5 Ways to Jumpstart AI Adoption

Last month, I attended the Marketing AI Conference (MAICON) hosted by the Marketing AI Institute, an annual event that has become a hub for marketers advancing AI in their field.

MAICON, now in its fifth edition, attracted more than 1,100 people interested in the rapid progress and potential of AI. Industry experts like Paul Roetzer, Adam Brotman, and Andy Sack shared their insights, and the unveiling of OpenAI’s new model, “Strawberry,” added a sense of urgency to the event.

One major theme is that even with the rapid evolution of AI, many marketers and organizations are slow to adopt it. To thrive in the future, marketers need a strategic, organization-wide approach to AI or risk being left behind as AI-native competitors advance .

The chasm of marketing AI

In his keynote address, Roetzer showed how quickly image generation has evolved, producing high-quality images in less than a minute. Yet walking through the conference, it was clear that many marketers were still testing the waters with AI.

Most were experimenting with GPT models, often informally, as their organizations worked to formalize AI strategies. This led to manyrandom acts of AI“disconnected from broader business objectives.

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The disconnect: a meteor on its way to Earth

Those who closely follow the progress of AI are like astrophysicists monitoring a meteor. They see the speed and scale of change and recognize the potential for disruption. Meanwhile, many marketers are continuing business as usual, unprepared for the impact of AI.

AI is the next big game changer for organizations and marketers. Just as digitally native companies like Airbnb have revolutionized traditional industries, AI-native companies with AI-native marketing teams will reshape the future.

At last year’s MAICON, Dan Slagen shared the story of Tomorrow.io, an $80 million company with just four marketers. These marketers started each initiative by asking themselves, “How do we use AI to get this job done?” » The leaders did the same. This is the foundation of an AI-native marketing organization.

This year, Slagen described how his team used AI to introduce tomorrow’s weather forecasting products to a major movie studio. They analyzed the studio’s films, identified scenes affected by weather conditions, and created a compelling AI-powered presentation like a studio film. With such a small team, this could never have been done without AI. Their innovative approach propelled them to the next stage of the tender, making a small organization look big.

Marketers who view AI solely as a way to reduce workforce risk are being left behind by organizations like Tomorrow.io, which are leveraging AI for innovation and growth.

Obstacles on the Road to Business: Meeting the Challenges of Adoption

Why aren’t marketers preparing more for the next wave of AI? The Kübler-Ross Change Curve, a framework for understanding emotional progression through change, offers insight. Many marketers are in their early stages, expressing skepticism or nitpicking flaws, like imperfections in AI-generated images. Some even feel depressed about the future. I recently spoke with students worried about pursuing careers that might soon become obsolete.

These emotions contribute to organizational inertia, as fear of layoff and uncertainty about AI can lead to hesitancy toward automation. Leaders could delay adoption of AI, waiting for definitive proof that change is necessary.

At the same time, issues such as copyright, intellectual property issues, data quality and responsible implementation require careful attention. The question becomes: How can we guide organizations away from fear and frustration and toward a mindset of experimentation and integration?

Dig Deeper: What Marketing Can Teach Business About AI

The 5 steps to adopting AI

The good news is that we have experienced disruption before and there are established ways to prepare for and respond to change. Below are steps marketing organizations can take to prepare for the marketing AI meteor.

1. Embrace AI Mastery

Start with education. Encourage all team members to learn about the capabilities and limitations of AI. Explore AI courses, webinars, and local meetups.

2. Develop a communications plan

Communicate your organization’s AI perspective. Are you mapping AI to business outcomes? Are you looking for efficiencies? Establish guardrails and foster an informed environment that can dispel rumors and miscommunications.

3. Build an AI-powered culture

Create an AI council or task force to guide strategy, promote cross-functional collaboration, and celebrate quick wins. Start with low-risk, high-impact pilot projects to demonstrate the value of AI and build momentum.

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4. Scale strategically

Align AI with business goals. Focus on use cases that directly impact revenue, customer experience, or efficiency. Document processes, capture successful prompts, and measure results to refine strategies and prove ROI.

5. Reassure marketers

AI is a powerful tool that enhances capabilities, without eliminating roles. Just like a car needs a driver, AI requires human creativity, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making to produce robust results. AI didn’t design Tomorrow.io’s innovative campaign, but it certainly contributed to its execution.

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Reduce the chasm

Marketing AI is evolving very quickly. AI-native marketing organizations have the potential to disrupt organizations that aren’t able to act fast enough. Like previous disruptors, it is the organizations that can move quickly, respond to change, and keep up with lightning-fast progress that will prevail.

To do this, organizations must consider integrating new technologies and helping them navigate a complex change curve. I left MAICON buzzing with enthusiasm and a sense of urgency, ready to help marketers with this change.