Alex F.

One of the most common questions I am asked by CMOs is "...how do we integrate adtech and martech so that we can present an AI experience using targeting data from both platforms?" Below is The AICX Institute's methodology for driving a fully integrated AICX, the AI-powered Customer Experience. The convergence layer key integration points are: 1) the CDP 2) the Data Warehouse and surrounding ecosystem (pre-CDP data flows) 3) the AI Predictive Environment (data science) 4) Ad Revenue Management (ARM) 5) BI Platform. Data integration is the key to providing the nextgen AI experience for your brand. Stay ahead of the AI personalization wars, join The AICX Institute, it's free: https://lnkd.in/g86MhJyY aicxinstitute.com #ai #martech #adtech #personalization #AICX #data #cdp

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More than just media.

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Gartner reports that marketing budgets are falling and most CMOs are banking on AI saving the day. But what are marketers giving up when they join this race to the bottom? Of course, we cannot lose sight of the transactional part of the funnel, but at some point you have to give people more than a rational reason to engage with a brand at the risk of commoditization. At @Firehouse, our approach has been to lean in even further into what we do best — strategy and creative — while sacrificing our media-buying department. We don’t need to handle all a big client’s business. We have to bring our care, thought, and creativity into every campaign, even the ones that go up one minute and disappear the next. I am not opposed to using AI. It’s about finding the right balance. Developing people’s affinity with a brand for long-term loyalty is the job of a good creative agency and precisely what AI doesn’t do well. Creativity and efficiency can be complementary. Just don’t hand over all your power and responsibility to the tool. #AI #machinelearning #Firehouse #creativity #agencies #marketing #advertising #efficiency

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Learn how to get more and better work by managing even the most cynical creative groups more effectively with a deeper understanding of what drives them with Luke Sullivan/ This webinar will be rebroadcasted on October 29 @ 1PM ET. Details at highbartraining.com

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Maybe measuring last click isn’t the best way. It’s actually archaic and only building growth for Big Tech, and not your company. “Our research across hundreds of brands in dozens of categories shows that it’s possible to rigorously measure and strategically target the feelings that drive customers’ behavior.” If marketing is in the business of selling something… and we know we all buy things based off a myriad of emotions… then maybe it’s time to start measuring something else. It’s not rocket science. It’s emotional science. https://lnkd.in/euwMST4u #brand #marketing #storytelling #video #controlthenarrative #emotionsells

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So more and more brands are in-housing their marketing mix modeling operations into a central team, or a Center of Excellence, managing the MMM projects for all the markets they operate in.  And it makes sense. From the global HQ perspective, this setup provides a unified dashboard to compare and optimize media budgets across countries. Within each country, further optimization can be done to determine the best channels and media investments.  So reporting, KPIs, measurement, and optimization are aligned because it is done by a single team. However, where this approach could go wrong is when the local marketing teams are not involved in the decision-making process.  They might see the central team as imposing strategies without considering local conditions & insights, then impose data requirements and deadlines on them.  This just leads to friction, delays and resistance in data sharing and implementation of recommendations. The focus needs to be on the ADOPTION of MMM results. That is the end in mind.  This is why I recommend an iterative approach to MMM implementation.  In the iterative approach, we make sure the local teams’ perspectives are taken into account as part of the MMM model iterations.  We listen to what they say and take into consideration their hypotheses when it comes to finalizing the results. They are part of the process, and the results are shaped with their perspectives in mind.  So when it comes to adopting these results, you get something that is already adopted by the local teams because they have been part of the journey.  Adoption is key. You need to win that battle first. Otherwise, you'll be spending millions of dollars on MMM and nobody in the local marketing teams will be applying them because they don't feel that it represents their reality.  

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🚀 The Future of Personalization is Here! Ready to explore what AI-driven personalization can do for your brand? Let’s chat! 📈 #DigitalMarketing #AI #CMOTrends #CustomerExperience #MarketingInnovation

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With a world focused on instant gratification sometimes the importance of consistent brand presence goes unnoticed. Chief Brand Officers are the unsung heroes that keep the ship from hitting that iceberg. This is a good read if you are interested in finding out how instrumental branding is to your success.

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GREAT Content Disrupted episode with Skyword EVP, Dan Baptiste and NPR CMO, Michael Smith where they discuss that a brand’s voice isn’t just a stylistic choice—it’s a critical market differentiator. AND, overreliance on GenAI risks diluting this voice, resulting in content that, while plentiful, lacks the emotional impact and authenticity essential for audience engagement and trust. Take a listen and let me know if you agree.

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An interesting topic and fun one to discuss with Digiday. The industry tends to sprout fragmented specialized agencies to solve point solutions like influencer marketing services and technology. We are now in the consolidation phase where point solutions are being bought and combined into more integrated offerings. It's important for brands and agencies alike to carefully consider a technology strategy that balances proprietary technology solutions with flexible agnostic technology approach to ensure you have the agility to use the best solution in the marketplace for your brand.

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The clean room future is no longer on the horizon – it’s here. And for leading companies in every industry, clean rooms are transforming marketing strategies. 80% of advertisers spending over $1B on media are already using them. But here's the thing – most brands are only scratching the surface. While many are using clean rooms for audience insights, only a third are leveraging advanced measurement like attribution and ROAS. And broader collaboration across partners and complementary brands offers even greater potential. Modern clean rooms are now fully interoperable, breaking down silos between brands, retailers, and media partners. In talking with companies across industries, I constantly hear their desire to get started, but also recognize that this represents unexplored territory for many. To help companies navigate the complexity, LiveRamp has put together a playbook of some of the most common tactics, and I've attached a link here. Happy reading!

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Fact: advertisers will just pay agencies to use an AI-powered planning tool on their behalf. This is why gen AI and LLMs won't put agencies out of business. "But the agencies will fire 75% of their staff!" Nope. Wrong. The agency will take the freed-up staff resources and sell the client more of something different. Net-net the agency business won't be adversely affected. The mix of services agencies offer and the way agencies manage their own overhead costs will evolve over time, as they always have. https://lnkd.in/g9Z4eQZU

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Who will the merger between Omnicom and IPG be good for? Not for employees - Expect to see layoffs and for those that remain, a huge amount of busywork adapting to new corporate policies and procedures. Not for the work itself - Consolidating creative agencies and media buying will further water down creativity and disincentivize innovation. Not for clients - See above. It's a survival move with shareholder value being the primary consideration. Could these holding companies have saved themselves by other means? I've worked at big brands and small startups, big holding companies and small agencies -- and I can tell you that the best work, the most creativity and the most innovative solutions are coming from the smaller outfits. If you're a brand of any size looking for an agency partner that will deliver outsized value, consider these smaller guys, to name just a few. nmbl, Public Display of Affection (PDA), Magic Camp, Darkroom, X&O, QRY

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Coachella: a cautionary tale for brands. Despite its star-studded lineups and passionate attendees (we see you, Taylor Swift!), the festival recently hit a sour note with a record-breaking lack of interest. Over the years, Coachella went from music fest to brand extravaganza. Brands, eager to be 'cool,' splurged on everything from art installations to VIP parties, reaping short-term benefits and boosting Coachella's visibility as a marketing benchmark. But nothing lasts forever, and now they're facing the music. What does Coachella stand for today? What legacy has it created? Without clear guidelines for partnerships, space usage, and participation - letting people use it the way they saw fit - Coachella's brand has been diluted away. Brands, take note: protecting your equity goes beyond logos. Comprehensive guidelines should cover employee conduct, decor, and partnership strategies, ensuring a cohesive brand experience. Coachella can bounce back, but it will take deep reflection before next year's lineup announcement to reclaim the essence that made it special to begin with. #Coachella #Brand #BrandExperience

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61% of Marketers Still Relying on Third Party Data. Hard to believe in The Age of AI. Insight from the AICX Institute: This is why conversion/response rates are still suspended in last generation digital marketing performance: 2-3% for Prospects and 4-6% for Existing Customers. Block group and ZIP level targeting doesn't cut it in The Age of AI. If you don't have robust First & Zero Party Data driving your AI personalization output, and in turn developing proprietary AI targeting scores built upon First & Zero Party data, you are falling behind in key CX & martech performance metrics. Brands worldwide rely on The AICX Institute to develop competitive advantage in AI-driven personalization. Join The Institute today - membership is free to individuals. aicxinstitute.com https://lnkd.in/g86MhJyY https://lnkd.in/gjNsVvjc #CX #martech #personalization #AICX #ai #cdp

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So glad to see Digiday and Kimeko McCoy write about retail media networks that every marketer, especially those in CPGs, needs to read and absorb. There are pros and cons. My business partner Boris Litvinov contributes. Unfortunately, we are seeing marketers over-invest in RMN with blind faith without realizing the 2X-6X cost implications which affects ROI/ROAS. In an economy when budgets are so tight, no CPG marketer can afford to be that frivolous with their investments, but they are. #rmn #retail #media #retailmedianetworks

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Marketing has taken a true lead in AI adoption, which has positioned CMOs well within the executive suite… if they’re ready to drive enterprise-wide change, that is.   With over 70% of marketers already integrating GenAI—compared with 54% of other business execs—marketing is now the enterprise AI test-bed.   So, why exactly are marketers perfectly positioned to lead?   Connecting AI to Business Outcomes: First, thankfully, we’re beyond the phase of AI being just a buzzword. It’s actually driving real business results today—whether that’s increasing revenue with smarter selling or improving a customer’s experience through more personalized interactions. The secret? AI is solving business problems, not just tech you can play with when you want to appear smart. Precise Automation + Transforming the Workforce: The "AI will replace us" narrative is outdated. At a minimum, modern CMOs are now encouraging teams to use AI to handle repetitive tasks, which is freeing up creative talent to focus on what they do best—ideation, analysis, and strategy. It's all about creating a culture of discovery, with the right guardrails in place.   In fact, AI is giving marketing teams a significant amount of time back, allowing more focused energy for higher-level strategy and creative work. According to recent reports, AI tools save marketers an average of 10 to 20 hours per week by automating tasks like content ideation, data analysis, and customer segmentation. This reduction in manual workflows allows marketing teams to redirect their efforts toward innovation, strategy, and customer engagement. Brand Safety + Confronting Risks Head-On: Yes, there are risks- but proven AI technology, including RAD AI, prioritizes brand safety through rigorous content standards and proactive monitoring. In fact, we’ve recently productized this function within our platform - but that's for another post 🙂… For the first time, every campaign can align perfectly with a brand's values, amplifying authenticity in a landscape that demands trust. As CMOs face challenges like fake content and evolving audience expectations, technology helps them step up, protecting brand integrity while delivering real results. In my opinion, digital-first CMOs are uniquely positioned to lead AI integration within their organizations at a much more strategic and impactful level. Early experience with AI can serve as a blueprint for the rest of the organization… and if you haven’t started, it really is time to connect those dots between AI, business priorities, and enterprise transformation. More on this from Gartner Andrew Frank and Nicole (Denman) Greene. #AI #Marketing #CMO #EnterpriseAI #Leadership 

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