At this year’s AI & Marketing Summit hosted by Brand Innovators, one message rang clear: artificial intelligence may be everywhere, but it’s not the strategy—it’s the support system. As AI weaves deeper into marketing operations, creative teams, and consumer interactions, leaders are starting to clarify what AI is really good for, where it falls short, and how fast the rules of the game are changing.
AI Is the Tool, Not the Plan
“AI is not a strategy” said Jason John, CMO of 1-800-Flowers. “You start with a business strategy, and AI supports it” Comparing today’s AI hype to past tech waves like mobile and web, John urged marketers to resist shiny-object thinking. If the CEO’s biggest question is “what’s our AI strategy?”—he joked—it might be time to rethink leadership.
Church & Dwight’s Amit Sharma echoed this, warning against the “AI-washing” trend—where everyone claims to use it, but few do so with precision. “It’s become a default checkbox,” he said, “but that’s not a competitive edge anymore.”
From Content Flood to Content Fatigue
With AI enabling content creation at scale, consumers are being overwhelmed—and starting to tune out. “We’re drowning in AI-generated creative” Sharma noted, asking the crowd how many could now recognize AI content on sight. Most raised their hands.
Brooke Brown, SVP of Brand & Creative at U.S. Bank, challenged teams to do better: “It’s not about more content for the sake of it. It’s about better content that matters.”
Julia Knight from Citizen emphasized how easy it’s become to copy others’ work, raising the bar for originality and ethics. For a company that deals with real-time safety data, truth and transparency aren’t optional.
Big Shifts in the Consumer Journey
AI is transforming how people search, decide, and interact with brands. Katherine Freeley from Boehringer Ingelheim highlighted a stark shift in healthcare: “We used to rely on link-based search. Now, patients ask agents for advice directly. Traditional search is disappearing.”
Speakers agreed that agentic AI—tools acting on users’ behalf—is going to reshape how marketing works. “It’s not just that marketers will use agents,” said author Rishad Tobaccowala. “Consumers will too. Bots talking to bots, without human involvement.”
Creative Efficiency and Smarter Decisions
Rather than focusing solely on content output, many teams are using AI to boost decision-making. John Elder, CEO of Supergood, put it simply: “We’re building power tools for creative teams” From testing concepts to selecting winning ideas, AI is helping marketers make faster, more confident calls.
At U.S. Bank, AI helped uncover untapped brand value. Their work with Supergood allowed in-house teams to validate insights, explore faster, and move quickly on strategic pivots. “It helps us punch above our weight,” said Brown.
Mastercard shared how it’s using AI to lighten the load for its research team. Cheryl Guerin, EVP of Brand Strategy & Innovation, described a new insights engine that answers internal questions on the fly—like “What does Gen Z think about sustainability?” It even drafts decks, saving hours of duplication.
The company also built a system that detects micro-trends on social media, then responds with tailored messaging in as little as 15 minutes.
Pacing With AI, Not Against It
Summit speakers acknowledged the impossible pace of AI’s evolution. “It feels like there’s a new tool every three weeks” - Knight
Instead of trying to stay ahead of everything, Freeley advised staying agile and open: “You won’t outpace the wave. You have to prepare to ride it.”
Final Takeaway: Strategy First, Tech Second
AI can make marketers faster, sharper, and more experimental—but only if it’s grounded in clear strategy. Whether it’s rethinking creative workflows, redefining customer journeys, or reshaping research, the real edge lies not in using AI—but in knowing why you’re using it.