

Marketing Against The Grain
Hubspot Media
Kipp Bodnar (HubSpot’s CMO) and Kieran Flanagan (Hubspot's SVP of Marketing), lead you down the rabbit hole of marketing trends, growth tactics and innovation. On the way you’ll pick up undiscovered strategies to give you that slight edge for success. These are not your typical twitter thread regurgitated marketing tactics that everyone is doing. These are new methods, with unfiltered examination of successful fresh ideas.
Episodes
Mentioned books

101 snips
Dec 4, 2025 • 45min
The AI Workflow That Lets 50 People Do the Work of 500 ($2B Founder Reveals)
Grant Lee, co-founder and CEO of Gamma, shares insights on scaling a $2B company with just 50 people, emphasizing the importance of innovative organizational design. Kristin Fracchia, Head of Marketing, discusses strategies for product growth and effective user onboarding. They delve into the significant role of AI in transforming workflows and enhancing productivity, highlighting tools for creative automation and the future of work. The conversation also explores bridging the gap between AI startups and traditional businesses, ensuring user-friendly experiences.

49 snips
Dec 2, 2025 • 21min
The AI That Builds Apps for You (Claude Opus 4.5 Explained)
Discover how Opus 4.5 is revolutionizing marketing with mind-blowing AI capabilities. Learn to create interactive customer personas and dynamic dashboards that improve campaign analysis and budgeting. Kieran reveals how to remix content into various formats, from blog posts to infographics, all using innovative AI tools. Plus, explore real-world use cases that can enhance your marketing strategies today. This cutting-edge approach will change the way you think about AI in your business!

100 snips
Nov 25, 2025 • 13min
This New Google AI Feature Replaces 10 Hours of Work
Discover Google's revolutionary Nano Banana Pro feature, which can drastically cut down work time by automating tasks. Kipp explores how this tech enhances content creation, allowing users to swiftly generate infographics and slide decks. You'll learn about building multimedia content tailored for marketing channels and personalizing knowledge sharing within teams. The potential use cases, along with some current limitations of these AI tools, are also discussed, promising exciting advancements for future marketing strategies.

125 snips
Nov 20, 2025 • 26min
Why We’re Leaving ChatGPT for Google’s Gemini 3
Discover the groundbreaking features of Gemini 3 as Kipp and Kieran explore its multimodal reasoning capabilities. They debate whether it's superior to GPT-5 and what that means for marketers. The duo dives into composable UIs, highlighting how they could revolutionize search experiences. Enjoy demos of Gemini generating marketing plans and analyzing videos for immersive insights. Gain practical tips on leveraging AI-generated content, all while brainstorming innovative micro-app ideas for the future of digital marketing!

152 snips
Nov 18, 2025 • 49min
AI Just Broke Marketing (And What You Need to Do Now)
The discussion highlights the shift in marketing from volume to value due to AI's impact. With over 74% of new web pages featuring AI content, trust is increasingly placed in individuals rather than brands. Search behaviors are changing to prioritize AI-driven answers, while personalized advertising is becoming more granular and efficient. There's also a focus on the transformative potential of AI in email engagement and the need for better data. The hosts consider future marketing strategies, emphasizing collaboration with creators and embracing AI-driven personalization.

193 snips
Nov 12, 2025 • 43min
Inside the Hidden Playbooks of Businesses That Actually Win
Join Erica Wenger, Founder and General Partner at Park Rangers Capital, as she uncovers the secrets to startup success in a fiercely competitive landscape. Discover why distribution is now the key differentiator and how building in public can drive community engagement. Erica shares her insights on underrated AI tools and emphasizes the importance of aligning founder passion with market needs. Plus, learn about the traits of 'elephant' companies that prioritize community and purpose over traditional growth narratives.

77 snips
Nov 6, 2025 • 10min
I Used Gemini Code Assist to Build a Newsletter App (for Free)
Explore how to build a newsletter app quickly using Google's AI Code Assistant without writing any code! Dive into the integration of powerful AI tools that enhance app capabilities with images, voice, and video. Discover innovative strategies to replace outdated lead generation tactics with interactive apps. Learn to leverage multiple AI assistants for precise prompts and efficient workflows, turning your ideas into actionable tools. Plus, find out how to automatically generate content for effective email sign-ups!

106 snips
Nov 4, 2025 • 36min
The AI System That Built a 1.4M Audience | Sabrina Romanov
Sabrina Romanov, an AI product builder and educator behind Blotato, skyrocketed her Instagram following to over 418,000 using AI content repurposing. She shares insights on 'vibe coding' interactive tools for marketers with no technical background. Sabrina discusses the power of AI in creating lead magnets and incremental product development. She emphasizes the importance of repurposing top-performing content and scaling distribution across multiple platforms. Her mission? To make AI literacy accessible beyond Silicon Valley for a broader audience.

54 snips
Oct 30, 2025 • 15min
How I Built a Marketing Campaign in 10 Minutes (With Claude Desktop)
Discover how to build a full marketing campaign in just 10 minutes using AI. Learn about the advantages of Claude's desktop features, including competitor analysis through screenshots and persona-driven insights. Kipp shares his experience with generating ready-to-use HTML emails in HubSpot. Explore the Loop Marketing framework for compelling storytelling and understand how to integrate insights into effective campaigns. Plus, find out how Claude evolves your data-utilization strategy for better results!

146 snips
Oct 28, 2025 • 43min
9 ChatGPT Use Cases from the Top 1% of Marketers
Kyle Poyar, a go-to-market and growth expert from Growth Unhinged, shares his insights on how AI, particularly ChatGPT, is revolutionizing marketing. He discusses using AI for persona research, creating unique product narratives, and optimizing growth experiments. Kyle also highlights a method called 'deep research mode' for generating thorough, research-driven content. The conversation dives into the potential of AI to analyze customer behavior and improve decision-making, making ChatGPT an essential tool for modern marketers.


