Rewriting the Marketing Playbook from Content to Measurement with AI
The pressure on marketers today is twofold: a demand for a constant stream of innovative content and the need to prove the value of every dollar spent. To get a clearer view of how AI is helping brands meet this dual challenge, we recently explored two critical sides of the marketing equation. In a conversation with our partners for NVIDIA's OpenUSD Insiders series, we dove into the future of the content supply chain. And in a meta-analysis with TikTok, we examined how modern measurement can uncover the true impact of media investments.
From these discussions, a few key ideas emerged that point to where the industry is heading.
The creative production model is being rebuilt. The conversation is shifting from using AI for one-off tasks to building intelligent, interconnected production systems founded on "digital twins." These virtual product replicas serve as a single source of truth, enabling a modular workflow where specialized AIs collaborate on everything from storyboarding to final edits without physical shoots.
Yesterday's measurement is obscuring tomorrow's opportunities. Relying on last-click attribution tells an incomplete story, with research showing this narrow view can undervalue a channel’s true ROI by 50% or more and lead to poor spending decisions. By using more holistic, AI-powered Media Mix Modeling (MMM), marketers can get an accurate picture of performance and build a stronger business case for their strategies.
Full-funnel strategies are no longer just a "nice to have." The line between brand-building and performance marketing is blurring, and data shows they are most powerful when working together. Our analysis revealed that combining upper-funnel campaigns with conversion-focused ads boosts ROI by 13-26%, proving that investing solely in bottom-funnel tactics is unsustainable.
Putting these principles into practice is where real transformation begins. It requires tackling complex, real-world marketing challenges with a new approach to orchestration—one that connects these intelligent systems into a single, seamless flow.
For Google Pixel, the challenge was breaking the stalemate between time and quality. Similarly, General Motors faced the immense complexity of a global content supply chain. With an ever-expanding need for more content across more channels—often with tighter resources—the challenge was to unify its partner ecosystem and maximize the value of existing assets without sacrificing quality or speed.
In both cases, the path forward required a fundamental shift in how their marketing ecosystems operate, connecting disparate parts into a more intelligent, unified whole.
A Look at the Modern Marketers Toolkit
While high-level strategy sets the course, real progress happens when teams are empowered with the right tools to act on those insights. The principles of orchestration and data-driven creativity come to life within the platforms that marketers use every day. By taking a closer look at how leading technologies are evolving, we can find new ways to unlock efficiency and growth.
Take Amazon DSP, for example. Navigating its vast ecosystem of first-party data and third-party inventory can be complex. To simplify this, Amazon has introduced human-centered AI models like Brand+ and Performance+. Brand+ focuses on top-of-funnel awareness with a long-term view, while Performance+ hones in on driving conversions within a shorter window. The real insight here is how they turn a brand's specific goals—like a purchase or an app install—into an intelligent map of consumer behavior, allowing the AI to find lookalike audiences and deliver impressions with greater efficiency, leading to outcomes like a 66% lower CPA in campaigns we've run.
Many brands have ample platform data but struggle to make it valuable. Amplitude enables brands to create a rapid feedback loop, using analytics and session replays to turn user insights directly into A/B tests. This process empowers all teams to understand and improve the entire user journey.
Designing Experiences That Resonate
While the pace of technological innovation offers endless tools to optimize the digital experience, creating memorable, in-person moments has never been more critical. But how do you turn a physical space into a lasting impression? Whether it's a permanent brand home or a major event activation, the most impactful experiences are built on a foundation of strategic design that goes far beyond aesthetics.
In a recent article, Global ECD, Experiential & Virtual Solutions Alexandre Fittipaldi explores how to create these high-impact environments. The key, he argues, is to move beyond the traditional product showcase and design a journey with a clear, compelling narrative.
Here are a few core principles:
Start with human needs, not brand messages. The most effective experiences are designed for specific people with distinct goals. By understanding the different perspectives of your audience, you can tailor pathways and interactions that resonate with their individual priorities.
Let the story dictate the technology. A powerful narrative guides every touchpoint, where technology—from interactive displays to AR—serves the story instead of overshadowing it. Sometimes the most effective tool is a cutting-edge display; other times, it's a simple, hands-on physical model that invites exploration.
Choreograph the entire journey. Every element, from the spatial layout of a room to the flow of information, is intentionally designed. Thinking like a film director, where the visitor is both the audience and the protagonist, helps create a seamless arc from curiosity to clarity.
These principles are just as vital for temporary activations as they are for permanent centers. As many brands are now deep in the planning stages for major tentpole events like CES, these ideas on experience design are more relevant than ever. Creating a presence that truly cuts through the noise isn't about having the biggest booth or the flashiest tech. It's about designing a thoughtful, narrative-driven journey that understands its audience and leaves them with a single, powerful impression long after they've left the floor.
The Last Word
As AI Redefines Advertising, Marketers Get Creative to Bridge the Consumer Trust Deficit
png.png?upscale=true&width=320&upscale=true&name=Monks-logo-light%20(1)png.png){kind=logo}
