Salesforce Unveils Marketing Cloud Next: A New Era of Two-Way, AI-Driven Engagement

Salesforce is ushering in a new chapter for marketers with the launch of Marketing Cloud Next, a platform that replaces one-directional messaging with dynamic, real-time interaction powered by AI. Rather than pushing out messages to passive audiences, brands can now engage customers in meaningful two-way conversations—thanks to autonomous agents that handle tasks like content personalization, campaign setup, and lead qualification in the background.

From ‘Do Not Reply’ to Real-Time Dialogue

Gone are the days of no-reply marketing emails. With Marketing Cloud Next, brands can initiate interactive messages that AI agents respond to instantly. These intelligent assistants are trained on company data and capable of answering nuanced questions—transforming the customer experience from transactional to conversational.

According to Steve Hammond, Salesforce’s Global Head of Marketing Cloud, the innovation doesn’t replace human marketers—it enhances their role. By automating repetitive tasks, teams are empowered to spend more time on high-level strategy and creativity.

The Four Key Capabilities

Create: With Agentforce Campaign Creation, marketers can generate complete multi-channel campaigns within hours. The system handles audience selection, content generation, and journey orchestration from a single prompt.
Engage: Turn static messages into interactive exchanges. Responses are processed in real time, with the ability to escalate to human support or sales when needed.
Qualify: Leads are no longer lost due to delayed follow-ups. AI agents proactively nurture leads, schedule meetings, and support multilingual interactions around the clock.
Optimize: Get live campaign insights and performance adjustments while campaigns are running. Features like Agentforce Paid Media Optimization and Segment Intelligence ensure that marketers can react immediately and focus on the most impactful segments.

Meeting the Moment: Why Agentic Marketing Matters

In today’s landscape, where 43% of consumers abandon brands after just one poor interaction, the pressure on marketing teams is immense. Although 75% of marketers are exploring AI, only a third feel they’re using data effectively to personalize experiences. Marketing Cloud Next bridges that gap—allowing marketers to focus on strategic outcomes while AI manages execution across content, targeting, and performance tuning.

Connected Across the Salesforce Ecosystem

What sets Marketing Cloud Next apart is its seamless integration across the Salesforce platform. These AI agents don’t just support marketing—they play active roles in sales, customer service, and e-commerce, ensuring that engagement is consistent at every customer touchpoint.

Currently available to all Marketing Cloud customers, these new features will begin rolling out this summer. Additionally, Salesforce has announced a partnership with LinkedIn, with new capabilities launching in November 2025.