If you watched the Marketing Keynote at Dreamforce this year, you probably felt that same mix of déjà vu and “aha!” that I did. A lot of what we saw built on what was teased back at Connections 2025, but this time, we got the when, not just the what. And honestly, it finally feels real.
The 25-year legacy that got us here
Steve Hammond – EVP & GM Agenforce Marketing – opened the session with one of those full circle moments, reflecting on 25 years since ExactTarget first changed how we think about marketing. That nod to where it all started hit home for many of us who’ve lived through every name change, platform merge, and rebrand along the way.
But this wasn’t just a nostalgia trip. Steve made it clear that Agentforce Marketing isn’t a replacement; it’s the next evolution. Built right on top of the Marketing Cloud we already use. No migration. No surprise costs. Just more power, more intelligence, and actual two-way conversations.
His quote nailed it:
AI and agents are changing everything. This is the time when we can turn our marketing from outbound messages into two-way conversations.
That line set the tone: automation was just the beginning. Now it’s about interaction.
Goodbye “Do Not Reply” Marketing
Then came the most relatable callout of the day when Matthew Schultz – Sr Director of Product Marketing – took aim at the dreaded “[email protected]”. He wasn’t wrong. For years, we’ve been pushing messages out, hoping something would stick.
But those days are done.
With two-way mobile (GA October 2025) and two-way email (coming February 2026), we’re stepping into conversational engagement where customers can actually talk back. It’s not just about sending more; it’s about sending better.
The Data Foundation That Makes It All Possible
Natalie Mathes – Director Product Marketing – reminded everyone that none of this agentic magic works without clean, connected data. As she put it:
Data is a marketer’s number one challenge and the most underutilized asset.
Enter Data 360, the artist formerly known as Data Cloud, now sitting right inside Agentforce Marketing. It connects your sales, service, marketing, and commerce data into a single, unified profile. That’s the foundation for everything else: smarter segments, adaptive journeys, and agents that actually know your customers. Available now, with Journey Decisioning rolling out this month and Business Units landing in February 2026.
Experiences That Adapt in Real Time
Abbe Spaans – Sr Director, Product Management – showed off something that honestly felt like science fiction: adaptive websites that respond like your best salesperson.
Instead of static pages, imagine your site starting a real conversation, detecting intent, and adjusting content on the fly.
Her line stuck with me:
What if every experience could spark a two-way conversation?
We’re about to find out. Two-way SMS is already live, and adaptive websites will be generally available in December.
Creativity at the Speed of AI
Eric Zenz – SVP, Product Management, Agenforce Marketing – summed up the frustration we all feel:
For years, marketing automation hasn’t exactly been automatic.
True.
From Insights to Impact
Prass Vijayakumar brought it home with the fourth pillar: Optimization. His point hit hard. Half of marketing spend is still wasted because we optimize after the fact. Agentforce changes that. Optimization agents sit across your media, creative, and analytics, surfacing recommendations directly into Slack so insights turn into action instantly. It’s marketing that learns as it runs.
Paid Media Optimization is available now, with Unified Analytics in October, Clean Rooms in December, and Multi-Touch Attribution early next year.
A Community Moment
And because it wouldn’t be Dreamforce without a Trailblazer moment, Steve Hammond wrapped by spotlighting the community, including a Golden Hoodie for Ali Saeed. Ali definitely deserved this recognition for all he has done for the community.
Steve’s closing message was clear. Everything shown on stage, from conversations to Data 360 and optimization, is already available on current licenses. You don’t have to wait. So where do you start?
- Flip one campaign from broadcast to two-way
- Wire up Data 360 to power smarter journeys
- Define your creative and compliance guardrails
- Stand up one AI content partner and a reusable content library.
- And most importantly, close the loop in Slack where insights meet action
That’s the playbook. And that’s how Agentic Marketers move from insight to impact. The future of marketing isn’t just automated. It’s autonomous. And it’s already here.