Salesforce’s Marketing Cloud update is out, and, to no one’s surprise, it’s packed with AI agents. What is surprising is that if the agents perform as promised, they are a significant improvement over the bots and bundled apps people have been calling agents.

The company says Marketing Cloud Next can automate campaign creation, customer engagement, lead qualification and media optimization — even putting together a whole campaign in two hours. Big if true, as the saying goes.

Also, Stephanie Miller explains why brand building is the only way to create a lasting pipeline and differentiate in an AI-first world.

Constantine von Hoffman
Managing Editor

 
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Ecommerce

Your ecommerce calendar just got a year-round makeover

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Seasonality in retail is shifting. Engage customers year-round with personalized campaigns that go beyond traditional holiday sales.

B2B marketing

How strong brands build stronger B2B pipelines

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In a noisy B2B landscape, brand building is the only way to create a lasting pipeline and differentiate in an AI-first world.

Marketing technology

Playbook Broken: The innovator’s SEO — Navigating the new age of search

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We're discussing the rapid evolution of SEO and how traditional methods are becoming obsolete with Matthew Kay of Active Campaign.

MarTech webinar

Turn Real-Time Data into Smarter Customer Journeys

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Learn how teams are using Customer Data Platforms to unify data, eliminate waste, and drive real, measurable results—without adding more tools or headcount.

Salesforce

Salesforce unveils agentic Marketing Cloud Next

AI-agents

The company says the updated platform can generate and execute a marketing campaign -- including briefs and segmentation -- in hours.

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B2B marketing

How AI flipped the funnel and made GTM tactics obsolete

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Traditional GTM was optimized for a different era. AI search changed the medium — and core tactics fell apart. Here’s what replaces them.

Agencies

When clients ask "Did it work?"—here’s your answer

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The Cross-platform Measurement in 2025 How-to-Guide helps agencies turn campaign metrics into client-ready insights. Prove brand impact with insights clients understand and value.

B2B marketing

Real-world insights from deploying custom GPTs for GTM

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Takeaways from deploying custom GPTs that enhance GTM workflows, boost efficiency and support smarter marketing strategies.

What else we're reading

Good reads and conversations to help good marketers get better.
 

MarTech research

Surveys and research reports to make you a more-informed marketer
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MarTech Intelligence Reports are in-depth, independent and indispensable. They’re designed to help marketers navigate the martech landscape with questions to ask during the buying process, vendor profiles and more.

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What they're saying

  • “Despite changes in retail and new opportunities, seasonality remains significant in ecommerce. However, it has fragmented into numerous micro-moments that present brands, savvy enough to understand their customers, with the chance to personalize offers for the right audience at the right time.” – Greg Kihlstrom in Your ecommerce calendar just got a year-round makeover.
  • “Brand building should work with demand gen, not against it. Done right, it accelerates inbound interest. It isn’t about chasing Super Bowl-level fame. It’s about running targeted awareness campaigns that communicate who you are, what you do and why your audience should care.” – Stephanie Miller in How strong brands build stronger B2B pipelines.
 

From Search Engine Land