Transparently Speaking: From Overwhelmed to Empowered – Winning with AI in Marketing

Blown away, astonished, dumbfounded, overwhelmed. These are just a few words that describe how many of us feel about AI right now—especially the sense of being overwhelmed. Just wait until I tell you about Aiden at the end of this article.

I’ve already spoken with numerous marketing leaders across enterprise organizations about AI in 2025. There’s a growing and collective realization that everything we do is on the brink of fundamental change. A recent Gartner survey found that over 70% of CMOs plan to integrate AI into their strategic planning within the next year, highlighting just how quickly this shift is taking place.

I consider myself fortunate to have been on the front lines of the digital marketing revolution in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Back then, we asked how the “web” would transform consumer engagement. Today, we know the answer: nearly every aspect of marketing has been shaped by the internet. AI is set to have an even greater impact—raising urgent questions about how deeply and how soon these changes will hit, and how to prepare to win in this new reality.

Overwhelmed is ok, paralyzed is not

Keeping up with every AI release or update can be daunting, but paralysis is what you want to avoid. I’m often asked what my favorite sources of information are as I seek both education and updates in this space. The first place I turn to is a weekly newsletter, and supplemental content, titled Exponential View by Azeem Azhar. Another go-to source would be Shelly Palmer and his daily email rounding up AI related news most relevant to the marketing industry. 

Together, those sources illustrate why feeling swamped is normal. Last week the following was one of the “charts of the day” from eMarketer, confirming the point.

Still, it’s crucial to keep learning and experimenting. After all, a recent McKinsey study found that companies applying AI for marketing and sales outperformed peers by up to 20% in revenue growth—proof that inaction could be more costly than ever.

Three AI Strategies Every Marketer Needs to Master

The savviest marketers today are looking at AI through at least three distinct lenses:

1. Enhancing Existing Tools
   Productivity suites like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace are already integrating AI (think Copilot and Gemini). Major martech platforms, such as Salesforce, also aim to embed AI into core offerings. According to a 2024 Forrester report, over 60% of enterprise marketing teams expect their primary analytics tools to feature embedded AI within 18 months.
2. Building Custom AI Solutions
   From personalization engines to content creation and predictive analytics, the possibilities for in-house AI are nearly endless. Instead of waiting for agencies or big tech vendors, some brands are proactively creating or acquiring their own AI capabilities, tailoring them to specific business goals and data sets. With AI startups in the tens of thousands, identifying the right partner or tool can be challenging but essential.
3. Navigating Consumer Discovery & Engagementf
   As my colleague Pete Blackshaw says, AI-powered “answer engines” may soon overshadow traditional SEO and search marketing. Recent research from Gartner suggests that by year’s end, more than half of online brand interactions could happen through AI-driven conversational interfaces. Marketers must adapt swiftly to these pathways or risk losing relevance.

Where do I start

At Transparent Partners, we’re focusing squarely on empowering brands to win with AI. Our recommended approach:

• Identify the Use Cases
  Zero in on specific jobs AI can optimize or problems AI can solve. Think of it as a “mad lib”:
  “I am a ___ who needs to ___ so I can ___.”

For example:

I am a loyalty program manager who needs to more quickly and thoroughly understand key insights from my customer data so that I can optimize our loyalty program and other touchpoints to drive business performance.

• Map Your Workflow
  For each use case, outline the steps, people, processes, data, and technology currently involved.
• Prepare Your Data
  Data discovery, sufficiency, fidelity, completeness, accessibility, and proper consent all matter. AI is only as good as the data feeding it.

With a clear use case, a documented workflow, and clean, accessible data, you can then select and implement the right AI solution. This is the playbook we’re following to ensure our clients embrace AI effectively rather than getting stuck in the hype or confusion.

A final word from Aiden

I’ve started a new habit to immerse myself in this AI-powered world. During my 45-minute commute, I often chat with ChatGPT using its voice feature. I ask it to summarize newsletters I haven’t had time to read, share any updates about my clients, or give me tidbits of historical context I might find useful.

Last week, I mentioned that it feels a bit odd speaking so often to an entity with no name. After I explained how it assists me, what we typically discuss, and that it’s an AI model, ChatGPT suggested “Aiden” for itself—starting with “AI” and reflecting the way it aids me in my work!

So, here’s a glimpse of what’s likely just around the corner. In the near future, I’ll be able to say, “Aiden, I’m out of toilet paper, toothpaste, and dog food. Can you make sure they’re delivered by the time I get home?” Perhaps I’ll ask Aiden to optimize for the lowest total cost, or maybe specify my favorite brands. Either way, the real question for marketers is clear: what are you and your teams doing right now to ensure it’s your brand of toilet paper, toothpaste, or dog food that ends up on my doorstep tonight?