Marketing in the Age of AI: CMOs Separating the Hype from What’s Real

#288 AI in Marketing | In this episode, Dave is joined by three B2B marketing leaders: Sara Ajemian, Head of Brand & Communications at SOCi, Jennifer Delevante-Moulen, CMO at Knak, and Tara Robertson, CMO at Bitly. Together they share real-world perspectives on how AI is actually shaping marketing teams today—what’s working, what’s not, and how leaders are adapting.

Dave and the panel cover:

• The most overhyped AI use cases in B2B marketing (and where human nuance still wins)
• Real success stories, including building an AI-powered content research engine, scaling global localization, and using AI to make creative teams more data-driven
• How CMOs are personally using AI as a strategic thought partner for board prep, customer insights, and team coaching

Whether you’re experimenting with new tools or figuring out how to bring AI into your strategy, this conversation gives a grounded look at what B2B marketing leaders are really doing today.

Timestamps

• (00:00) - – Intro
• (03:18) - – Meet the panel: SOCi, Knak, Bitly
• (07:18) - – Has AI met or missed expectations?
• (12:03) - – The most overhyped AI use cases
• (15:18) - – Why human nuance still matters in personalization
• (20:18) - – The imposter syndrome of AI adoption
• (23:18) - – The power of AI with memory
• (25:58) - – Best AI use cases from the panel
• (32:44) - – Scaling global localization with AI
• (35:44) - – Training brand teams to be more data-driven
• (39:44) - – How CMOs personally use AI in their workflow
• (43:44) - – Using AI as a strategic thought partner
• (47:44) - – Coaching teams with AI feedback loops
• (49:44) - – The frustrations of iteration and tool updates
• (53:44) - – Is leadership pushing AI adoption?
• (57:44) - – Budgeting and building a modern AI-enabled tech stack
• (01:00:44) - – Final takeaways and closing

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