AI + Marketing Weekly:Another week, more AI

Hi friends! Saying happy last week of June from a very sweaty week in Brooklyn 🥵.

I’m back with this week’s AI + Marketing digest. Same idea as always: a quick, no-fluff scroll of what stood out, big brand news, smart posts, experiments, and tools that feel worth your attention (and maybe even spark an idea).

Let’s jump in 🤿 (Oh, how I wish I was at a pool...)

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Top AI + Marketing News

Bose Pauses Paid Search in Half of U.S.

Jeff Ferguson flagged that Bose is pulling back on paid search across key U.S. markets, citing diminishing returns. The move has sparked a larger conversation about whether brands are measuring the right outcomes…or just continuing to pour money into media because it’s what they’ve always done.

My take: Not every brand is ready to hit pause like this, but moves like this from Bose remind us: it’s okay to question status quo pend allocated for certain channels, especially as AI, sociaI, and influencer marketing are redefining where people are finding inspiration and searching. Read more →

Canva Acquires MagicBrief

Canva announced its acquisition of MagicBrief, a creative collaboration platform for ad teams that helps marketers storyboard, organize, and version creative. MagicBrief brings structure to creative ops, something many teams building ad content desperately need.

My take: Canva is quietly building a creative ops hub for marketers, moving beyond DIY graphics into end-to-end ad production. This adds workflow muscle to Canva’s already massive user base. Details →

Creators Tap “Agentic AI” to Manage Fans

Digiday reports that creators are increasingly experimenting with “agentic AI”, tools that don’t just answer questions but act autonomously to help manage community engagement, DMs, and fan requests at scale. Think AI-powered assistants that can sound like the creator and carry on nuanced interactions without constant supervision.

My take: This one feels like a tipping point. Agentic AI could either massively scale connection….or dilute it. I’m fascinated (and a bit nervous) to see how creators balance authenticity with automation. Read more →

Adobe Firefly AI Now on Mobile

Adobe launched its Firefly app on iOS and Android, giving marketers and creators mobile access to AI-powered image generation and editing. The interface is intuitive, and ideal for fast-turn needs, especially for social teams or solo marketers.

My take: This is a big win for marketers working fast or on-the-go. It brings advanced AI tools into the hands of more creators and freelancers without a big learning curve. Check it out →

Infosys x Adobe Deepen AI Personalization

Infosys and Adobe are doubling down on their partnership, integrating AI-powered personalization tools within Adobe Experience Cloud. The aim: smarter orchestration and more relevant experiences, particularly in large-scale enterprise marketing environments.

My take: This move should help brands bridge data and creative more seamlessly. We shall seeeee! See more →

Most Innovative CMOs (BI & Fortune)

Business Insider and Fortune both dropped their 2025 Most Innovative CMOs lists, highlighting leaders from Klarna, Chipotle, Verizon, and others for pushing creative, AI-forward campaigns and storytelling.

My take: For me, it’s awesome to see so many Uber-alumni on the list and all the creative work they are doing leading marketing at Instacart, AT&T, Lululemon, and more! Do we need two lists though? Prob not. See Fortune List → , See BI List →

Posts I Love

Skylar Rose Kraatz - "Yes yes blah blah, my job will be irrelevant…" Skylar captures the AI-era anxiety we’re all feeling with humor and heart. She unpacks the fear of creative irrelevance in the face of automation, but lands on the power of adaptability, imagination, and self-trust.

My take: Sometimes it takes a little sarcasm to say what everyone’s thinking. Read →

Richard King - "The #1 danger for PMMs: scope creep"

Richard, sounds the alarm on AI-enabled “scope bloat,” where PMMs get overloaded with too many cross-functional asks (just because AI makes it easier to do more). He offers advice on maintaining clarity and protecting strategic focus.

My take: One of the most real posts I’ve seen on how PMM roles are being stretched. Bookmark it if you’re in the role or managing someone who is. Post →

Amanda Natividad - "Nobody wants an AI-first brand"

Amanda critiques Klarna’s shift to “AI-first” branding, calling it disconnected from how real customers actually think and shop. She argues that tech should support the value, not be the value.

My take: If your brand’s lead message is “we use AI,” you’re probably doing it wrong. See post →

Grace Andrews - “The marketing funnel is dead”

Grace proposes we retire the linear funnel and instead think in loops, trust loops, influence loops, and UGC loops. She walks through how modern buyers are moving in nonlinear, community-driven ways.

My take: This resonated. Funnels never captured how people really buy…this model feels way closer to reality. Read →

Allie K. Miller - “I can’t shake this worry…”

Allie’s post hits on something big: GenAI is creeping into how Gen Z learns, communicates, and thinks, and no one’s really slowing down to ask what that means.

My take: This goes way beyond brand safety. If GenAI becomes the default for how young people get info and make decisions, we’re not just speeding things up...we’re flattening nuance, creativity, and real thinking. (Also, you should be following Allie if you are interested in all things AI!) Read post →

AI + Marketing Tools Added to the Directory This Week

I have been fascinated by this Top Lean AI Native Companies Leaderboard that tracks Revenue/Employee, Valuation/Employee, and more. Remember the days when companies hiring faster and faster was a (silly vanity) metric we looked at for company success? That's over. Explore →

I added some companies on this list I’m loving for marketing and no-code building (a great way for non-coders/marketers to build their own tools and agents!) and other tools that are gaining popularity this week.

See my 100+ AI + Marketing tool directory →

Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing

Firefly-powered generator lets non-designers remix brand-approved assets into video and display variants, then predicts which creatives will perform best.

PubMatic Buyer Platform (Gen-AI Edition)

A rebuilt DSP workflow that uses generative AI to curate audiences, forecast reach and auto-tune bids, cutting hours of manual programmatic optimization.

Social Champ (AI Revamp)

Fresh GPT caption writer, hashtag ideas and 11-network scheduling make this budget-friendly tool a full social suite for SMEs and freelancers.

ContentStudio AI Assistant

Pairs GPT copy with topic monitoring and cross-channel analytics so teams can ideate, publish and report on content from one collaborative dashboard.

FeedHive “AI Campaigns”

Prompt once, and GPT-4 drafts an entire social calendar while ML automatically recycles high-performing posts at the perfect repost time.

OpenArt

Free-to-start diffusion generator with style presets and an upscaler that helps small teams spin up consistent ad, blog and mock-up visuals in minutes.

Lovable

Chat-based, no-code builder that converts plain-language prompts into fully-hosted landing pages and web apps—handy for quick tests and prototypes. (I use this tool daily to brainstorm app and AI agent ideas! Truly obsessed, it’s magic for non-coders.)

Retell AI

Plug-and-play phone agents answer support and sales calls 24/7, summarise each conversation and sync results straight into your CRM.

Chai Research

Launch branded chat personalities on a social LLM platform to boost engagement, gather feedback and monetise long-form user conversations.

Events on My Radar

Here are more relevant AI + marketing events, from hands-on summits to big industry conferences, happening through the end of the year.

And I’m now keeping a living list of these events on my site so you can always check what’s coming up and reference the ones I have shared in previous digests. View the full AI + Marketing Events blog →

INBOUND 2025

📍September 3–5, San Francisco, CA

HubSpot’s flagship event with a growing focus on AI’s role in content, CRM, and inbound marketing. Expect lots of talk about how AI is reshaping customer journeys, plus high-profile speakers from marketing and tech. Register →

Content Marketing World 2025

📍September 16-17, San Diego, CA

Hosted by the Content Marketing Institute, with sessions focused on AI-powered content strategy, creation, and measurement. Ideal for brand, editorial, and content ops teams. Register →

Web Summit Lisbon 2025

📍November 10–13, Lisbon, Portugal

Massive global tech event with deepening AI + marketing tracks. Expect panels on AI in branding, automation, customer experience, and startup case studies. Register →

Recommend any other events this year? Would love to know and I will add to the list!