Marketing Tech’s Identity Crisis—and AI’s Cure
Marketing technology has never sat still. From a handful of tools in 2011 to thousands of platforms today, MarTech has evolved into a sprawling universe of innovation, complexity—and opportunity. But with complexity comes a paradox: marketers are overwhelmed by the very tools meant to simplify their lives.
Enter AI adoption in marketing tech, a trend transforming not just the tools we use, but how we use them. And there’s no better guide through this maze than Scott Brinker, VP of Platform Ecosystem at HubSpot and creator of the legendary MarTech landscape.
In a recent Print to Pixel episode, we sat down with Scott to unpack where AI fits into the evolving stack—and why the real bottleneck isn’t technology. It’s us.
AI Adoption in Marketing Tech: From “Shiny Object” to Strategic AI
Scott doesn’t mince words when he talks about AI’s rise: it’s fast. “Even if innovation stopped today, it would still take five years for most companies to absorb the tools already available,” he said, citing research with Frans Riemersma on generative AI’s practical applications across the MarTech ecosystem.
Unlike past platform shifts—think mobile, web, or cloud—AI’s growth curve is steep and compressed, thanks to:
- Low barriers to entry for startups and niche players
- Rapid feature rollouts by giants like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Adobe
- Market demand for productivity, especially from overextended marketers and RevOps teams
The result? Widespread experimentation. “Most teams are combining platform-native AI features with newer, specialized tools,” Scott explained. “It’s not either/or—it’s both.”
Real Use Cases, Not Vaporware: What’s Actually Working
AI isn’t a someday promise. For thousands of marketers, it’s already embedded in daily workflows.
At Postalytics, we’ve seen this firsthand. As a HubSpot app partner and customer since 2017, we’re leveraging HubSpot’s new generative AI tools to streamline reporting and analysis.
Want a performance breakdown across campaigns using custom schema data? Just ask.
“The new report generator in HubSpot is a game-changer,” said Postalytics CEO Dennis Kelly. “Instead of hunting through nested fields, I just type a prompt and get the insight instantly. That’s real productivity, not hype.”
This kind of use case—natural language interfaces for complex systems—is precisely where AI adoption in marketing tech is delivering value today. As Scott put it:
“Even with HubSpot’s commitment to great UX, there’s only so much simplification you can do in a feature-rich platform. AI opens up a whole new paradigm of interaction—one that’s intuitive and fast.”
Are We Crossing the Chasm?
So where are we on the infamous “AI adoption” curve?
According to Scott, we’ve already moved from early adopters to the early majority. Why? Because the best AI tools don’t ask users to change their behavior—they improve existing workflows.
That’s the secret to success: AI that augments, not replaces.
Yet Scott also points to a missed opportunity: marketers underestimating just how much these tools can do.
“It’s one thing to generate a few subject lines. It’s another to ask: what entire workflows can I automate? What data synthesis can I delegate? We need to push beyond ‘cool toy’ to ‘strategic partner.’”
The Multi-Layered Hype Cycle: It’s Complicated
Scott challenges the idea of a single hype cycle. “There are dozens,” he said. Some AI applications—like text generation and prompt-based querying—are reaching productivity plateaus. Others, like fully autonomous agents, are just climbing toward inflated expectations.
This complexity explains the uneven rollout of AI in marketing teams:
| AI Use Case | Stage of Adoption |
|---|---|
| Natural language report builders | Early majority / productive |
| Automated content creation | Early majority |
| Fully autonomous agents | Early adopter / experimental |
| Predictive analytics | Early majority |
| Workflow orchestration via LLMs | Emerging |
HubSpot’s Role: From Product to Platform
Postalytics has long been embedded in the HubSpot app ecosystem. We launched at Inbound 2017, right as Scott was stepping into his new role at HubSpot. Back then, the partner program was just taking shape. Today, it’s a full-blown ecosystem.
“We’ve quadrupled the number of APIs,” Scott noted. “Partners can now embed directly into the HubSpot UI. And we’re building go-to-market programs that pair app partners with solutions partners for joint success.”
This matters deeply to marketers and agencies exploring AI. No single platform can do it all—but integrated ecosystems can.
“HubSpot can’t build every marketing solution, nor should it,” said Scott. “What we can do is ensure partners like Postalytics can build brilliantly on top of us.”
Why Direct Mail Belongs in the Omnichannel AI Stack
It’s easy to assume AI belongs solely in digital channels. But that’s a mistake—especially when channels like direct mail are becoming more integrated, measurable, and automated.
With Postalytics, marketers can:
- Trigger mail based on CRM or behavioral data
- Personalize content using AI-generated variables
- Track delivery and engagement like a digital campaign
Omnichannel doesn’t mean digital-only. It means connected.
And that’s precisely where AI adoption in marketing tech unlocks new potential. Whether it’s coordinating automated outreach across email, SMS, and print—or generating content variations for direct mail testing—AI is giving marketers back their most valuable asset: time.
Marketers, Agencies & RevOps: This Is Your Moment
If you’re a:
- Marketer at a growing SMB or mid-market brand
- HubSpot solutions partner looking to scale smart
- RevOps agency managing attribution and channel mix
- Nonprofit trying to boost donor engagement without scaling headcount
…AI isn’t optional anymore. It’s your competitive edge.
But here’s the catch: tools won’t save you unless you adopt them intentionally.
As Scott cautioned, the real constraint isn’t technological—it’s organizational. Change management, experimentation, and strategic clarity are what separate high performers from the pack.
Final Thought: Start Bold, Stay Curious
Scott ended the conversation with a reminder that felt personal—and actionable:
“You don’t have to be timid with AI. You can get bold in what you ask for—and you might be surprised by how well it delivers.”
At Postalytics, we’re embracing that challenge. AI is helping us—and our customers—move faster, think bigger, and execute smarter. From print to pixel, the future isn’t just about automation. It’s about intelligent orchestration.
Where to Learn More
- Explore the full interview on the Print to Pixel podcast
- Check out Scott’s research at ChiefMartec.com
- Discover Postalytics on the HubSpot App Marketplace
- Ready to see how AI can enhance your direct mail campaigns? Talk to us today.
Listen to the full interview with Scott Brinker on the Print to Pixel podcast, where marketing leaders share insights on how omnichannel marketing is revolutionizing direct mail and digital integration.
You can also watch or listen to the episode on:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/PrQrFBpcNXY
Spotify: Why Marketing Tech Keeps Exploding with Scott Brinker #36 – Print to Pixel | Podcast on Spotify
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-marketing-tech-keeps-exploding-with-scott-brinker-36/id1707200196
About the Author
Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly is CEO and co-founder of Postalytics, the leading direct mail automation platform for marketers to build, deploy and manage direct mail marketing campaigns. Postalytics is Dennis’ 6th startup. He has been involved in starting and growing early-stage technology ventures for over 30 years and has held senior management roles at a diverse set of large technology firms including Computer Associates, Palm Inc. and Achieve Healthcare Information Systems.