Four Marketing Conversations I Haven’t Stopped Thinking About

Last night, I had the chance to sit down with an incredible group of marketing leaders from omni channel brands at our Measure & Mingle dinner in New York. There wasn’t a formal presentation or a sales pitch. Just honest conversations about where marketing is headed and what everyone is seeing firsthand.

As I was flying home today, I kept thinking about four themes that came up over and over.

AI is moving faster than any of us expected

Everyone agrees AI is changing marketing. The interesting part is how quickly it’s happening.

We talked about everything from synthetic people in fashion campaigns to how brands are rebuilding their tech stacks to keep up. Campaigns are being created faster. Creative is being tested faster. Teams are expected to move faster.

The challenge isn’t whether to use AI anymore. It’s figuring out where AI creates value and where people still make the biggest difference.

Authenticity is becoming more valuable

One of my favorite conversations was around influencers.

Celebrity partnerships still have their place, but many of the marketers around the table said they’re seeing stronger engagement from micro-influencers.

It makes sense.

As more content is created with AI, audiences are looking for people who feel real. Authenticity is becoming a competitive advantage.

The strongest brands stay consistent

Another topic that came up was brand building.

Some of the most successful brands today aren’t creating more sub-brands or chasing every new trend. They’re staying focused on who they are and building long-term relationships with customers.

It was a good reminder that consistency still wins.

AI makes measurement even more important

This was the conversation I naturally kept coming back to.

AI can create content. It can generate ads. It can help marketers move faster than ever.

But none of that answers the question every marketing leader still has.

Did it actually drive growth?

As AI speeds up marketing, measurement becomes even more important. We need to understand what actually moved the business, not just what got clicks or conversions.

That means measuring incrementality, understanding causal impact, and giving marketers confidence that their investments are creating real business outcomes.

The best conversations don’t happen on stage

One thing I love about Measure & Mingle is that there isn’t an agenda packed with presentations.

It’s a room full of marketers sharing what they’re seeing, asking questions, and learning from each other.

And somewhere between AI, measurement, influencer marketing, and brand strategy, we somehow ended up talking about why ’80s hair bands are touring again.

Those unexpected conversations are usually my favorite part.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in New York. I’m already looking forward to the next one in Austin, Texas.