Marketing Learning In The Age of AI - Part Two
PART 2: Marketing Judgement is the Critical Skill in the AI Age
Another day, another post about AI taking over work that marketers and agencies have traditionally done.
The promise is compelling: more data, faster results, greater efficiencies than most businesses have ever had before.
But do we still need to develop core marketing skills?
I believe we do.
In the AI age, businesses still need marketers who understand effective marketing well enough to make the judgment calls that drive decision making and profitable brand growth.
Of course, you might say I would argue that. Marketing is my bread and butter.
That’s fair.
But looking back on history, marketing has always effectively adopted major changes in technology, media and consumer behaviours. Many tools have changed but the fundamentals have remained consistent.
And I’m joining many marketing and AI experts who think that those fundamentals continue to matter.
Microsoft’s Mark Russinovich and Scott Hanselman have made a similar point: if organisations under-invest in developing junior talent, they risk losing the judgment needed to guide and challenge AI output.
Over time, that quietly weakens the talent pipeline that businesses depend on for the future.
Much of today’s investment is going into AI tools, with businesses focussing on cost reductions. And latest reports show such signs of those starting to happen.
But greater efficiencies through faster outcomes due to AI can also accelerate failure.
McDonald’s Netherlands reportedly withdrew an AI-generated holiday advertisement after three days because viewers found it unsettling. Coca-Cola disabled comments on an AI campaign that was described as soulless.
These were not technology failures. They were judgment failures.
A trained marketer should have asked:
Does this feel right for the brand?
Does it understand the audience?
Does it create the intended emotional response?
Does it feel distinctive to the brand?
So, mastering marketing fundamentals continues to be critical in the AI age?
It is not just about learning how to operate AI tools or write effective prompts. It is also about applying sound marketing knowledge to the work AI produces.
That means marketers need to have and use fundamental marketing skills to -
Understand why people actually buy and how to reach them.
Keep the brand memorable and distinctive and stand out.
Make sure the brand can be easily found when customers want to buy
Challenge recommendations that do not reflect the customer or the market.
Recognise when AI has got something wrong.
AI can produce answers.
It cannot take responsibility for whether that answer is right for your business.
How many people on your team could spot a bad AI-generated decision before it costs you customer trust, market share or reputation?
