Balancing Innovation, Authenticity, and Human Creativity With AI
AI is transforming marketing, pushing brands to rethink not just strategy but also how they engage consumers and balance automation with authenticity. As AI evolves from a behind-the-scenes tool to a driver of real-time decisions, marketers face a critical challenge: How do they harness its potential without sacrificing creativity and control?
This challenge was the focus of an ADWEEK House Austin Group Chat, co-hosted with Kantar. Industry leaders explored AI's growing role in branding, its influence on consumer behavior, and the shifting responsibilities of modern marketers-uncovering key strategies for navigating this new landscape.
To kick off the discussion, the panel examined where marketers stand in their AI adoption journey. While many are eager to integrate AI, Kantar's research suggests marketers still feel unprepared. "We surveyed marketers globally and asked them to rate their AI readiness on a 10-point scale," Kantar's chief knowledge officer J. Walker Smith shared. "The average answer was 4.9. When we asked them to rate their agencies, it was 5.3. Not a huge difference, which means the whole industry is trying to catch up."
But this lag isn't only a technology problem. "Marketers have used AI for years without realizing it," said Alison Strandsky, CMO of Samsung Electronics America. "Now that marketers understand its potential, they feel less confident. But AI has already optimized media buying, personalizing content, and improving consumer experiences. The challenge is getting comfortable using it in new ways."
For brands to bridge this gap, leaders must build AI literacy within their teams. "Understanding AI doesn't mean just mastering the technology," Smith added. "It means knowing how to ask the right questions, integrate insights effectively, and ensure AI-driven decisions align with brand values."
Heather Hildebrand, industry U.S. Lead for Accenture Song echoed the sentiment of not only leadership being onboard, but teams as well, and what efficiencies can come out of that. "Our marketing communications team started with its content supply chain. They went from multiple emails a day to being able to consolidate that to one, reducing their content by 50% giving 20% of the budget back to their budget owner," Hildebrand shared. "Each team can make their own changes, as well as the enterprise making an enterprise-wide change."
Panelists also noted that AI shapes consumer behavior and the creative process. First, it's changing how consumers make decisions, with AI-powered assistants handling tasks like product recommendations, shopping, and content curation. As a result, brands need to rethink how to attract consumers and appeal to the algorithms making choices on their behalf.
"We're marketing to AI," Smith noted. "Consumers will increasingly delegate decisions to AI assistants, which means brands must find ways to make their messaging resonate with algorithms, too."
At the same time, AI is an essential tool for marketers, reshaping how creative teams work and how brands connect with audiences. "We use AI for rapid ideation and validation," said David Lee, chief creative officer at Squarespace. "It helps us test multiple concepts faster."
AI is also redefining the creative process. "We are no longer just creating campaigns," Strandsky explained. "We are curators, refining AI-generated ideas, ensuring alignment with brand identity, and injecting emotion where automation falls short."
While AI promises efficiency, it also raises questions about brand authenticity. "Consumers don't want AI to replace human experiences," said Tim Huelskamp, co-founder and CEO of 1440. "They want AI to filter out noise, not make decisions for them."
Shizu Okusa, founder and CEO of Apothékary, pointed out AI's potential to improve operations while maintaining emotional connections. "About 80% of our customer service is now completely automated through AI, yet our satisfaction score has increased, because we automated thoughtfully with our customers in mind" she shared.
"The real opportunity with AI is understanding its limits," Huelskamp added. "Brands that use AI to complement, rather than replace, human creativity and emotional intelligence will come out ahead."
As AI reshapes marketing, panelists agreed that success depends on integrating technology without losing the human touch. "AI can optimize campaigns, but brands still need strong identities," Smith said. "First-party data, a distinctive brand voice, and product confidence are more critical than ever."
It's also essential to remember that AI's influence extends beyond advertising. "We're heading toward a world where AI will be the primary filter between brands and consumers," Lee noted. "Marketers who understand how to position their brand within this AI-mediated landscape will have a competitive advantage."
Ultimately, AI is not the end of human-driven marketing-it's a tool to enhance the creative process. "The best AI-powered experiences are the ones where you don't even notice the AI," Lee said. "It's not about AI replacing us. It's about AI making us better at what we do."
Featured Conversation Leaders
J. Walker Smith, Chief Knowledge Officer, Kantar
Rohit Bhargava, Founder and Chief Trend Officer, The Non-Obvious Company
Bonin Bough, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Group Black
Jake Bullock, Co-Founder and CEO, Cann
Salim Gheewalla, VP, Marketing and Alliances, Calian IT & Cyber Solutions
Peter Giorgi, SVP, Brand Marketing and Creative Excellence, Rocket
Heather Hildebrand, Industry U.S. Lead, Accenture Song
Tim Huelskamp, Founder and CEO, 1440
David Lee, Chief Creative Officer, Squarespace
Will Lee, Chief Executive Officer, ADWEEK
Shizu Okusa, CEO and Founder, Apothékary
Saneel Radia, CEO and Chief Innovation Officer, Proto Allison Stransky, CMO, Samsung Electronics America
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