AI and Operational Marketing (Don't Let AI Drive the Bus Part II)

In a previous blog, I suggested that AI can drive the bus, AI can decide the best route to take, but don't let AI decide the destination.

That raises an interesting question:

I, like many (most?) marketers, have made career out of deciding how to get there. Leading ever larger teams of drivers as I became more senior. The gold standard in that role was hands on, operational, effective leadership. So, if the thesis about AI taking over route planning and driving from the last blog is true, what now?

The answer: the hands-on operational marketing leadership role won't disappear. But they must evolve. As AI takes over execution, operational marketers will shift from hands-on-the-controls to overseers. Ensuring the journey aligns with the strategic goals and brand values. Ready to intervene and the first sign of 'AI Slop'. Continuing to keep a dozen plates spinning. Governance & control.

Leaner teams are however inevitable. What once took an FTE or more can now be done with a fraction of the headcount. But that fraction of human oversight needs to cover a lot of ground. They need to become an AI-augmented Swiss Army knife. They will oversee multiple functional domains. Lead (even) more projects. Act as a multi-disciplinary player coach to nurture the AI-augmented do-ers (i.e. the drivers) into the next generation of leaders. And more.

This transformation isn’t just an organizational change. It is also financial but with, IMHO at least, a big caveat.

The savings from smaller AI-Augmented teams can be used to address another unstoppable AI-led movement: AI has broken the funnel. Leads are unpredictable, website traffic is down, the point of meaningful buyer engagement is fragmented and occurring on properties outside our control. As a result, very early stage brand awareness & trust building are now the core of what we used to call Demand Gen. Smart CFOs will listen to their CMO colleagues and plough the operational savings from AI into creative and authentic brand building, also know as 'deciding the destination'.

If any of this strikes a chord, visit www.theohildyard.com or email me on info@theohildyard.com to get in touch.