It’s tough for marketing teams to simply find the time to trial AI tools, let alone figure out how to optimize processes and teams. From a trial perspective, new research shows that only 52% of CMOs are trialing GenAI (that they are aware of), and only 51% of these same CMOs believe that their marketing operational model (people, processes, partners, platforms) is high performing. For marketing teams trying to figure it out, Neil Perkin articulates a useful vision for an Agentic Organization: “the integration of AI agents to empower humans to step away from repetitive, low-value tasks and focus on areas where creativity, empathy, and critical thinking are indispensable.” Some technology evangelists claim that we are being given "superpowers" as we experiment with these new tools, but new research shows that relying heavily on AI can cause us to lose our human thinking skills. So, is AI making us superhuman or stupid?
What will happen to advertising as more people use AI tools to search for information and answers? For starters, it means a new digital marketing buzzword, GEO. This refers to generative engine optimization, or how brands can increase visibility within the results provided by tools such as ChatGPT. Not surprisingly, research shows that there is a significant overlap with SEO, as having your content appear on Google's first page will increase your chances of appearing in AI-generated answers. This seems like an area that clever marketers and agencies will explore – influencing customers by influencing AI agents.
- Creative Trends from Super Bowl LIX (Kantar): Pulls trends from all of the Super Bowl commercials, including the marketing of AI (campaigns from AI companies, like OpenAI) and the use of AI in ad production (like Seal becoming, well, an actual seal for Mountain Dew).
- Moving Beyond Linear Funnels (BCG): Marketers like nothing more than shitting on the linear marketing funnel framework, only to introduce a new framework that looks pretty similar to a funnel. Here’s BCG’s latest, which weaves digital-behaviours (streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping) into the mix.
- The Future of Planning is the Platform (Madison and Wall): An essay that again starts from the AIDA funnel, but explores how marketers that use AI platforms will benefit from improved personalization, efficiency, integration, and effectiveness.
- 2025 Creative Playbook (Recess): This is so good. It's a scrapbook of 37 creatives' tips and tools for creative inspiration. Lots of tips for creative thinking and action, including a few new AI tools. Do yourself a favour and give it a skim over a cup of coffee.
- Digital 2025 (Datareportal): If you’re looking for an up to date data point on global internet, social media, and social usage – this 600+ page report has got you.
- ChatGPT Mobile Usage (Appfigures): Speaking of age, apparently over half of ChatGPT’s mobile users are under age 25 and 85% are male.
- Anthropic’s Economic Index for AI: Interesting research on how Claude.ai is being used for real-world tasks across the economy. Today, it is primarily used in software development and technical writing.
- Listening Habits & Age (Daniel Parris): A few months ago, I shared a report about how, as we get older, we tend to listen to less new music—losing a bit of our “open-earedness.” This follow-up report adds an interesting twist: it turns out that old Gen Xers (like me!) actually skip fewer songs when listening to a channel. All of this to say, if you have any new music you’d like to recommend, I’m all ears (pun intended).
- Humans vs. Robots Half-Marathon: Think being chased by the T-1000 from Terminator 2 was scary? Try racing actual humanoid robots at the Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon!
- McAtlas: A global Guide to the Golden Arches: As someone who loved visiting the Maritimes for a McLobster growing up, I love this guide to McDonald’s global locations and unique menu items. Order the book (not the McLobster) here.
- Duolingo Company Handbook: Every few years a company releases a new handbook that makes everyone else jealous. Crispin Porter + Bogusky had a good one years ago, as did Netflix. This new product-focused handbook from Duolingo is pretty great.
- Replit AI: Most AI experts say that the future of coding is natural language. Replit is an example of this. It is an app that uses natural language to create, well, other apps. I just spent 10 minutes giving it instructions to create an app for my family to schedule dog walks and it works. Well, the app works, the kids still don’t walk the dog.
