – insights from HubSpot INBOUND 2024

HubSpot's annual three-day conference, INBOUND, is dedicated to the latest trends and tactics in marketing, sales, and service. This year's conference provided its visitors with a deep dive into the future of digital business, with AI at the heart of every conversation, from in-depth discussions to practical demos.

We’re no longer asking if AI is real; the focus has shifted to how to use AI to drive business growth. It's not about getting hyped about AI and its seemingly unlimited possibilities but about using it to create real, measurable value.

AI is here to stay – but how to use it to build growth?

While AI is already helping businesses streamline traditional processes, its true potential lies in how it will transform business operations. In the coming years, AI will not just improve old ways of working; it will disrupt how we operate, allowing us to achieve things that once seemed impossible. 

Trust is the basis of everything, and when companies can trust that the data they own stays with them, the range of possibilities of artificial intelligence is limitless. 

AI is elevating employees from repetitive work to more strategic:

• Marketing is about attracting customers: AI can accelerate content creation and deliver levels of personalisation that were previously unimaginable.
• Sales is all about engaging with customers: By automating repetitive tasks, AI frees up sales teams to focus on nurturing high-value leads.
• Customer service is about delighting customers: AI can handle simpler inquiries, allowing human agents to dedicate more time to complex or high-stakes interactions.

Introducing HubSpot Breeze: AI powering the entire customer platform

One of the big reveals at the event was HubSpot’s new bundle of AI products, Breeze. This suite of tools, including Breeze Copilot and Breeze Agents, is designed to enhance the entire HubSpot customer platform. With over 200 new features, Breeze Intelligence stands out by enriching CRM data with external data sources, giving businesses a deeper understanding of their customers.

This is HubSpot’s answer to a common challenge many businesses face – having advanced AI tools but no connection to their data or core operations. Breeze integrates with HubSpot's customer platform, helping companies boost productivity and create more personalised customer experiences. Existing (professional tier) HubSpot customers can get early access to these features in beta without any extra cost – keeping HubSpot competitive in the fast-moving AI space.

Additionally, HubSpot launched Agent.ai, the world’s first marketplace for AI agents that can handle tasks ranging from SEO analysis to sales lead qualification. With the agent builder, businesses can create custom AI agents tailored to their specific needs.

HubSpot is evolving into a holistic enterprise-level platform

A key takeaway from HubSpot INBOUND 2024 is that HubSpot is evolving beyond its roots in marketing and sales. It's becoming a fully-fledged customer platform capable of managing all customer-facing operations, including marketing, sales, customer service, and even website or customer portal development.

With its Smart CRM and Operations Hub capabilities, HubSpot allows businesses to build a unified view of customer data, similar to a Customer Data Platform (CDP). This tackles the growing problem of disconnected data, with 7 out of 10 companies still working in silos and struggling to get full value from their martech stack. HubSpot’s platform aims to simplify and unify these efforts. With third-party app integration and customisation options that feel native, it’s no surprise that large digital-native companies like eBay and Tripadvisor are adopting the platform. The next big challenge for HubSpot is gaining market share in the more traditional industries.

Recent improvements in customising the CRM data model and automating processes have also made HubSpot a more appealing choice for larger enterprises. It’s evident that this is a key focus for HubSpot moving forward.

Shifting from growth at all costs to sustainable growth at scale

The market is changing, and old operating models might not work as well as before. Many presenters highlighted that during the past years, many businesses have struggled to maintain the rapid growth they once enjoyed, leading to a renewed focus on sustainable growth. 

We are not just talking about the sales funnel anymore, as landing a customer is actually just the beginning of the journey.  Cross-selling and upselling to existing customer bases are increasingly crucial during turbulent times. In a world shifting from growth at all costs to efficient growth at scale, customer retention and expansion have become priorities. The math is actually quite compelling – having 115% net revenue retention enables businesses to double their revenue every five years without landing a single new customer. Acquiring new customers can be 25 times more expensive than retaining existing ones. 

The event provided numerous practical insights into operational marketing, sales, and service trends for sustainable growth: 

• Marketing: Online channels are constantly evolving. Customers are increasingly using search functions and social platforms like Reddit to find information. As a result, they are arriving at your website already well-informed, which raises the bar for marketing content. Social platforms are also keeping users on their own sites, making an omnichannel strategy essential.
• Sales: Sales teams are further away from being the primary source of information. With simpler parts of the sales process being automated or handled by the customer, sales teams can focus more on human interaction and going the extra mile to deliver outstanding customer experiences.
• Customer service: There’s been a shift from reactive service to proactive engagement. It’s no longer just about solving problems – it’s about preventing them and ensuring high customer satisfaction and retention. A tight integration of post-sales, marketing, and sales data is essential to drive upselling and cross-selling.

Looking ahead: from digital-native to AI-native

The next few years will be pivotal in determining how well companies adopt AI. Those who successfully integrate AI into their operations will gain a significant edge in terms of productivity and competitiveness. However, the challenge is not just technological – it is cultural. Companies need to shift their mindsets to fully unlock AI's potential.

Martech will also continue to be essential. Companies that can effectively gather and leverage first-party data will be best positioned to make the most of AI-driven insights. Over time, we’ll see fewer specialist roles as AI takes on tasks that once required deep expertise. Instead, strategic roles will become more important, and we’ll see a rise in demand for T-shaped professionals – those with a broad understanding of several domains who can adapt to new challenges.

HubSpot INBOUND 2024 left us with a clear message: AI is here, and its potential is vast. The challenge now is for businesses to harness this power, not just to optimise, but to transform. Companies need to transition from a digital-native world to an AI-native one. Those who successfully make the shift will be at the forefront, driving the next wave of growth and redefining not just how businesses operate but also how we all work.

If any of these topics resonate with you, or if your organisation is facing some of the challenges mentioned – drop us a line; we're here to help.

And don’t forget to sign up for our live event in Helsinki this November to learn more about the future of digital commerce.