AI agents for marketing — I talked to experts about the benefits I love the Back to the Future series, especially Part II where we see “the future.” Of course, the most famous part of our promised 2015 was the Mattel Hoverboard. A decade later, and I’m still waiting to glide down the sidewalk on my hoverboard. The pattern of excitement, overpromising, and then reality isn’t relegated to the movies. Because I’m a marketer, AI tools have flooded my working world with the promise of revolutionizing my department and company. The latest push centers on agentic AI. I’ve found AI agents helpful in some capacities — saving me time, automating repetitive tasks, and assisting with research. But have they reached their full potential? Not yet. Agentic AI offers impressive advances in technology. But many companies haven’t realized AI’s potential yet — and they’re still not fully ready to implement agentic AI for maximum benefit. Let’s talk about where AI agents fit into marketing today, the real benefits they can deliver to your marketing team, and what the future could hold. Table of Contents What are AI agents? Why are AI agents useful in marketing? Benefits of Marketing AI Agents Best AI Agents for Marketing Challenges of Using AI Agents in Marketing Essentially, you give an agentic AI a goal and allow it to figure out what to do and then...

The Best AI Search Engines to Try I’ve fallen down countless rabbit holes while doing seemingly simple searches: “How to make a latte?” turns into “Latte vs. americano?” which turns into “How bad is caffeine for you?” and ends with “Coffee alternatives.” AI-powered search engines can save you time and give you better results — if you know how to use them. I tested nearly a dozen search engines and narrowed the list to these nine options, which include the best for mobile, the best for users new to AI search, and lots more. Take a sip of your coffee (or coffee alternative), and let’s go. Table of Contents What are AI search engines? How I Tested AI Search Engines 9 Best AI Search Engines What are AI search engines? AI search engines use some combination of web crawlers, innate artificial intelligence, and user data to improve users’ search experiences and provide more relevant information. Ironically, these machine-powered engines are some of the most intuitive, and ranking among the overall top search engines. Since AI search engines are built to better understand human intent, they can save you time guessing the combination of keywords that will return your desired results. And search engine results pages (SERPs) will often include AI-generated summaries with cited sources, so you don’t have to click through several URLs to check their relevance. Want to improve your company’s performance in today’s search landscape? Our new AI Search Grader takes...

The Top 4 Roadblocks to Your Team’s Productivity and How AI Can Solve Them, According to Asana’s Head of Corporate Marketing Here’s what a typical Monday morning looks like for me: I open my computer and see a few Slack messages about a campaign I’m launching on Tuesday. After answering those, I check my inbox and find I’ve been tagged in some slides for that same campaign. Once I’m done responding, I hop on a Zoom call with stakeholders to discuss last-minute tasks for launch. A few ask me to send a follow-up email, so I do. Others prefer to be tagged in the relevant Google Docs, so I take care of that, too. Suddenly, it’s 1 p.m., and I’ve barely touched my to-do list. My entire morning has been spent jumping between messaging apps, slide decks, and Zoom calls — just trying to keep everyone aligned. Sound familiar? I spoke with Jake Cerf, head of corporate marketing at Asana, to untangle the biggest challenges most teams currently face when it comes to productivity — and how you can solve them. What Teams Get Wrong When It Comes to Productivity Jake empathizes with the chaos that can ensue when you don’t focus on creating efficient processes for team-wide productivity. “It can get chaotic,” he told me, adding, “Before I joined Asana, I reflected back on how I spent my time coordinating with folks — and it was a mess. We would be on email, Slack, and Google Docs...

A Deep Dive Into the Different Types of AI Agents and When to Use Them I have seen things I wouldn’t have believed even a few years ago. ChatGPT drafting content strategies from a three-sentence prompt. Grammarly solving my Oxford comma woes across an entire manuscript. I have yet to watch C-beams glitter in the dark. But I’ve witnessed AI reshape how I work — and it’s only just begun. One area I find most compelling is agentic AI. Right now, AI agents sit squarely in the “next generation” of AI tools: developing quickly but not quite ready for the limelight. Still, Deloitte’s latest State of Generative AI in the Enterprise report urges companies to prepare their strategies and workflows for agentic AI. You should know a thing or two about AI agents and how they can drive growth through AI workflow automation. Let’s investigate agentic AI and see how its potential could affect your company in the future. Table of Contents What is an AI agent? How do AI agents work? 7 Types of AI Agents Which AI agent is right for me? Agentic AI differs from the larger conversation happening around AI. Most workplace AI tools are “assistive AI” like Grammarly or “generative AI” like ChatGPT. They have amazing capabilities but still require direct user input to operate (i.e., I need to enter a prompt into ChatGPT to make it work). Agentic AI can respond to user inputs...

Using AI to Get Your Business Branding Right — My Favorite Tips and Tools I grew up a Nintendo kid (and yes, that includes the original NES console and Duck Hunt Zapper). For those who remember the Nintendo GameCube, you know a memorable brand experience. How could anyone forget this nine-second clip of branding brilliance? Whenever I think of “branding,” I go back to my memory of the GameCube boot-up screen and the feelings of joy and anticipation it evokes. That makes a brand work — the experience behind the logo. But getting your brand experience right is incredibly hard for any marketing team. Logos, visual identities, copy, websites, social media — “brand” requires tons of attention and work. So, I’m always on the lookout for ways to build a brand stronger, faster, and better than before. And AI tools for branding have come a long way these past few years to enable more sophisticated brand identity creation and growth. Let’s look at AI for branding as it stands today and how your team can start building a memorable brand that clicks with consumers. Table of Contents AI for Branding Why use AI tools for branding? Types of Branding Tools with AI Best AI Tools for Branding AI for Branding Brand building isn’t just making logos. You need strategy, consistency, and scalability to reach your audiences and grow your impact. Welcome to AI’s biggest role within marketing teams in 2025. Marketers...

AI Agents Will Kill Marketing As We Know It — Here’s What the Future Actually Looks Like Picture this: consumers no longer see ads, compare software options, or visit websites to research products. Instead, AI agents handle it all — silently evaluating options, filtering choices, and making purchases on their behalf. This isn‘t science fiction. According to Perplexity founder Aravind Srinivas, this shift is already underway, gradually transforming marketing as we know it. His vision reveals a fundamental disruption that businesses can’t afford to ignore. Think about it: If search disappears, how do companies stay visible? If AI agents filter choices based on data, does brand messaging still matter? And if humans aren’t making the decisions, who are we even marketing to? In a recent episode of Marketing Against the Grain, I break down what AI agents are, how they’re disrupting marketing and advertising, and what brands should do to stay ahead. I’ll also share three key predictions about the future of AI agents — and what businesses need to do now to prepare. Let’s dive in. What are AI agents, and why do they matter? AI agents represent the next generation of advanced digital assistants — sophisticated systems that not only respond to queries but actively make decisions and execute tasks on behalf of users. Rather than spending hours manually searching, comparing options, or evaluating choices, consumers simply delegate these tasks to AI. As a result, humans are no longer the ones clicking ads, consuming content, or...

AI with Agency: How Autonomous Agents Solve Business Problems & Improve Customer Experience When you hear the word agent, what do you think of? A real estate agent, an insurance agent, or even an FBI agent? Far beyond an assistant following rote instructions, an agent has the power and ability to make things happen on your behalf. Wouldn’t it be great if we had technology that could carry out independent tasks and take work off your plate? Autonomous agents are rapidly becoming a reality, capable of completing tasks for humans ranging from mundane to complex. In 2024, just 1% of software included autonomous agents, but by 2028, that number may rise to 33%. In this post, I explore what autonomous agents are, what they can do for you and your customers, and how to implement one at your organization. Table of Contents What is an autonomous agent? How can autonomous agents help? Autonomous Agents vs. AI Agents How Autonomous Agents Work Types of Autonomous Agents Autonomous Agent Example Use Cases How to Implement Autonomous Agents For Your Team What is an autonomous agent? An autonomous agent is an AI-powered system designed to complete tasks and make decisions independently to reach a goal. Autonomous agents are a subset of agentic AI, a type of artificial intelligence that learns from interactions and stimuli, makes decisions, and adapts to its...

These Roadblocks Prevent AI Adoption — HubSpot’s Senior Director of Global Growth Shares How Champions Can Conquer the Challenge Over the last year, I’ve seen AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT transform from cool tech novelties into total game-changers. These technologies are no longer nice-to-haves — they’re critical for any organization looking to stay competitive. Of course, implementing new AI-powered tools is often easier said than done. In this article, I’ll share some common roadblocks, including a few I’ve encountered as HubSpot’s senior director of global growth. Then, I’ll share some tips and tricks for becoming an AI champion on your marketing team. By the end of this post, you’ll have the tools you need to drive effective AI adoption across your organization. Let’s dive in. Table of Contents Common Roadblocks to Implementing AI How to Drive Lasting AI Adoption Become Your Team’s AI Champion Common Roadblocks to Implementing AI In my experience, AI implementation requires buy-in at every level — from executives who need to sign off on tools to the individual contributors who actually use AI tools. So, to drive adoption, you need to address a wide range of concerns. Here are the most common I’ve heard. Decision-makers are excited about AI but have yet to unlock its productivity potential. Many people may see AI tools as fun new toys but struggle to recognize their potential as useful productivity tools. As a result, I’ve seen teams get excited to...

11+ Real-World AI Agent Examples AI agents are like the backstage crew at the concerts we attend: Operating independently on the backend to deliver a smooth experience on the user end. They power many of the tech we use – and have for a while – but haven’t gotten that visibility until recently. In this article, we’ll break down real-world examples of how AI agents are used across industries. AI Agent Examples in Real Life 1. Recommendation Engines Every time you sift through recommendations on your Netflix, you’re seeing AI agents at work. AI agents take action without constant human intervention by recognizing patterns and predicting behavior. When Netflix is recommending you shows to watch, that rec list has been compiled by an AI agent tasked with analyzing your watch history and ratings for trends and genre preferences. Brands like Amazon, YouTube, and Spotify all use similar agents to personalize user experience. 2. Dynamic Pricing Models Hotels, ride-hailing apps, and airlines all have one thing in common: Surge pricing – powered by AI agents. These companies operate on a flexible pricing structure that fluctuates based on factors like supply, demand, and user trends. Source Take Lyft for instance. If I order a ride at 2 a.m. on a Saturday during Art Basel, it will surely cost me more than on a Tuesday night at 8 a.m. When the user even places the request for a ride, the AI agent evaluates these factors, sets the price, and...