I've been thinking a lot about this Massachusetts Institute of Technology study on AI that just came out.
According to their research, 95% of AI pilots are failing at companies.
This doesn’t mean AI is useless to help streamline our processes and workflows.
I agree with Saanya Ojha in their latest post (check it out in the newsletter below). We’re throwing tools at problems they haven't even defined yet. It's like launching a GTM strategy without knowing who your customer is or what their main problems actually are.
As Ojha writes:
“Two truths can coexist: (1) The tech is very real. (2) Most companies are hilariously bad at deploying it.
If you’re a startup, AI feels like a superpower. No legacy systems. No 17-step approval chains. No legal team asking whether ChatGPT has been 'SOC2-audited.' You ship. You iterate. You win.
If you’re an enterprise, your org chart looks like a game of Twister and your workflows were last updated when Friends was still airing. You don’t need a better model - you need a cultural lobotomy….
The difference between the winners and the laggards won’t be access to models, but the courage to rip up processes and rebuild them.”
So what is a good example of how companies are getting smarter with their AI integration?
There’s a piece from Digiday in the newsletter about how AI is great for performance marketing but not great (right now) at building brands. And it makes total sense when you think about it. AI can optimize the heck out of an ad, but it can't create that moment when someone sees your brand and just gets it. That emotional connection? That's still very much a human thing.
The companies that are actually making AI work? They're not trying to replace humans; they're using it to handle the stuff that nobody wants to do anyway...so their people can focus on the work that actually matters.
Also covered this week: why external AI partnerships work better than building everything in-house, Wayfair's refreshingly practical AI approach, and job postings for "Vibe Marketers" (yes, that's a real title now).
I'm curious, have you seen AI actually work in your day-to-day, or does it still feel like we're all just experimenting and hoping for the best?
I’ll be leading an AI workshop for the PMM team at Etsy in the next couple of months and excited to share what we all learn...so make sure you subscriber here and follow along!
As a reminder, here's what's covered each week:
- 🔵 Top AI + Marketing News
- 🟣 (LinkedIn) Posts I Love
- 🟡 AI + Marketing Tools
- 🟢 Events on My Radar
- ⚫️ Cool AI + Marketing Jobs
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🔵 Top AI + Marketing News
Why 95% of AI Pilots Fail, and What Leaders Should Do Instead
Forbes | 4-minute read
Overview: Why most AI pilots flop, and how problem-first design, partnerships, and workflow embedding fix it.
Key Points:
- Most generative AI pilots stumble because they're not built around a clear business problem.
- External partnerships double success rates compared to internal-only builds.
- Strategic alignment and integration into workflows matter more than flashy models.
My take: AI isn't broken, our approach is. Success comes from strategic pilots, not random adoption.
Why Generative AI Can’t Build Brands
Digiday | 4-minute read
Overview: AI excels at performance marketing but struggles with brand-building, where nuance, storytelling, and emotion drive results.
Key Points:
- Upper-funnel brand campaigns are harder to measure and optimize with AI.
- AI tools are best for scale and efficiency, not deep cultural resonance.
- Agencies worry brands risk sameness if they over-lean on AI content.
My take: AI is a shortcut for clicks, not culture. If you want brand love, you still need humans crafting the story.
Why AI-Driven Marketing Is No Longer Optional
Entrepreneur | 3-minute read
Overview: AI is quickly shifting from “nice to have” to survival tool in marketing, especially for personalization, speed, and data analysis.
Key Points:
- AI helps marketers optimize campaigns in real time.
- Personalization at scale is now expected by consumers.
- Competitors adopting AI create widening performance gaps.
My take: Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, I think it is important to at least test out AI and see where it can help streamline your processes. Doesn't hurt! Also, talk to your team and don't just assume what their biggest time sucks are in their workflows/days.
ChatGPT Traffic Referrals Plummet
Search Engine Land | 2-minute read
Overview: Referral traffic from ChatGPT to websites has fallen 52% since July, raising questions about AI search’s role in the funnel.
Key Points:
- AI assistants may keep answers inside the chat, not send users out.
- Websites that saw initial boosts are now feeling traffic declines.
- SEO leaders are rethinking how to optimize for AI-driven search.
My take: TBH, still forming my opinion here. I do believe being surfaced in ChatGPT is important for brands, for at least the brand awareness piece. But AI seems to be more co-pilot than traffic engine (for now).
Marketers Worry About AI Skills & ROI
Adweek | 5-minute read
Overview: A new survey shows marketers are both intrigued and uneasy about AI, skills gaps and unclear revenue impact top concerns.
Key Points:
- 61% don’t believe AI directly drives revenue yet.
- 22% say AI hasn’t improved productivity at all.
- The biggest blocker is talent, marketers lack hands-on AI training.
My take: Upskilling ourselves and our teammates matters more than just buying the latest AI platform/buzzy tool.
Wayfair Uses AI to Reimagine Retail Marketing
Think with Google | 4-minute read
Overview: Wayfair is using AI to optimize the shopper journey, from personalized content to smarter attribution.
Key Points:
- AI improves targeting by analyzing browsing + purchase signals.
- Automated creative testing helps Wayfair scale visuals fast.
- Strong measurement frameworks link AI-driven campaigns to revenue.
My take: This is the sweet spot! AI + a clear strategy. Wayfair shows how to make AI practical for its teams and brand.
AI Helps Marketers Work Smarter…But Does It Drive Revenue?
MarTech | 3-minute read
Overview: AI boosts productivity for sales and marketing, but revenue lift remains inconsistent.
Key Points:
- AI automates admin tasks, freeing up time for strategy.
- Marketers report better insights but not always higher sales.
- Alignment with sales goals remains a major gap.
My take: “Feeling” productive is nice, but we have to make sure, especially with AI, that we’re driving conversion, too!
How AI Is Defining Your Brand Story
Entrepreneur | 4-minute read
Overview: AI can help shape a brand narrative, but left unchecked, it risks flattening stories into sameness.
Key Points:
- Tools can surface themes, customer language, and sentiment.
- Overuse of AI-generated messaging dilutes authenticity.
- Human creativity is still required to differentiate.
My take: Use AI as a mirror, not a megaphone. It can show you what resonates…but only humans (that’s us!) can tell the story that sticks.
Strong Brand Consistency Will Be Essential in AI Search
The Drum | 4-minute read
Overview: As AI search reshapes discovery, consistent brand identity becomes more critical than ever.
Key Points:
- AI search results often strip away design and context.
- Brands risk invisibility if messaging isn’t unified.
- Consistency builds trust in a stripped-down search world.
My take: AI search makes logos, fonts, and landing pages less visible. What’s left? Clear, consistent brand voice. That’s our anchor!
🟣 Posts I Love
Grant Lee - “At Meta, there’s a famous poster of a rocking horse that keeps moving but doesn’t make progress.”
Grant warns that AI tools can create a false sense of productivity. He notes that in one study, teams using generative AI felt 20 % faster but only accepted 44 % of AI suggestions and actually went backwards. To avoid “motion without progress,” he advises setting a single primary metric per team, running time‑boxed trials with clear control groups, and capping work in progress so AI output translates into real improvement. See Post
David Lobo - “Just saw my first ‘Vibe Marketer’ job posting.”
Lobo says companies are now hiring “AI‑native” marketers who can run an entire channel end‑to‑end, creative, copy, distribution, analytics, and ship campaigns in hours instead of weeks. He sees this as the future of marketing roles and asks which function will be re‑branded. (We also found another in our job list below!) See Post
Saanya Ojha - “95 % of enterprise GenAI pilots are failing. Here’s why that’s okay.”
Responding to MIT’s headline that 95 % of enterprise GenAI pilots fail, Ojha argues the issue isn’t AI but outdated processes. Start‑ups can ship quickly, but large companies still operate with long approval chains and antiquated workflows. She suggests focusing AI efforts on back‑office automation, buying/partnering rather than building, and integrating AI into workflows instead of launching flashy pilots. See Post
🟡 AI + Marketing Tools
All tools covered continue to be added to the 170+ AI + Marketing tool directory!
TinyFish
AI agents that autonomously surf the web to monitor prices, track competitors, and capture data at enterprise scale, cutting manual research hours into seconds. Best for: Ecommerce Ops • Intelligence Analysts • Competitive Strategy Teams
aizy
AI marketing automation for SMEs that optimizes ad spend across Google, Facebook, and Instagram with minimal input, helping small businesses run data-driven campaigns affordably. Best for: Small Business Owner • Digital Marketer • Campaign Manager
Bluefish
AI brand performance control platform that monitors how your company is represented inside ChatGPT and other AI engines, with new Custom AI Audiences for Fortune 500 marketers. Best for: Brand Strategist • Enterprise Marketer • Digital VP
Manus
Autonomous AI agent that thinks, plans, and executes multi-step marketing workflows end-to-end, everything from market research to outreach planning, without human hand-holding. Best for: Growth Marketer • RevOps • Startup Founder
Genspark
Agentic productivity suite that handles text, data visualization, and automated tasks in parallel, acting as a full creative + ops assistant for modern marketing teams. Best for: Content Marketer • Data/Analytics Specialist • Operations Manager
🟢 Events on My Radar
Below are more interesting events added this week to the full AI + Marketing Events blog post!
Shoptalk (Fall)
September 17-19, 2025 - Chicago, IL
Where retail media + AI merchandising meet; tons of buyer/seller matchmaking. See More
Advertising Week Europe
March 24–26, 2026 - London, UK
Creative, media, measurement, expect even more AI workstreams. See More
⚫️ Cool AI + Marketing Jobs
Anthropic - Consumer Marketing Manager
Red Antler - AI Creative Lead
WITHIN - AI Creative Specialist
Kiingo AI - AI Marketer (Vibe Marketer)
ConsumerAffairs - AI Native, Performance Marketing Senior Manager
Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Sr Product Marketing Manager, AWS AI Product Marketing
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Have a great week,
Carley