Over time, whether at home, at work, or in life, I’ve learned the importance of being reflective. Why? Because, in the end, most people don’t care about the journey—only the results. My role has always been to make businesses money, and I’m exceptionally good at it, especially in advertising. I believe in marketing, in data, and now, more than ever, in the power of AI to amplify what we do. As a data-driven marketer, AI allows us to ask better questions, dig deeper, and work more efficiently.
I’ve learned to sit back and listen more—to observe what others are doing, what they’re saying, and sometimes, what they’re not saying. I’m still the same person: excited, happy, and energized. I’m just me, but now I understand how to move forward and make an impact.
AI in Advertising: A Game-Changer
AI in advertising is transforming how we think about marketing. It’s not just about automation or scaling—though those are important aspects—it’s about improving creativity and decision-making. AI gives us insights into customer behavior in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. It identifies patterns, preferences, and even emotions, allowing us to personalize messaging at scale, create dynamic ads, and predict future trends more accurately.
For example, AI can analyze past campaigns and optimize them for better performance with minimal human intervention. It can even predict what creative will resonate with specific audiences. That’s what excites me: we’re no longer flying blind. AI is like a tool that helps sharpen my ability to make businesses money by making data-driven decisions smarter and faster.
AI in Advertising Strategy
When it comes to building advertising strategies, AI is not only a tool—it’s a strategic partner. The right AI platform can analyze vast amounts of data, helping craft the ideal customer journey by predicting which touchpoints will be most effective. It goes beyond basic demographics, digging into psychographics and real-time behaviors.
As I’ve seen time and time again, developing an effective strategy requires a mix of art and science. AI handles the heavy lifting on the science side, offering deep data analysis and insights on target audiences. But it still requires the marketer’s intuition and creativity to guide the process. AI can suggest changes, but knowing which levers to pull, when, and why remains a human skill.
Some key prompts to ask when using AI in strategy:
- What audience segments show the highest potential based on previous performance?
- Which ad variations performed best across different demographics, and why?
- How can AI help predict and optimize future customer interactions?
- Which channels are underperforming, and where is the waste happening?
These questions help ground AI insights in the human ability to make nuanced decisions.
AI in Advertising Audits: Efficiency and Precision
I’ve conducted numerous advertising audits, and AI has fundamentally changed how we approach them. Traditionally, audits involved sifting through large datasets to find trends and anomalies. With AI, this process is not only faster but also more precise. AI can flag inefficiencies, identify wasted spend, and uncover hidden opportunities for optimization.
Imagine running an audit on a Google Ads account and having AI highlight underperforming keywords, suggest bid adjustments, and recommend creative improvements. That’s where we’re heading—or rather, where we are right now. AI helps us avoid the noise and focus on what will drive results. It identifies patterns that we might miss and does so in real time.
Prompts to ask during an AI-powered audit:
- What trends in performance data suggest areas for optimization?
- Are there specific keywords or audiences that are draining the budget without delivering ROI?
- How can AI help adjust bids based on competitor activity or seasonal trends?
- What creative assets are performing poorly, and what can be done to refresh them?
These insights don’t just save time—they allow for better decision-making, ultimately improving campaign performance.
Bridging the Human and AI in Advertising
But as much as AI is powerful, I firmly believe that it doesn’t replace the human element—it enhances it. Success in advertising is still about relationships, understanding client goals, and being able to sell an idea. AI can inform and optimize, but the ability to connect emotionally with audiences and build relationships remains a human skill.
It’s like coaching. I spend two days a week with young kids, teaching them angles, self-reflection, and the game that gave me so much. AI can’t teach them how to catch a ball; it can’t instill passion or drive. But it can help guide them in the right direction, and when they practice their skill 1,000 times, they’ll have something millions of others won’t. In advertising, AI helps us practice smarter, not just harder, but the human element is still essential.
Just like in sports, AI helps with the repetition—optimizing campaigns, refining strategies, and running audits. But you still need someone there to provide that emotional connection, the human touch that makes a strategy resonate. AI can give you data, but it can’t give you heart.
Building a Strategy with AI: Key Prompts to Guide Your Thinking
When building a strategy with AI, you need to ask the right questions to guide its outputs. Here are a few more prompts that could help build a strong AI-powered strategy:
- How can we use AI to personalize messaging for our key customer segments?
- What data trends can AI surface to inform creative development and testing?
- Which campaigns need real-time adjustments, and how can AI support that?
- How does AI suggest we allocate budget across platforms for optimal ROAS?
- What insights can AI provide about competitor behavior and market shifts?
The Future of Advertising is Here
I’ve done this enough times across many companies to know that AI isn’t just a trend—it’s the future. But its value only goes as far as the people who use it. My perspective will always be valuable, but in a world increasingly dominated by AI, my job is to bridge the gap between what AI can do and what the business needs.
I’m not competing with other experts or businesses. I’m here to help change and influence the future of what we do. And I love it. I’m very good at what I do, and I believe our work is a mix of science, creativity, and heart.
AI is part of that vision—a bold, non-traditional tool that, when used correctly, can transform digital marketing into something as imaginative as Disneyland. It’s about the balance between human intuition and machine learning, about making marketing more impactful and delightful.
In this industry, there needs to be more honesty, integrity, and inspiration. AI doesn’t replace creativity or trust—it enhances it. Whether it’s advertising strategy, audits, or day-to-day campaign management, AI can help us see things we couldn’t before. But at the end of the day, the human connection still drives real success.