The AI Marketing Revolution Is Here

If you’re a growth-minded entrepreneur still treating AI like a toy or worse, ignoring it altogether, you're already behind.

A new report from Ad Age and Iterable pulls back the curtain on what smart marketers are really doing with AI. And here’s the punchline:

AI isn’t here to take your job.

It’s here to take your excuses.

Because the marketers who win in this new era won’t be the ones who do more. They’ll be the ones who think better, faster, and deeper with AI as their co-pilot.

Let’s break down the big ideas from this research and what they mean for you, the operator, the builder, the one responsible for results.

1. Stop Fearing the Machine. Start Training It.

91% of marketers are already using AI. 69% believe it will create more jobs, not eliminate them.

But here's the catch: nearly 90% are worried they’ll lose relevance if they don’t learn how to use it.

Translation: AI isn’t your replacement, it’s your edge. But only if you get in the driver’s seat.

As GitLab’s CMO put it, “Companies that use AI to automate inefficient tasks will free up talent to focus on more creative endeavors.” That’s not theory. That’s the new baseline.

2. From Copy-Paste to Competitive Advantage

AI is finally doing what marketing teams have begged for years:

Cutting the “doing” so we can spend more time thinking.

Generative AI, predictive tools, and automation is all being used to:

• Build smarter campaigns

• Predict who converts (and when)

• Automate channel selection and timing

• Write faster and test more creatively

Care used AI to save their team 25% of their time. Redfin boosted active user conversions by 72% using predictive goals. These aren’t hypothetical wins, they’re real-world results from real companies that took action.

What about you?

3. You’re Not Sending Emails. You’re Engineering Journeys.

The old campaign model is dead. The idea of “blast it and hope” doesn’t cut it when your customers are expecting real-time, individualized experiences.

AI makes personalization at scale finally possible. Not segments. Not buckets. Individuals.

You can now deploy marketing in real-time based on user behavior, not gut instinct. That’s how you engineer a customer journey, not just a funnel.

Want to stand out? Build your marketing like a product with feedback loops, data, and delight baked in.

4. Don’t Confuse Automation With Abdication

Let’s be clear: AI can automate the setup. But it still needs your strategy.

Think of AI like a sous-chef. It can prep everything, taste the dish, even suggest a better spice. But you’re still the one plating it and serving it to your audience.

Use it to:

• Uncover insights

• Draft faster

• Optimize smarter

But keep the human in the loop. The brands that win won’t be the ones who crank out more messages, they’ll be the ones who make customers feel something.

Like Priceline said: “Differentiation isn’t about standing out. It’s about becoming part of customers’ memories.”

5. The New KPI? Emotional Connection

This is where most marketers drop the ball.

They chase opens, clicks, and CPMs... and miss the moment to move their audience.

AI gives us the tools to deliver the right message, on the right channel, at the right time. But that message better mean something. Otherwise, you’re just automating mediocrity.

What sets the best creators apart?

• Emotion over information

• Story over stats

• Moments over messages

Marketing isn't a broadcast anymore. It's a shared experience.

If you’re a founder, creator, or marketer responsible for growth, here’s the uncommon advice:

Don’t just “use AI.” Build your marketing system around it.

Automate the grunt work. Optimize the data flow. Then get back to what you’re best at—thinking, connecting, creating.

The brands that win this next era won’t be the loudest.

They’ll be the most aligned tech, team, and message.

AI is the multiplier. Your strategy is the signal.

Let’s stop pretending it’s optional.

Let’s start building uncommon brands in an AI-powered world.

It’s your time!

Nate ‘The Marketing Guy’ Kennedy

Daily Dose

On this day, in 1853, US President Franklin Pierce signs the Gadsden Purchase, buying 29,670 square-miles (76,800 square km) from Mexico for $10 million (now southern Arizona and New Mexico)