The Marketing Automation Moment Podcast

Hannah and Mike Maynard discuss how AI is reshaping MarTech. They examine HubSpot’s new MCP server, which gives AI agents direct CRM access for tasks like querying data, segmentation, and campaign creation, while stressing the need for safeguards against errors and over-automation. They also question Salesforce’s plan to hire 1,000 “AI-native” graduates, arguing AI skills aren’t age-dependent and that customer support fundamentals remain critical. The episode concludes with Act-On’s API strategy and a debate on AI-managed MarTech stacks, highlighting integration challenges, data privacy concerns, hallucination risks, and the importance of testing AI in sandbox environments before deploying it with live data.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Managing Director/CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Wehrly

Hannah is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

00:39 New Studio Catch Up

01:18 HubSpot AI Agents in CRM

03:00 Risks and Rewards of AI Control

05:50 Salesforce AI Natives Debate

09:05 Customer Service and Basics Matter

10:51 Act On Data and API Strategy

13:24 MarTech Stack Consolidation Trends

17:37 Top Tip Letting AI Access MarTech

19:19 Private Models Hallucinations and Sandboxing

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Wehrly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-wehrly-b0706a107/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing Automation and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast – Marketing B2B Technology: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marketing-b2b-technology/id1485417724

In the first Marketing Automation Moment episode of 2026, Hannah and Mike dive into whether marketing automation and AI truly save marketers time. They discuss insights from recent Act-On and Salesforce webinars, exploring how lean teams can succeed, the growing scepticism around generative AI, and the need to balance technology with a human touch. The episode wraps with their Insightful Tip of the Week on using list segmentation and outside perspectives to strengthen personalization and strategy.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Chairman of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Wehrly

Hannah a Director at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

00:01:39 - Market Automation Tools: Do They Save Time?

Exploration of whether marketing automation tools genuinely help save time for marketers.

00:05:03 - The AI Gold Rush: Is It Over?

Analysis of the current state of AI in marketing and the shift in perception regarding its effectiveness.

00:11:11 - AI as a Tool, Not a Magic Wand

Reflection on the realistic expectations of AI's capabilities in marketing.

00:12:56 - The Plateau of Productivity

Exploration of the Gartner hype cycle and the future integration of AI into marketing practices.

00:18:01 - Insightful Tip of the Week: List Segmentation

Hannah shares a tip on the importance of segmenting marketing lists for better personalization.

00:19:20 - Insightful Tip of the Week: Get an Outside Perspective

Mike emphasizes the value of obtaining external insights to improve marketing strategies and content.

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Wehrly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-wehrly-b0706a107/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing Automation and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast – Marketing B2B Technology: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marketing-b2b-technology/id1485417724

In this episode of the Marketing Automation Moment podcast, Hannah Kelly and Mike Maynard explore whether marketing automation as we know it is truly over. They break down Salesforce’s decision to cut 4,000 support roles while adding 5,000 sales positions, share key takeaways from Dreamforce, including AI agents and deeper Slack integration, and take a closer look at HubSpot’s new loop marketing concept.

The episode wraps up with guidance on recognizing when a campaign isn’t working and how to adjust.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Managing Director/CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Kelly

Hannah is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

00:00:00 - Introduction to Marketing Automation Moment Podcast

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-kelly-b0706a107/?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAABriH7cBjOKakLTry2oZpPzoqKYXgLp0ttY

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing Automation and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We’d also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast – Marketing B2B Technology: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marketing-b2b-technology/id1485417724

In this episode of the Marketing Automation Moment podcast, Hannah and Mike dive into the latest trends in MarTech. They kick off with Act-On’s new Marketing Technology Insights report, unpacking why small teams are struggling with complex tech stacks and why ease of use now tops the priority list.

The conversation moves to AI, with a debate on whether the hype has peaked, discuss the realities of implementing AI effectively, and explore Adobe’s announcement of specialized AI agents designed to enhance customer experiences.

Finally, they touch on the upcoming Dreamforce event and wrap up with Mike’s tip of the week on GDPR compliance, reminding marketers of the risks of outdated data and the importance of clean databases.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Managing Director/CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Kelly

Hannah is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

00:00:00 - Introduction to Marketing Automation Moment Podcast

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-kelly-b0706a107/?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAABriH7cBjOKakLTry2oZpPzoqKYXgLp0ttY

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing Automation and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We’d also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast – Marketing B2B Technology: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marketing-b2b-technology/id1485417724

In this episode of the Marketing Automation Moment podcast, hosts Mike and Hannah record from a professional studio in London, enjoying a change of scenery and face-to-face conversation. They dive into the latest in marketing automation updates, starting with HubSpot’s Breeze AI agents. The discussion explores the effectiveness of AI in B2B customer service, the challenges of training AI for complex queries, and the importance of balancing automation with human support.

The episode also touches on ActiveCampaign’s use of quizzes and interactive content for customer profiling, as well as Salesforce’s latest backend AI developments. Mike unpacks the technical side, while Hannah brings it back to what matters for marketers.

They wrap up with a reminder that strategy is still at the heart of successful marketing automation, emphasizing the need for clear goals and alignment between sales and marketing teams.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Managing Director/CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Kelly

Hannah is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

00:00:00 - Introduction to The Marketing Automation Moment Podcast

00:00:20 - HubSpot's Breeze AI Agents

00:04:27 - Using Quizzes for Customer Profiling

00:07:45 - Salesforce AI Updates

00:10:12 - Importance of Strategy in Marketing Automation

00:13:01 – Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-wehrly-b0706a107/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing Automation and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We’d also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast – Marketing B2B Technology: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marketing-b2b-technology/id1485417724

In this episode of the Marketing Automation Moment Podcast, Hannah and Mike tackle the limits of AI in marketing strategy, reacting to a recent MarTech article that questions whether AI can truly plan campaigns.

They debate Adobe’s position in the marketing automation space and discuss the rise of AI-generated creatives.

Also in the episode, they break down why simplified customer journeys don’t work in B2B, and share a smart tip for improving your data quality over the quieter summer months.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Managing Director/CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Wehrly

Hannah is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

00:00:00 - Introduction to The Marketing Automation Moment Podcast

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Wehrly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-wehrly-b0706a107/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing Automation and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We’d also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast – Marketing B2B Technology: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marketing-b2b-technology/id1485417724

In this episode of the Marketing Automation Moment Podcast, Hannah and Mike explore the latest trends in partner marketing automation platforms, featuring insights from Forrester’s recent report. They also break down Salesforce’s Summer ’25 release and what it means for marketers.

The conversation continues with Microsoft’s new email marketing restrictions, DotDigital’s surprising rise in email volume, and growing SMS engagement across global markets. Plus, they share a clever way to integrate AI, even if your platform doesn’t support it.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Managing Director/CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Wehrly

Hannah is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

00:00:00 - Introduction to The Marketing Automation Moment Podcast

00:00:21 - Partner Marketing Automation Platforms

00:03:11 - Salesforce Summer 25 Release

00:05:37 - Email Marketing Restrictions by Microsoft

00:09:38 - DotDigital Email Marketing Report

00:10:53 - SMS Engagement Trends

00:12:46 – Insightful Tip of the Week: Integrating AI

00:14:45 – Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Wehrly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-wehrly-b0706a107/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing Automation and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We’d also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast – Marketing B2B Technology: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marketing-b2b-technology/id1485417724

In this episode of the Marketing Automation Moment podcast, Hannah and Mike discuss exciting developments in the marketing automation space, including ActiveCampaign's partnership with Wix, and HubSpot's acquisition of Dashworks, an AI company that enhances internal document search capabilities. The conversation further explores HubSpot's commitment to user training, emphasising the importance of structured training sessions for different skill levels to improve user engagement and retention.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Managing Director/CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Wehrly

Hannah is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

00:00:00 - Introduction to The Marketing Automation Moment Podcast

00:00:54 - ActiveCampaign and Wix Partnership

00:02:57 - HubSpot Acquires Dashworks

00:04:49 - The Need for AI in Marketing Automation

00:07:13 - Importance of Ongoing Training in Marketing Platforms

00:10:06 - HubSpot's Inbound Conference

00:11:44 - Spring Cleaning Your Marketing Automation Platform

00:15:00 – Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Wehrly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-wehrly-b0706a107/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing Automation and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We’d also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast – Marketing B2B Technology: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marketing-b2b-technology/id1485417724

This episode dives into the challenges of attribution in marketing, the benefits of content repurposing, and what’s new in Salesforce’s spring AI updates. Mike and Hannah also cover Marketo’s improved email designer and share a quick tip on boosting engagement with more creative CTAs.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Managing Director/CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Wehrly

Hannah is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

[00:00:00] - Introduction

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Wehrly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-wehrly-b0706a107/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing Automation and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast – Marketing B2B Technology: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/marketing-b2b-technology/id1485417724

In this episode of Marketing Automation Moment, hosts Hannah Wehrly and Mike Maynard discuss why so many companies are reconsidering their marketing automation platforms and whether they’re truly using them to their full potential. They explore the rise of AI driven sales tools, market growth trends, and how businesses can get more from their existing platforms. Plus, in the Insightful Tip of the Week, they tackle when it’s the right time to change your MarTech stack.

About Napier

Napier is a PR-lead, full service marketing agency that specialises in the B2B technology sector. We work closely with our clients to build campaigns, focusing on achieving results that have a significant positive impact on their businesses and which, above all, ensure maximum return on their investment.

About Mike Maynard

Mike is the Managing Director/CEO of Napier, a PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. A self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology, he believes that combining the measurement, accountability and innovation that he learnt as an engineer with a passion for communicating ensures Napier delivers great campaigns and tangible return on investment.

About Hannah Wehrly

Hannah is the Head of Business Development and Marketing at Napier and leads on pitching, proposal writing, lead nurturing, email marketing, social media and content creation. Hannah joined the Napier team back in 2017 as a Marketing Specialist after completing her degree in Marketing and Communications, and her role focuses on developing new relationships with potential clients.

Time Stamps

[00:00:00] - Introduction

Follow Mike and Hannah:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Hannah Wehrly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-wehrly-b0706a107/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/