This Week in Marketing: Technology Second

"What can AI do?" is the wrong way to look at it. I prefer: "How can AI make me better at what I do?" In marketing, where the goal is to reach and engage other people, technology needs to come second behind human talent and creativity – even technology as powerful as artificial intelligence. 

In a guest essay for the New York Times, Aneesh Raman and Maria Flynn say there’s a big question emerging across conversations about AI and work: What are our core capabilities as humans?

“If we answer that question from a place of fear about what’s left for people in the age of A.I., we can end up conceding a diminished view of human capability,” they warn. “Instead, it’s critical for us all to start from a place that imagines what’s possible for humans in the age of A.I. When you do that, you find yourself focusing quickly on people skills that allow us to collaborate and innovate in ways technology can amplify but never replace.”

Unsurprisingly, AI is once again on the minds of thought leaders and influencers in B2B marketing this week. But as you’ll see, there’s a clear focus on what the technology is making possible for people rather than the reverse. 

What to Read

AI: A Tool for Empowerment Rather Than Exclusion (LinkedIn Collective): Building AI knowledge and skills presents a great opportunity to drive greater equity and ethics, writes LaToya Christian of GroupM. 

How Can B2B Marketers Respond to Generative AI's Opportunities and Challenges? (Insider Intelligence): Kelsey Voss reviews research showing that content marketers are embracing generative AI as a “creative ally,” used for brainstorming and beyond. 

Can AI Improve Content Marketing? Well… (Diginomica): It’s complicated, says Barb Mosher Zinck. “While many believe AI is going to help, much has to happen before anyone can honestly say it has had a significant impact.” 

10 Super Bowl Marketing Moments That Made History (CMSWire): Entertainment, cultural impact and storytelling were the key themes in this year's best Super Bowl ads, according to Michelle Hawley. 

Try These Top B2B Influencer Marketing Tactics (TopRank Marketing): Nick Nelson dives into research to explore the most popular ways B2B influencers are being activated today, with social media leading the way.

Trending Products for Sales Managers (LinkedIn Collective): AI features and functionalities are unsurprisingly built into many of the most popular tech tools being used by sales managers. (Also, notably, the list includes several marketing-focused platforms.)

What to Watch

Rethinking B2B Marketing: The Compelling Case for Brand

In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, host Drew Neisser is joined by Peter Weinberg of The B2B Institute to help break down the well-evidenced case for investment in brand building.

“Everyone in marketing thinks that their job is lead gen, but actually, their job is memory generation, making sure you build this memory of the brand that is retrieved in the future when somebody encounters one of those category entry points.” —Peter Weinberg, Head of Development, The B2B Institute

What to Know

Companies that successfully align sales and marketing teams achieve 27% faster profit growth, as Jim Gilkey of Terminus shares. He offers tips for unifying your GTM teams in a recent piece for the LinkedIn Ads Blog.

Make sure to follow the LinkedIn Collective for more insights.