AI marketing strategy has transformed from a speculative experiment into a critical business driver, with companies now seeking measurable ROI rather than simply testing capabilities, revealed HubSpot’s senior marketing director APAC, Kat Warboys, at the recent Digital Marketing World Forum (DMWF).
In her session ‘From Hype to Reality: AI’s Evolution from Buzzword to Growth Essential’, Warboys explored how marketers can redefine growth strategies in the AI era while addressing the implementation gap between personal and organisational adoption.
“We’ve moved beyond that initial ‘should we or shouldn’t we’ debate about AI,” explains Warboys. “Now, every business leader I talk to in APAC is asking how they can use AI more strategically – and crucially, how it can drive measurable ROI from day one.”
This evolution reflects a broader maturity in how businesses approach AI adoption. Rather than experimenting with isolated tools, companies seek integrated solutions that deliver immediate business impact.
“A year ago, everyone was experimenting with individual AI tools – maybe playing with ChatGPT for content or trying out some basic automation. But today, the successful companies think much bigger and desire immediate impact,” Warboys adds.
Democratising marketing intelligence
With over a decade of experience in marketing automation and CRM, Warboys has witnessed a significant transformation in how these platforms operate and the value they provide to organisations.
“What fascinates me about the AI revolution is how it’s completely transforming the role of marketing platforms. Think about the journey we’ve been on: ten years ago, we were essentially building digital filing cabinets – places to store customer data. Five years ago, these platforms became more like research analysts, helping us understand what happened in the past. But today? She notes that they’re evolving into strategic advisers, not just telling us what happened, but what’s likely to happen next and what we should do about it”.
Perhaps most significantly, Warboys highlights how AI democratises sophisticated marketing capabilities: “We’re seeing a real democratisation of marketing intelligence. The kind of sophisticated, AI-powered marketing that was once the exclusive domain of enterprise companies with massive budgets? It’s now accessible to businesses of all sizes”.
This accessibility means smaller teams can now deploy enterprise-grade marketing strategies without the traditional barriers to entry. “Small marketing teams are now able to create personalised, dynamic customer journeys from day one – without the complexity that traditionally came with enterprise-grade tools”, Warboys adds.
Bridging the AI implementation gap
Take Singapore for an instance, despite marketers’ enthusiastic personal adoption of AI tools, organisational implementation in the city remains a challenge. Quoting Hubspot’s study, Warboys highlighted only 27% of companies have implemented AI for employee support, despite 50% of marketers using AI personally.
She identifies several key barriers to organisational adoption: “Leaders are concerned about data security, ROI measurement, and maintaining brand authenticity. But perhaps the biggest barrier is the lack of a clear AI strategy aligned with business objectives”.
To bridge this gap, Warboys recommends a three-pronged approach. She emphasises capability building as the foundation, ensuring teams develop comfort with AI tools at an individual level before attempting complex implementations. “This builds confidence and creates internal champions who can demonstrate real value”, she notes.
Revenue impact forms the second pillar of her strategy. “When proposing AI adoption, frame it in terms of business outcomes rather than technological capabilities”, Warboys advises, shifting focus from features to financial results.
The final component is establishing transparent data governance. “Many organisations hesitate on AI adoption not because they doubt its potential, but because they’re uncertain about data security and ethical usage”, she explains, highlighting the importance of addressing these concerns proactively.
Real-world AI implementation
HubSpot has already seen impressive results from strategic AI implementation. Warboys shared a recent experiment that delivered remarkable outcomes:
“We decided to test something with our HubSpot Academy platform. Instead of just using standard form data, we built an AI system that could analyse a company’s URL to understand its business context. Think of it like having a clever course adviser who knows exactly what a business needs based on their profile”, she explains.
The results were striking: “We saw an 82% jump in conversion rates. But what excited us wasn’t just the numbers. For the first time, we delivered learning experiences genuinely tailored to each business’s needs at a scale that would have been impossible to do manually”.
Breaking down silos with AI marketing strategy
Looking at broader organisational impacts, Warboys emphasises how AI reshapes team collaboration: “The real power shift I’m seeing in today’s marketing landscape isn’t just about AI technology – it’s about how AI is fundamentally changing how teams collaborate. We’re finally breaking down those traditional departmental silos we’ve all struggled with”.
AI serves as what Warboys calls a “brilliant universal translator between teams”, creating shared understanding across departments: “When marketing, sales, and service teams all have access to the same AI-driven insights from day one, they start speaking the same language about customer needs”.
This unified approach ultimately leads to more authentic customer relationships. “When every team has a unified view of the customer journey, we can create those magical moments that customers want to discuss. That’s where genuine word-of-mouth growth comes from” ‘, she adds.
Humanising AI in the next 18 Months
As for the immediate future of AI marketing strategy, Warboys advises leaders to focus on humanising the technology rather than getting lost in technical specifications.
“I believe the real opportunity lies in humanising AI. Yes, the technology is advancing rapidly, but what matters is how it helps people – marketers, their careers, and ultimately, their customers”, she states.
Warboys outlines three priorities for marketing leaders over the next 12-18 months. “It’s about making AI approachable,” she explains, advocating for discussions centred on practical benefits rather than technical specifications. “We should focus on how AI can help teams work smarter.”
She emphasises AI’s role as a relationship enabler rather than replacing human interaction. “The future isn’t about replacing human touch – it’s about using AI to identify the moments where human connection matters most,” Warboys notes.
Building organisational AI literacy completes her strategic framework but with an important caveat: “Focus on helping teams understand AI’s practical applications in their daily work, not overwhelming them with technical complexity.” This grounded approach, she suggests, creates a foundation for sustainable AI adoption that enhances rather than disrupts existing workflows.
Amplifying human connection
Perhaps Warboy’s most compelling insight is her perspective on the relationship between AI and human interaction.
“I actually think we’re asking the wrong question when we worry about AI diminishing the human element. The real opportunity is using AI to amplify our humanity”, she argues.
By automating repetitive tasks and data analysis, teams can focus on more meaningful customer interactions: “When AI handles the “what” and “when” of customer interactions, our teams can focus on the “why” and “how”‘.
This approach transforms marketers’ perception of customer engagement: “It’s not about choosing between AI efficiency and human touch – it’s about using AI to create more meaningful opportunities for human connection”.
For APAC marketing teams, Warboys has observed AI dissolving the traditional tension between personalisation and scale. Where marketers once faced an either/or choice, AI now enables both simultaneously – predicting customer lifetime value and revealing the emotional drivers behind purchasing decisions.
This dual capability embodies HubSpot’s philosophy of “growing better, not just bigger,” a principle Warboys champions throughout her leadership. By leveraging AI marketing strategy, teams become more intentional with spending and engagement, creating campaigns that drive metrics while fostering authentic connections.
“It’s helping us prove what great marketers have always known,” Warboys concludes, “that meaningful connections and strong business results go hand in hand.”
As AI continues evolving from an experimental tool to a strategic necessity, her insights offer a roadmap for organisations seeking technological advancement and genuine business transformation through more human-centred marketing approaches.
Interested in hearing leading global brands discuss subjects like this in person? Find out more about Digital Marketing World Forum (#DMWF) Europe, London, North America, and Singapore.
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