I had the pleasure of attending the American Marketing Association’s BrandSmart Marketing Conference in Chicago. As it was my first marketing conference (since I’m relatively new to the industry!), I was blown away by the amount of talent and curiosity in the room.
Marketers from different industries all trying to answer the same question: how do we stay relevant and drive impact as AI reshapes the landscape? Marketing teams are being asked to prove their value in new ways. George Couris, CEO of Pepper Group, closed his session with a standout question: “Are you going to be a strategic growth driver or a cost to be managed?”
4 Standouts I Will Use in My Day-To-Day
- Personality is key, now more than ever. Leslie Marshall, Head of Marketing and Brand at neuRealities, discussed how to build a human-centered brand in the age of AI. Insider language does not create connection. Audiences need to be able to understand your brand, rather than feel like they are interacting with a robotic website or brand voice.
- Speed is costing your brand. More activity does not equal more growth. Jennifer Bell, CMO at Lettuce Entertain You, spoke about the “velocity trap” that so many marketers fall into. The push to produce more and more work creates less impactful work. It was a great reminder to slow down and create work that you feel proud of. That’s what will perform better.
- AI is an aggregator, not an originator. AI came up in nearly every session and conversation. Jennifer Bell gave a much-needed reminder: AI can synthesize and scale, but it doesn’t replace original thinking. Especially in creative work, human insight still leads.
- Creativity is a practice. Darcie Graham, Creative Director at CO–5, challenged the idea that creativity is something some people are naturally born with and others aren’t. Creativity is something we all need to work at every day — by giving ourselves time to think, getting ideas on the page, and allowing our brain to do what it does best.
My “Why”
At Tell Your Story, we’ve always believed that marketing is an investment in your brand’s future. AMA BrandSmart was a great reminder that the agencies and marketers who will thrive aren’t the ones who play it safe; they’re the ones who show up as strategic partners, ask the hard questions, and build brands that are truly built to last. If you’re looking for an agency that can help drive real strategic growth, we’d love to connect.
