Connections 2025: elevating marketing through AI Agents
Reflections from Chicago by Sofigate’s Tommi on the future of marketing automation
Salesforce Connections is the annual go-to event for marketers and commerce professionals working within the Salesforce ecosystem. Hosted in Chicago each summer, it offers a first-hand look at what’s new and what’s next across the Salesforce platform. I had the chance to attend this year’s edition as Sofigate’s representative, and in this post I’m sharing some key takeaways from Connections 2025 with a special focus on the sessions and insights that truly matter as we move toward a new era of marketing.
The agentic era of marketing is here
Connections 2025 wasn’t just about showing off new tools and product updates. It was a clear signal that the future of marketing automation is not only coming, it’s already here.
The headline topic was without question the rise of AI Agents, purpose-built to help marketers scale and elevate their work to a new level, not replace it. Just like pilots rely on autopilot to support, not substitute, their role in the cockpit, marketing professionals will increasingly rely on AI Agents to handle campaign orchestration, personalization and engagement at scale.
You’ll still need strategy and creativity to set yourself apart from others and this is where humans will always play a critical role. But now they will have more time to focus on what truly matters. What changes is how efficiently the ideas we humans create, are brought to life.
AI Agents are also redefining what customers expect from digital experiences. We’re entering a world where customers can have a real-time, conversational interaction with your brand across all channels. Instead of reactive one-way messaging we are moving towards real two-way proactive conversations.
What can this mean in practice? Imagine you’re browsing for shoes online. You’re used to browsing through endless pages and products, getting more and more frustrated. How great would it be if you simply describe what you’re looking for to a digital Agent, who will update the site dynamically based on your conversation, guiding you all the way to purchase. This kind of two-way dialogue will keep users on your site, instead of bouncing them back to search engines.
Convergence instead of migration
One of the most practical and widely appreciated announcements at Connections was the unveiling of Marketing Cloud Next, Salesforce’s new umbrella term for Marketing Cloud products running on Core. Back in the days we used to talk about just simply “Marketing Cloud” or “Pardot” but now when we talk about “Marketing Cloud” we are in fact looking at a whole new stack of products: MCE, MCAE, MCG, MCA and MCN.
A key takeaway was a fresh and more flexible way to move towards agentic marketing – instead of fully switching to a new system, it’s now possible to combine the old and the new. Many customers using Marketing Cloud Engagement (MCE) have been asking if they’re required to move to the Core platform. For now, the answer is no. Thanks to the launch of Marketing Cloud Engagement+ (also called Marketing Cloud Next), MCE users can now start using powerful Core features like Agentforce, Data Cloud, Personalization, and Intelligence , without having to give up their current setup or worry about missing features between systems.
This is a hybrid model that recognizes the investment customers have already made, while giving them access to the tools that are shaping the next generation of marketing. You keep what works and add what’s next. For many companies, that alone lowers the barrier for exploring these new capabilities.
Human connections and real conversations
While the product launches and demos were compelling, Connections wouldn’t be what it is without the human side of the event. I had the chance to meet and exchange ideas with fellow consultants, customers and Salesforce product experts. The discussions offered some very real, practical insights into how Marketing Cloud is evolving and how customers are using it today and what their plans are moving forward.
What’s next? Join us in September
At Sofigate, we believe these changes are not just hype, they are already starting to reshape the way marketing is done. In fact the road to agentic, conversational marketing doesn’t require a massive leap. It starts with small steps, pilot programs, and experimenting with the tools now available.
This September, we’ll be hosting a local on-site event where we’ll dive deeper into what was unveiled at Connections 2025, how it applies to real-world use cases, and how you can begin your own journey with Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Whether you’re already using some of the Marketing Cloud tools or just starting to explore what’s possible, we’d love to have you join the conversation.
Stay tuned for more details, and in the meantime, if you’re curious about how to get started or what Agentforce might look like for your business, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help you navigate the shift.
About the author
Tommi Soittila works as a Salesforce Marketing Cloud & Data Cloud Consultant at Sofigate, helping clients design and deliver impactful marketing automation solutions. With a strong focus on data-driven strategy and customer experience, he combines deep platform knowledge with a practical, hands-on approach. Tommi regularly follows Salesforce’s latest developments and events to ensure his clients stay ahead of the curve.
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