Last year the default was “Let’s add and use AI for everything, y'all!” It sucked...
This week most of the articles and posts I saved were asking a different question: “Does it belong here at all?”
That shift, from automatic to intentional, is what I am excited about and dive deeper into in this week’s digest:
- Fast Company mapped out the moments to leave AI out.
- Pew, HBS, Inc. all warned what happens when copy loses its human edge.
- Brands who nailed the balance (and ones who face-planted).
- LinkedIn posts that reminded me why I’ll always choose a weird human voice over perfect machine polish. (Shout out mallory contois Jay Acunzo and more.)
Feels like we are all growing up (we've gotten so discerning and big 😢!): less autopilot, more judgment. Even the lists I shared this week put curation first.
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
I’m also experimenting with publishing at the start of the week, so you’ll have the rundown on Day 1 at your standing/WFH/work-from-coffee shop/work-from-hotel room (yes I'm on OOO this week and feel privileged to be on the beach 🏝️) desk.
Enjoy!
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🔵 Top AI + Marketing News
Google users less likely to click with AI answers
Pew Research | (3 min read)
Overview: AI overviews on Google are reducing the number of user clicks to actual websites.
Key Points:
- Click-through rates dropped when AI answers were shown, especially for informational queries.
- The study showed 75% of users found answers helpful, just not worth clicking deeper.
- Brands must now fight for visibility above and beyond the blue link.
My Take: Search is no longer about being found. It’s about being quoted. Brands that want to stay visible in AI summaries need to write like they're being summarized…clear, useful, and very credible.
100 best AI marketing tools of 2025
Vocal | (6 min read)
Overview: A curated list of top AI marketing tools sorted by use case, from copywriting to analytics.
Key Points:
- Tools are categorized across campaign ideation, automation, video, design, and SEO.
- Includes several underrated gems (ex: Looka for AI logos, CaptionGen for TikTok).
- Geared toward solopreneurs and small teams trying to scale with minimal resources.
My Take: A treasure chest of AI tools…especially great for lean teams looking to test quick AI wins across different channels without a huge lift.
AI marketing tools roundup
Sprout Social | (5 min read)
Overview: A fresh breakdown of top AI tools shaping marketing workflows in 2025.
Key Points:
- Highlights tools like Jasper, Copy.ai, and GrammarlyGO for content and productivity.
- Focuses on integration into everyday tasks, not just shiny innovation.
- Emphasizes ethical and brand-aligned implementation as a success factor.
My Take: Another awesome, summarized list of tools for marketers. This is a great primer if you’re building out an AI-powered content stack and want real use-cases…not just feature lists.
When to use AI for marketing, and when not to
Fast Company | (4 min read)
Overview: AI works best in marketing when it enhances, not replaces, core human creativity and storytelling.
Key Points:
- AI is great for scaling repetitive tasks but still struggles with big-idea originality.
- Use AI for outlines, summaries, and iteration, not final storytelling or emotional resonance.
- Human oversight remains key in brand tone, strategy, and messaging cohesion.
My Take: AI is your co-writer, not your CMO. Use it to save time and spark ideas…but keep the big human voice steering the brand.
Strategic deep research meets AI
MarTech | (3 min read)
Overview: AI isn’t just about content, it can now power strategic planning, competitive analysis, and trend spotting.
Key Points:
- We as marketers are using LLMs to scan competitor activity, social sentiment, and white space.
- AI-powered synthesis tools are helping teams condense massive research into digestible summaries.
- When paired with strong prompts, AI becomes a force multiplier for strategic insight.
My Take: This is where AI gets really exciting…less about automating copy, more about supercharging your strategic brain. Smart prompts means unfair advantage in research and planning.
Should you really use AI for your brand?
Inc. | (4 min read)
Overview: A gut-check essay challenging marketers to rethink the ethics and risks of leaning too hard on AI.
Key Points:
- Blindly applying AI can create tone-deaf campaigns or alienate loyal audiences.
- Highlights brand flops where AI overuse diluted voice, missed cultural cues, or sounded robotic.
- Argues for ethical review and a “human-first” test before launch.
My Take: Just because AI can write the campaign doesn’t mean it should. 😬
What Google, LEGO, and others get right (and wrong) with AI
Harvard Business School | (5 min read)
Overview: A deep dive into how major brands are navigating the balance of innovation and consumer trust in AI.
Key Points:
- Google focuses on speed and scale, but LEGO bets on storytelling and creativity.
- The tension between automation and authenticity shows up in different brand executions.
- AI done right reinforces trust; done wrong, it alienates customers.
My Take: Even the big, legacy brands are figuring it out in real-time (just like us!). Great inspiration if you’re mapping your AI maturity roadmap or pitching your team/leadership.
🟣 Posts I Love
Mallory Contois - “I Do a Lot of Writing… and Nope, GPT Isn’t Hitting Publish”
Mallory writes she tried GPT for LinkedIn posts but ditched it when the prose sounded like her “weird twin” sanding off her spiky voice. AI’s pattern-matching made everything bland and she’d rather risk weird than be forgettable.
My take: Love this reminder that “lowest-common-denominator copy” is the real threat…not the AI itself. See Post →
Caitlin Hutchinson - “Hot Take: We’re Over-Investing in Sales and Undervaluing Marketing”
Caitlin writes cold outreach interrupts while good marketing gets invited in. Today’s self-educated buyers close deals before sales ever calls, so fund the marketing engine first, then let sales walk through the door.
My take: A spicy, but fair, rebalance call. In an AI world where buyers binge-research alone, marketing is the new storefront; sales is checkout. See Post →
Jay Acunzo - “The Trend of Writing with AI Is So Wild to Me”
Jay talks about why creators work so hard to mask AI-written prose instead of sharpening their own skills. He cheers “human intelligence” and warns against investing more energy in prompt-craft than in craft-craft.
My take: If you’re spending hours tweaking AI to sound like you, maybe spend those hours… sounding like you. (I admit I learned this the hard way, too!) See Post →
Allie K. Miller - “Where Do Humans Fit in an AI-Agent Workflow?”
Allie spotlights You.com’s UX: before an AI research agent runs, users get a 10-second plan preview to edit or veto. She frames it as “human-at-the-helm,” not endless human-in-the-loop babysitting.
My take: A clever middle ground…give humans veto power at the highest-leverage moment, then let the agent sprint. Expect more tools to copy this pattern. See Post →
🟡 AI + Marketing Tools
All tools covered continue to be added to the 140+ AI + Marketing tool directory!
Rocksalt
Exec‑ and employee‑led influencer platform that helps brands brief senior voices, auto‑generate talking points, and measure impact across LinkedIn, X, and more…fresh off a seed round this week!
Best for: Brand Marketer • Influencer/Advocacy Lead • Communications Director.
Volca (Home Services Marketing OS)
New AI marketing platform built for trades & home services. automates local ads, lead capture, reviews, and client follow‑ups so owners spend less time in ad managers and more time on jobs.
Best for: SMB Marketer • Local Services Owner • Lifecycle/CRM Marketer.
Clever247.ai
Always‑on, AI phone/chat agents that answer questions, book appointments, and run outbound campaigns, plug into your CRM and IVR to turn missed calls into conversions.
Best for: Growth Marketer • Customer Experience Lead • RevOps Manager.
XerpaAI
Outbound & GTM copilot that orchestrates multi‑channel prospecting, researches targets, drafts personalized outreach, and sequences steps to keep pipelines moving.
Best for: Demand‑Gen Lead • Sales/BD Ops • ABM Marketer.
🟢 Events on My Radar
Below are more interesting events added this week to the full AI + Marketing Events blog post!
DMEXCO
September 17–18, 2025, Cologne, Germany
Europe’s biggest digital marketing + ad tech show; heavy on AI advertising, retail media, and martech. Register →
Advertising Week New York
October 6–9, 2025, New York, NY
Four days across creative, media, measurement, and brand, AI is now a core thread in most tracks. Register →
Dreamforce
October 14–16, 2025, San Francisco, CA
Obviously we can’t forget Dreamforce! Salesforce’s flagship (and increasingly “AI-first”) conference with deep marketing automation + Data Cloud content. Register →
⚫️ Cool AI + Marketing Jobs
EliseAI - Marketing Lead | Healthcare
HubSpot - Senior Marketing Manager, Community-Led Programs (AI-Powered)
Airtable - Senior Director, Product Marketing - AI
Level AI - Brand Marketing Manager
Red Antler - AI Creative Technologist ‘
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