By Caroline Forsey

Imagine trying to describe a giraffe to someone whose never seen one.

Maybe I’d say something like this: “Well, it has brown patches that look a little like puzzle pieces; a long, 6-foot-tall neck, and skinny legs.”

This description is close enough, sure, but it doesn’t quite capture the sensation of seeing one in real life.

Which is how I feel about high-performing marketing teams: Hard to describe, but easy to spot.

The best way to improve, in any sport or category, is by learning from the best. So I‘ve uncovered the seven surprising ways top-performing marketing teams are winning in 2025, based on HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing report — and why others are missing the mark.

Plus, keep reading to hear from marketers at TikTok and Canva at how they incorporate these lessons into their own workflow.

1. High-performing teams will focus on value-aligned brand content.

In 2024, roughly 40% of marketers focused on their customer’s experience with their brand.

This year, they’re doubling down on these efforts, with almost one-fourth of marketers investing in content that reflects their brand values.

Why? Because we’ve seen younger audiences in particular prefer value-driven marketing — and many marketers are more interested than ever in reaching Gen Z and Millennial consumers.

Consider Patagonia’s “Unfashionable” ad, which launched in April 2024. The video goes against typical marketing best practices by actively asking consumers to stop buying so much clothing. The video doesn‘t promote a new product. Instead, it promotes Patagonia’s values.

I watched the video and found myself more drawn to Patagonia‘s products than before – because, in buying their clothing, I feel like I’ll be investing in something meaningful.

That’s the power of value-driven content.

2. The best marketers are leaning into visual.

TikTok. IG. Facebook Live. Webinars.

Short-form video, images, and live-streaming videos were among the most commonly used formats in 2024.

This shows no signs of slowing in 2025.

Ahem, some quick stats: Almost 30% of marketers say short-form video is their most popular content format; and, when asked which format delivers the highest ROI, 21% said short-form video.

Additionally, I was shocked to see that images outpaced interviews, blog posts, and live streaming videos for the most-popular formats marketers are using.

(I mean, really. More than blog posts? I’m biased, though. I know.)

But this makes sense. The majority of consumers spend a good portion of their time on social media – and social is, by and large, visual.

I spoke with Nick O’Connor, Monetization Product Partnerships at TikTok. As he puts it, “In 2025, brands that embrace visual-first storytelling will win consumer attention and engagement. Short-form video, interactive formats, and dynamic creative optimization are essential.”

O’Connor adds: “At TikTok, we see brands driving impact by leaning into native storytelling, tapping into trends, and creating content that feels organic rather …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

      

Author: Aaron