English language Visionary Marketing Podcasts

The discourse around the job impact of artificial intelligence (AI) has reached fever pitch. Headlines scream about mass layoffs, and corporate press releases tout AI as the solution to workforce costs. Yet beneath this cacophony of alarm and hype lies a more nuanced reality. J.P. Gownder, Vice President and Principal Analyst on Forrester’s Future of Work team, has spent decades analysing how technology transforms the workplace. His latest report, The Forrester AI Job Impact Forecast for the US 2025-2030, cuts through the noise with empirical rigour. The verdict? The job apocalypse is not upon us, but a measured reckoning is coming. AI Job Impact in the US: Why the Apocalypse Can Wait JP Gownder is adamant: the AI job. apocalypse can wait. At least until 2030. Phew! All images in this post made with a combination of Midjourney, Gemini Nano Banana pro and Adobe Photoshop The Gap Between AI Job Impact Announcements and Reality When Klarna declared it would stop hiring humans, the tech world took notice. The Swedish fintech became a poster child for AI-driven workforce reduction. Yet a closer examination reveals a pattern Gownder has observed across hundreds of enterprise conversations: the disconnect between C-suite proclamations and operational reality. Nine out of ten companies announcing AI layoffs don’t actually have mature AI solutions ready. So most of the layoffs are financially driven and AI is just the scapegoat, at least today — J.P. Gownder, Forrester The phenomenon echoes what happened after IBM Watson’s Jeopardy victory in 2011, when panic about imminent job losses proved premature by half a decade. The mechanics of this gap are straightforward. A CEO announces a 20% workforce reduction with AI backfilling the work. But standing up an AI solution that actually performs those tasks requires 18 to 24 months, “if it works at all.” Meanwhile, the work still needs doing. Gownder has witnessed organisations that fired employees citing AI capabilities, only to quietly hire teams in lower-cost markets weeks later. “They’re firing people because of AI,” he observes, “and then three weeks later they hire a team in India because the labour is so much cheaper.” The AI narrative, in many cases, serves as convenient cover for old-fashioned cost arbitrage. Klarna’s trajectory illustrates this pattern. After aggressively cutting its workforce by 40% and touting an AI chatbot capable of doing the work of 700 customer service agents, the company reversed course. CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski acknowledged that the aggressive automation had resulted in “lower quality” service. The company is now recruiting human customer service agents in an “Uber-type setup.” Understanding the 6% AI Job Impact Forecast Forrester’s forecast projects a 6% net job loss by 2030, roughly 10.4 million positions in the US economy. Half of this impact stems from generative AI; the remainder from automation, physical robotics, and non-generative AI applications. The number may seem modest compared to the apocalyptic predictions circulating in media, but context matters. During the Great Recession of 2008-2009, the United States lost 8.7 million jobs. Those losses, however, were temporary, tied to macroeconomic conditions that eventually reversed. The jobs Forrester forecasts losing are “structurally replaced by machine labour” and may not return. AI impact on Jobs: I would expect to see a lot more freelance and consulting work to be happening, but it doesn’t mean that there won’t be a traditional job track somewhere as well. JP Gownder The methodology behind this figure draws on the O-Net dataset maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which catalogues over 800 job categories with detailed information about required skills and tasks. By mapping these against AI’s current and projected capabilities, Gownder and his colleague Michael O’Grady can identify which roles face the highest automation potential. “For jobs that involve skills and tasks that are heavily impacted by AI and automation, we predict more job loss,” Gownder explains. “In job categories that are less impacted, obviously, we would predict less.” Forrester analysed 800 different job types. It seems that Art therapy is the right way to go. The Solow Paradox and AI Productivity Robert Solow’s famous observation that “we see computers everywhere except in the productivity statistics” finds a new iteration in the AI era. The parallel is instructive. It took nearly three decades for the internet’s productivity impact to materialise. E-commerce is only now truly disrupting traditional retail, as evidenced by the shuttering of independent shops from New York to Paris. Could Forrester’s five-year window be too narrow? Gownder acknowledges the limitation inherent in forecasting: “Anything that you forecast beyond five years is effectively an impression.” Yet the pace of technology adoption has accelerated dramatically. The telephone required 75 years to reach 100 million users from its 1878 introduction. The personal computer achieved the same milestone in 16 years. Mobile phones took seven years. ChatGPT? Two months. This compression suggests that while the Solow paradox may still apply, its timeline could be considerably shorter. “If there’s a job apocalypse, you’re going to have fewer people working because that’s what the apocalypse means. Those people would have to be producing more output. You cannot see a job apocalypse without aggregate productivity going up.” — J.P. Gownder, Forrester The productivity data tells a sobering story. From 1947 to 1973, US labour productivity grew at 2.7% annually. The current business cycle shows 1.8%. Even isolating the quarters since ChatGPT’s release yields only 2.2%. The numbers don’t lie, and they’re not yet showing the revolutionary gains AI proponents promise. Where the AI Job Impact Pressure Points Lie The AI job impact in the US will not be evenly distributed. Contact centre workers face continued pressure from automation that began with interactive voice response systems and now benefits from far more sophisticated solutions. Technical writers and web content creators occupy vulnerable ground. Insurance underwriters are seeing algorithmic encroachment; computer vision can now assess car accident damage from uploaded photos. Junior-level roles involving spreadsheet or presentation creation face mounting pressure. Software development presents a nuanced case. “If you are a junior level software developer,” Gownder notes, “we know that Claude does a great job of creating basic code.” Yet senior developers with architectural judgement and system-level understanding remain essential. The pattern repeats across knowledge work: AI augments more than it replaces, transforming job descriptions rather than eliminating positions entirely. “It’s not that there aren’t jobs that will go away,” he clarifies, “but they are much more specific and limited, and they need to be architected with the right technology to replace that job. It’s not everybody goes away.” Blue-collar work presents its own dynamics. Physical robotics will play a role in certain sectors: warehouse sorting and picking have improved through computer vision, and construction has seen experiments with brick-laying and cement-pouring robots. But the humanoid robots capturing media attention are unlikely to achieve significant workplace deployment within the forecast period. The physical world, with its infinite variations and unexpected challenges, remains stubbornly resistant to automation. The White-Collar AI Job Impact Misconception White-collar workers now constitute roughly 60% of the workforce in both the US and Europe, a dramatic shift from previous generations. These “symbolic analysts,” as Charles Handy termed them, don’t produce physical goods, which has led some to assume their work is easily transferable to AI systems. Gownder pushes back against this notion. “Most white-collar work is, in fact, fairly productive because there is something on the other end that someone is willing to pay for.” Software engineers create applications that enable other work. Physicians produce healthcare outcomes. Analysts help organisations make better decisions. The practical challenges of AI deployment in white-collar settings corroborate these theoretical objections. Hallucinations remain a persistent problem, introducing error margins that knowledge workers must catch and correct. Employees often lack the skills and understanding to use AI tools effectively. Organisations overextend their expectations of what AI can accomplish. “When it fails, it’s dramatic,” Gownder observes. The Deloitte incidents in Australia and Canada, where AI-generated content with obvious hallucinations reached government clients, illustrate the reputational risks of premature automation. The Australian government report contained fabricated academic citations and even a made-up quote from a federal court judgement. Both governments required refunds. “You don’t want to produce AI work slop and present it as your work without editing, without perspective. That is a losing proposition.” — J.P. Gownder, Forrester A Harvard Business Review study reinforces these concerns. Researchers found that executives who used ChatGPT to make predictions became significantly more optimistic, confident, and produced worse forecasts than those who consulted with peers. The authoritative voice of AI produces a strong sense of assurance, unchecked by the social regulation and useful scepticism that human consultation provides. AI Job Impact on Marketers and Digital Professionals For students entering digital marketing and related fields, the picture is complex but not necessarily bleak. “Marketers are actually on the front lines of job transformation, not job replacement,” Gownder notes. The distinction matters. Transformation implies evolution of roles rather than elimination. “I work with a lot of marketers and they say, ‘I signed up to be a great marketer. I didn’t sign up to be an AI expert. Why am I learning all of these tools?’ But inevitably, they now can’t do their job without using some kind of AI tool.” The prescription for emerging professionals is clear: combine classical education with a genuine understanding of AI capabilities and limitations. Those who master both domains will find themselves in demand. Those who resist the technology or fail to understand its boundaries will struggle. The key lies in approaching AI as augmentation rather than replacement—using tools to enhance existing expertise while maintaining awareness of their limitations. The judgement, ethics, and institutional knowledge that experienced professionals bring cannot be easily replicated by algorithms. Freelancers and AI If AI augments rather than replaces traditional employees, the question arises: will freelancers and gig economy workers absorb the displacement? The white-collar economy is experiencing a broader transition towards more freelance and contract arrangements at all levels. “On some level,” Gownder observes, “this can give people a certain freedom, because they can work with lots of different clients and they can make their own hours. They can work wherever they want to.” The flexibility that defines gig work aligns well with the project-based nature of AI-augmented workflows. Yet the picture is not uniformly positive. In the United States, where people depend upon employment for health care, freelance arrangements can be precarious. The gig economy now encompasses over 64 million American workers, contributing nearly $1.27 trillion to the economy. AI is reshaping this landscape in contradictory ways: platforms use algorithms to match workers with clients more efficiently, but the same technology enables clients to handle tasks they previously outsourced. The freelancers most likely to thrive will be those who combine technical literacy with uniquely human skills—critical thinking, creativity, and client trust. I would expect to see a lot more freelance and consulting work to be happening, but it doesn’t mean that there won’t be a traditional job track somewhere as well — J.P. Gownder, Forrester New niches are emerging even as others contract. Prompt engineering, AI ethics consulting, and AI training roles represent growth areas that didn’t exist before the current wave of generative AI. The bifurcation may prove to be one of AI’s most significant labour market effects: some workers gaining flexibility and autonomy, others losing stability and benefits. Navigating the AI Job Transformation For workers at either end of their careers, the AI transition presents distinct challenges. Early-career professionals face the paradox of entering a workforce that may value their digital nativity while threatening the entry-level positions that traditionally served as training grounds. Gownder’s advice is direct: combine classical education with a genuine understanding of AI capabilities and limitations. Older workers, often stereotyped as technologically resistant, have their own path forward. “One of the negatives that people associate with older workers is that they are incapable of embracing technology,” Gownder observes. “That is something one can work on.” The key lies in approaching AI as augmentation rather than replacement, using tools to enhance existing expertise while maintaining awareness of their limitations. The judgement, ethics, and institutional knowledge that experienced workers bring cannot be easily replicated by algorithms. For business leaders, the prescription is almost counterintuitive. “The irony of AI is that the way that you succeed today is by investing in your human employees.” The technology can augment productivity, but only when workers possess the skills, motivation, and ethical framework to deploy it effectively. The human element, far from being made obsolete, becomes more critical than ever. The Long View on AI and US Jobs The AI job impact in the US will unfold over years, not months. Forrester’s 6% forecast represents a significant transformation affecting millions of workers, but it is a measured shift, not a sudden collapse. The organisations that thrive will be those that resist the temptation to conflate AI announcements with AI capabilities, that invest in their workforce rather than assuming technology will render it obsolete, and that approach automation with the same rigour they would bring to any major capital investment. The irony of AI is that the way that you succeed today is by investing in your human employees. Invest in your people, counterintuitively — J.P. Gownder, Forrester Gownder’s work at Forrester provides a framework for this navigation: empirical rather than hysterical, specific rather than sweeping, attentive to both the genuine capabilities of AI and its persistent limitations. The job apocalypse makes for compelling headlines, but the evidence points to something more complex and ultimately more manageable. For those willing to adapt, invest in skills, and maintain perspective, the future of work remains a human story, augmented but not replaced by artificial intelligence. J.P. Gownder is Vice President and Principal Analyst on Forrester’s Future of Work team. A Harvard graduate, he covers the impacts that technology and human factors jointly have on the future of work, helping clients design strategies that drive productivity, collaboration, and effective hybrid work. His research covers how technologies like devices, collaboration software, extended reality, and artificial intelligence reshape the future of how and where we work. The post AI Job Impact in the US: the Apocalypse Can Wait appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

AI is not a tool, or is it? Reports regarding the impact of AI on jobs, society and businesses are cropping up all over the place at the moment in all corners of the world. Some of these reports are announcing forthcoming revolutions both for societies and our economies whereas others are playing down the impact of artificial intelligence, and reviving the good old Solow aka Productivity paradox (“You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics”. follow up here and here). As a consequence, it is very hard to make an opinion, let alone advise business people and students alike with regard to what needs to be done in the future. Visionary Marketing has embarked on a mission to try and shed light on this topic in as rational and informed a way as possible. AI is not a tool, or is it? Should AI platforms become tawpayers? The great love affair of French people for taxes will not spare Artificial Intelligence Cavazza surmises. Indeed, according to him, AI is not a tool! A lot of these predictions are guided by ideology. The authors, be they proponents or opponents of AI, have a personal agenda, often political or ideological, and are trying to make facts stick to this agenda. This is not very useful. But others are based on fact and careful analysis. I have decided to focus on two of these reports/predictions. The first one is Fred Cavazza’s analysis of the impact of AI on society and the economy (original post in French), which describes Artificial Intelligence as a source of profound disruption. I have known Fred for years, and I know his deep knowledge of both subjects, which makes his report particularly valuable. With his kind permission, I have translated his piece from French to shed light on this subject. The other report is by Forrester’s JP Gownder, whom I’ll be interviewing soon. I will test Fred’s assumptions on JP and see what he has to say about this idea of disruption by AI. Hopefully, our readers, and especially my students who have a lot of pending questions about this, will be able to separate the wheat from the chaff after these two interviews and podcasts. AI is not a tool, it’s reshaping our society and economy AI can’t be seen as just another technological innovation. By establishing itself as a major driver of productivity, automation and decision-making, it’s fundamentally disrupting the economic and social balance of our society. Whilst the productivity gains brought by AI are already transforming office jobs and creating a chasm between employees who’ve embraced it and those who haven’t, a fundamental question emerges: how do we integrate these synthetic entities into our collective organisations? Between appropriate taxation, legal personality and psychological resistance, there are numerous questions to debate before we can draft a new social contract. AI IS NOT A TOOL — TLDR AI is triggering a disruption of our civilisation, it’s not just another tech breakthrough. It marks our genuine entry into the fourth industrial revolution by offloading, for the first time, human thinking and creativity to machines. AI’s productivity gains are already real and deeply uneven. A growing divide is opening up between workers who can work alongside AI and those stuck with 20th-century methods. AI agents are challenging how white-collar workers create value. Intelligent agents are transforming knowledge work, undermining certain business models and setting the stage for a rapid reshaping of office jobs. Integrating AI requires a new legal and fiscal framework. Like corporate entities, AI agents must be given a status that clarifies their responsibilities and reintegrates their value into the social contract. The socio-economic impacts reach far beyond just employment. AI affects our psychology, culture and demographics, making public debate crucial to head off looming social tensions. AI on the Davos Agenda This week, the world’s leaders are gathered at the Davos Economic Forum, and ecology isn’t on the agenda: AI, Big Tech and Trump Shine Most Brightly at the Davos Show . At Davos, the AI is not a toll debate was all the rage. Cavazza thinks that artificial intelligence will be a major disruptor not just of our exonomies but our societies too. AI is dominating every conversation, with considerations that extend far beyond technology: AI Is Poised to Take Over Language, Law and Religion, Historian Yuval Noah Harari Warns Palantir CEO says AI to make large-scale immigration obsolete “Artificial intelligence will displace so many jobs that it will eliminate the need for mass immigration” I’m not going to wade into commenting on everyone’s pronouncements, with their more or less biased viewpoints, but what’s certain is that major upheavals are on the horizon: AI and the Next Economy Nearly 80% of people feel unprepared to find a job in 2026 The AI revolution is here. Will the economy survive the transition? AI specialists are naturally the star guests at this 2026 edition of the Davos forum, invited to give their testimony and views: Deepmind and Anthropic CEOs expect AI to hit entry-level jobs and internships in 2026. Looking at it this way, it seems absurd to sit back as spectators whilst the AI revolution unfolds and do nothing to limit the fallout from this productivity shock. But not all’s lost—at least not for everyone, as countries in the global south are already gearing up for it: The AI Revolution Needs Plumbers After All. Productivity gains to be nuanced, but certainly not ignored I’ve had plenty of chances to explain generative AI’s impact (Superintelligence will multiply our capacity to act tenfold and The digital divide is a problem no one can ignore). Whilst we’re largely in agreement about what widespread generative models mean, there’s serious disagreement over the timeline for AI’s arrival. The dominant narrative keeps insisting that general AI is a pipe dream and that human intelligence is and will remain superior to machines. What is intelligence? This is precisely where ambiguities crop up: firstly, intelligence comes in many forms (Theory of multiple intelligences and What’s your intelligence type?); secondly, not all office work requires emotional or social intelligence. What I’m getting at is that most service sector jobs boil down to shuffling information and data between systems. You don’t need to be a genius to do that—AI can handle it with ease. To properly grasp the speed at which latest-generation AIs will gradually transform office jobs, I recommend you peruse the latest edition of Claude’s publisher’s macroeconomic barometer: Anthropic Economic Index 2026. Anthropic’s economis index 2026 For this fourth edition, the study’s authors analysed thousands of people’s activities using increasingly precise indicators: New building blocks for understanding AI use. This study yields several findings that demonstrate a strong progression in the adoption and capabilities of generative models. Notably, they observe an average 30% growth in Claude usage, driven mainly by the API rather than the chatbot—a sign of rapid adoption by advanced users (e.g., IT professionals) and slower uptake by ordinary users (white-collar workers using the web version). AI is not (just) a tool. As a matter of fact it’s not a tool at all, it’s a meta tool, a tool you can use to make tools.. The haves and the have nots A gap is therefore widening between those who’ve adopted new habits (working in tandem with AI) and those still working as they did in the 20th century. This gap is starting to become problematic, because the latest version of Claude (Opus 4.5) has capabilities comparable to those of an adult who’s benefited from over 14 years of education—the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree. AI is not a tool but Clause isn’t a PHD either… yet. The question therefore is: how much longer can an employer justify paying salaries or hiring young graduates when chunks of the work can be farmed out to an AI? Whilst average productivity gains remain modest (1.8% according to the latest figures), AI’s contribution to certain tasks is absolutely spectacular: an average of 14 minutes to write a long article, versus 3 hours without AI assistance; an average of 5 minutes to analyse a complex data table, versus 1 hour 45 minutes without AI assistance. AI is not a tool, there are alo APIs You might argue this data’s skewed because these spectacular scores come from employees who are whizzes at using AI (therefore logically hyper-performers), but that’s not the case—the study covers ordinary employees with a 67% success rate for outsourced tasks. What this boils down to is that for a third of tasks, AI slashes processing time by 10 to 20 times in two-thirds of cases. If we apply some basic maths, AI can potentially triple efficiency—or to put it another way, cut the average time needed to complete a task by two-thirds. Which type of profile do you reckon managers will favour? (hint: McKinsey challenges graduates to use AI chatbot in recruitment overhaul) Soon the arrival of agentic white-collar workers Let me be clear: the productivity gains mentioned above relate to advanced AI usage, not just running searches in ChatGPT or asking Copilot to knock up meeting minutes. We’re talking about using generative models to their full potential, particularly intelligent agents (see Agentic Web: the revolution that won’t wait for you). Intelligent agents We’ve been banging on about these famous intelligent agents for a while now, but their potential only recently became blindingly obvious to ordinary employees (non-IT types) with the release of Claude Cowork, a very concrete wake-up call to the power of agentic AI: Claude Is Taking the AI World by Storm, and Even Non-Nerds Are Blown Away. AI is not a tool and Cowork is not (quite) a chatbot This awakening is shared by financial markets too, which are bracing for revenue drops at traditional software publishers, whilst one of France’s biggest IT services firms is axing jobs and European banks are preparing to follow suit: Claude’s new AI agent pushes down software stocks Capgemini plans to cut up to 2,400 jobs in France AI forecast to put 200,000 European banking jobs at risk by 2030 Adoption levels a matter for debate This isn’t a topic to take lightly, even though adoption levels are debatable (as I explained earlier, it’s not binary) and gains vary wildly (Why AI Boosts Creativity for Some Employees but Not Others). What’s undeniable is that AI agents are forcing a major rethink of how white-collar workers create value, and more broadly for tertiary sector businesses that account for three-quarters of France’s GDP. Whether you like it or not, whether you acknowledge it or not, we’re living through a civilisational shift, because AI’s arrival is turbocharging the fourth industrial revolution and unleashing upheavals whose full scope we’ve yet to grasp. Fair enough, AI is a tricky concept to get your head round (We don’t need better AI, but a better understanding of AI). Yes, tools based on generative models require behavioural changes that’ll take ages to embed. Nevertheless, it’s crucial we prepare ourselves psychologically for the coming upheavals, because if we take even the slightest step back, we quickly realise they’re already underway. AI is not just a tool: a shift beyond technology Generative AI’s arrival and the march towards the first superintelligences aren’t just another turn of the technological wheel started by computers and smartphones. We’re witnessing a civilisational shift that marks our genuine entry into the fourth industrial revolution (Waves of change: Understanding the driving force of innovation cycles). We’re not simply facing a new technological cycle, but a fundamental reshaping of economic and social foundations: for the first time, we’re offloading not physical power, but our thinking and creativity. Whether AGI arrives tomorrow or in ten years, we’re already living alongside autonomous entities capable of making decisions: synthetic agents, whether digital (AI agents) or physical (robots). This situation throws up an unprecedented question: how do we integrate artificial entities that contribute massively to wealth creation whilst guzzling significant resources into our collective framework? History offers an imperfect but revealing precedent: how we’ve gradually integrated domesticated animals. AI i not a tool: from biological analogy to legal reality Humans get along perfectly well with domesticated animals because they’ve helped shape humanity’s development: Horses served to explore territories, wage war, plough the land, transport people and goods… Dogs were used for hunting, for guarding… Insofar as animals contribute daily to our society, they benefit from services and rights: Guide dogs for the blind attend school and have status (a function = a job); Police dogs play a vital role in the fight against drugs; they’re entitled to retirement (they’re placed in a home for their old age). AI is not a tool, neither are police dogs From the moment animals make a direct contribution, they’re integrated into our society through their breeder and/or owner, who have obligations (identity tags and records for farm animals). They can benefit from protections (insurance, vaccination to fight epidemics…) and rights (laws against animal cruelty). So what about AI that contributes value just as much, if not more, to our society? Whilst it’s tempting to liken AI agents to a newly integrated species, much like domesticated animals, this analogy quickly hits ethical and legal buffers. Domesticated animals have rights because they’re sentient, conscious beings. AI, on the other hand, is an information processing system, software that has neither sentience nor consciousness. The true parallel must be drawn with corporate entities (companies). Because, like a company, an AI: contributes to wealth creation (task automation, content generation…); exploits infrastructure and consumes critical resources (energy, rare earths, cooling water…); has rights (intellectual property) and responsibilities (transparency, explainability…); acts autonomously. This is why the comparison is pertinent, as it enables us to evolve the legal and social framework. The social contract of the synthetic era: responsibility and taxation Integrating these intelligent agents into our society shouldn’t be done by granting anthropomorphic rights, which would be absurd for a computer system, but by giving them legal personality (like a company, association or local authority). The real question isn’t whether AI deserve rights, but what legal status would clarify chains of responsibility. The avenue of electronic personality, debated in the European Parliament as early as 2017, aims precisely at this objective: not to recognise dignity in machines, but to organise their integration into our jurisdiction to protect humans, ensure they benefit from it, and that this benefit is distributed fairly (avoiding an even greater concentration of wealth and power). As robots and AI agents replace human labour, they erode the base of social contributions that rests on salaries. But since they contribute to economic activity and generate costs for the community (energy consumption, electronic waste management…), there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be integrated into our tax system. This isn’t about taxing AI agents as individuals, but applying tax to the value they generate through their operation. In exchange for this contribution, the AI (or its publisher) doesn’t gain social rights (pension, healthcare), but gets a framework of civil responsibility (fiscal, legal, social). This would enable AI-caused damage to be covered without necessarily tracing responsibility back to the original developer, who’s often disconnected from what the model ends up doing. Socio-economic upheavals whose scope we don’t fully grasp Having said that, the question of AI’s place in 21st-century society mustn’t stop at economic considerations, as it extends far beyond. Domesticated animals and AI If we revisit the domesticated animal analogy, we observe today that dogs aren’t just pets; for some, they’re also considered assistance animals. The exact term is “emotional support animals”—those that give retirees or psychologically fragile people (with chronic depression) a reason to get up in the morning. The same goes for domestic robots, which are one of the pillars of Japan’s Society 5.0 programme—those that will care for the elderly with a physical presence (assisting them with daily tasks and limiting their loss of autonomy), as well as psychologically (conversing with them to exercise their memory) and emotionally (keeping them company). AI is not a tool it’s way more than that, Cavazza surmises For Westerners, this prospect is terrifying, but for the Japanese, it’s the only solution to their demographic deficit. Same in China, where parents work so hard they lack time to look after their child (vs “children”), and offer them AI-enhanced soft toys that tell them stories and answer their questions (satisfy their curiosity). Furry robots A trend that obviously came from Japan (Casio launches AI-powered furry robot pet that wants to replace your dog), but which can be experienced in the West (‘I love you too!’ My family’s creepy, unsettling week with an AI toy). You might think all this is science fiction, Black Mirror-style, yet these are techno-sociological territories that have been explored for many years (Sony’s Aibo was launched in 1999). Is philosophising about the merits of emotional support robots truly our priority? Apparently not, as there are more urgent matters. But it’s nonetheless an essential step, because let me remind you that AI adoption in Europe is rather low—not for functional or technological reasons, but purely emotional ones (strong resistance to change and major psychological barriers stemming from a misunderstanding of what AI actually is = barely 15% average enterprise adoption): EU Digital economy and society statistics. So ultimately: Yes, we need to have this conversation and debate properly so we can come to terms with the changes ahead, anticipate the upheavals that’ll severely test our social system, and start rethinking our social contract (From Web 4.0 to Society 5.0). Regulation as an integration factor Don’t panic, I’m not about to launch into a lengthy sermon on the merits of universal basic income (an economic non-starter), but I will necessarily need to talk about regulation. Indeed, living alongside synthetic agents (AI and robots) shouldn’t be thought of in terms of domestication, as with animals (to fit into our daily lives, dogs must be vaccinated and trained), but rather as regulating a synthetic workforce we can no longer afford to ignore. The issue isn’t whether robots or AI deserve a pension, but how the wealth they produce can sustain our social model whilst regulating resource consumption, which creates economic tensions (electricity prices) and geopolitical ones (China’s monopoly on rare earths). AI disrupting civilisation? That was Fred Cavazza’s account of this forthcoming civilisational revolution. In my opinion, there’s a lot of truth in Fred’s vision about the future of AI and civilisation. Some of it sounds a bit like science fiction, but so much of the real world is mimicking SF (think of Altman’s obsession with Jonze’s Her) that he might well be right. As Fred states, the impact of AI might extend way beyond the technological breakthroughs that we are witnessing. However, it’s still early stages in my mind. I can well imagine what Anthropic’s Cowork could do in the future, but I can’t see it happening now, even though I’ve been a heavy and advanced user of Claude for years. This will take time It will take time to seamlessly blend these technologies to execute proper workflows and not just tasks. Agentic software is well and truly promising, and we are even able to catch glimpses of it. However, the productivity advances enabled by these technologies are often uneven. Even for advanced users. The other day, after a one-hour and a half mentoring meeting where I delivered strategic advice, I used my usual Claude project to build a second-to-none executive summary of my recommendation as I was frying some eggs for the wife. Yet, it took three major complex steps and software suites to achieve that properly. But don’t be mistaken, we will get there someday. It’s just the timing that’s wrong; it’s not happening just yet. Innovation requires time and effort. As Fred points out, there is also a lot of resistance to change as always in innovation, and it’s not just in Europe, even though adoption is lagging behind in a traditional way on our continent. The impact of AI, even on jobs, will certainly be big, but it might take years to appear in the statistics, to put it in the words of Robert Solow. That said, Forresters' vision is more nuanced, and we will review that with JP Gownder very shortly. Time will tell whether the truth lies somewhere in the middle, as I have a hunch it does. It’s certainly less romantic or frightening (depending on your point of view), but 40 years of implementation of tech innovation has taught me to grow a stiff upper lip. The post AI is not a tool it’s reshaping our society and economy appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Private equity branding remains one of the most underestimated levers for value creation in the investment world. While PE firms excel at identifying promising companies and optimising their financial structures, branding is frequently treated as an afterthought, reduced to logos and colour palettes rather than strategic assets. Yet the evidence suggests otherwise: strategic brand investment can dramatically shift market perception and, ultimately, company valuation. Marc Rust, Creative Director and Brand Strategist at Consequently Creative, has spent years demonstrating that branding deserves a seat at the strategy table. His striking claim that he transformed an $80 million company to look like a $120 million company through branding alone captures the essence of what strategic messaging can achieve when properly deployed. How Private Equity Branding Is Transforming Company Valuation With Storytelling The term “branding” itself creates immediate problems in private equity settings. At networking events, Rust finds that mentioning branding triggers what he calls “cognitive disruption” Beyond Logos: Redefining What Branding Actually Means The term “branding” itself creates immediate problems in professional settings. At networking events, Rust finds that mentioning branding triggers what he calls “cognitive disruption” – people immediately think of visual identity work that seems irrelevant to serious investment activities. Many professionals lack any clear definition of what branding encompasses, while others dismiss it as superficial design work. This misconception misses the fundamental truth: branding and messaging represent a powerful force for business growth that should inform strategy from the outset, not be bolted on afterwards as a cosmetic exercise. The real definition of branding, Rust argues, is “what you stand for in the minds of the people that you’re trying to reach, convert, and move into action.” This is not something companies own outright; rather, it is something they can influence through deliberate effort and sustained investment. The critical distinction lies between what companies do and why it matters. Most organisations focus their communications on deliverables and capabilities. Yet answering the question of why it matters opens doors to deeper insight about audience pain points, goals, and outcomes. This shift acknowledges that messaging exists not for the company but for its buyers, requiring communication in their language rather than internal jargon. The Evolution of Private Equity Strategy The private equity landscape has fundamentally changed over the past decade. The old-school approach – acquiring a company, trimming the fat, making it lean and mean, then finding a suitable buyer – no longer resonates with contemporary markets or the talent those markets require. Successful PE firms have embraced a different philosophy: nurturing acquired companies, building genuine value over time, and then pursuing exit strategies that reflect accumulated worth. This evolution makes branding more important than ever because value creation depends on perception as much as operational reality. When thinking about branding in private Equity, most people immediately think of visual identity work. All that seems irrelevant to serious investment activities even though it’s blatantly wrong, Mac Rust believes. Visual made with Midjourney Effective branding requires understanding multiple audiences simultaneously. Internal alignment comes first – the people who build products and deliver services need clarity about what their company stands for, especially during periods of transition. Post-acquisition, this alignment frequently suffers as employees wonder about new leadership, potential job losses, and strategic direction. Consequently Creative addresses this turbulence by bringing teams together to celebrate what they stand for, building stories around acquisition rationale and forward-looking plans grounded in existing strengths rather than imposed transformations. Beyond internal audiences, companies must establish clear market positioning relative to competitors and ecosystem partners. Finally, there are the buyers who will drive revenue growth during the holding period and, ultimately, the acquiring company that represents the exit opportunity. Each audience requires thoughtful attention, and branding provides the framework for addressing all of them coherently while maintaining a consistent core narrative. The Valuation Premium of Strong Brands Buyers demonstrably pay premiums for assets with strong brand equity. Companies that look more upscale and feel right command higher prices regardless of sector. This premium extends across every touchpoint: market presence, customer service quality, sales process sophistication, product presentation, and how offerings are described and positioned. The key lies in making everything about the audience – answering why customers should care and how specific features apply to their particular situations. Buyers demonstrably pay premiums for assets with strong brand equity, Rust declares. Visual made with Midjourney Building a brand encompasses far more than marketing communications. Yet smaller companies actually hold advantages here that larger organisations lack. Without established brand perceptions moulded into market consciousness over decades, mid-market companies enjoy flexibility that industry giants cannot match. They can position themselves as something new even when their offerings are not particularly novel, or emphasise technology, audience needs, or other differentiating angles. The argument that mid-market companies lack resources for serious branding investment misses this opportunity – budget allocation to branding should be generous precisely because returns can be substantial and the competitive playing field favours agility over scale. AI as Tool, Not Solution The artificial intelligence revolution has created new temptations for companies seeking branding shortcuts. Tools now generate logos, mission statements, and complete brand architectures almost instantly. But Rust cautions strongly against treating AI as a solution rather than what it actually is: a technology that should come last in any strategic process. The POST method he advocates begins with understanding people (your audience), then defining objectives (business goals), followed by strategy (how to achieve those goals), and only then selecting technology. Flipping this sequence – jumping on AI because everyone else has it – represents precisely the wrong approach to brand development. The danger of AI-driven branding lies in acceptance without scrutiny. When tools generate content quickly, users become passive recipients rather than active directors, keeping their eyes closed and allowing technology into the driver’s seat. Rust draws on singer-songwriter Tom Waits: “The world is a hellish place and bad writing is destroying the quality of our suffering.” AI contributes to this problem when deployed thoughtlessly, generating content that lacks the provocative point of view necessary to differentiate companies in crowded markets. Bad content existed before AI, but artificial intelligence is intensifying the problem. The world is a hellish place and bad writing is destroying the quality of our sufferingTom Waits That said, AI offers genuine utility when approached correctly. Brainstorming, idea generation, concept testing, and data synthesis all benefit from AI assistance. The technology serves well as a sounding board for strategic thinking. The crucial distinction is maintaining human agency – staying in the driver’s seat rather than ceding control to automated systems that cannot understand business context or competitive dynamics. B2B Private Equity Branding: The Relationship Imperative The notion that B2B companies need branding less than consumer-facing businesses deserves serious challenge. Branding fundamentally concerns relationship-building, and relationships involve humans making decisions regardless of whether they represent individual consumers or institutional buyers. When someone purchases at a supermarket, they often choose the best-looking product rather than the one with objectively superior ingredients. B2B purchasing follows similar patterns – everyone wants to work with companies that appear capable, innovative, and aligned with their values. “The notion that B2B companies need branding less than consumer-facing businesses deserves serious challenge” B2B branding may require less ongoing investment than B2C equivalents because it depends less on constant social media presence and retargeting campaigns. However, the fundamental mechanics remain identical: building trust through consistent value delivery over time. Each interaction with a company should provide something useful, and these value contributions compound into trust. Value + value + value = trust – a formula that applies regardless of whether customers are individuals or organisations. The Research Imperative: Discovering Hidden Stories The biggest mistake private equity firms make when rebranding after acquisition is proceeding without empathy for audiences. This criticism is not meant to disparage PE professionals – it simply reflects that branding expertise lies outside their core competencies. The solution involves partnering with agencies that understand how empathy drives both growth and culture. Jumping straight to visual refresh without strategic groundwork means missing reasons to believe that proper research would uncover. Rust illustrates this with two compelling examples. Working with a company owning approximately 100 senior living properties across the United States, his team discovered that residents were not actually the primary marketing audience. Instead, the “adult daughter” – typically the family member who becomes caregiver for ageing parents – drives decision-making in most families. This insight transformed messaging, positioning, and the entire marketing approach, creating stronger differentiation than competitors who continued addressing residents directly. Similarly, research for Simmons College in Boston revealed that women chose the institution for its academics, with its all-female status being secondary rather than the primary draw. This finding enabled far richer storytelling around academic programmes, distinguished instructors, and career outcomes under a unifying theme of “leadership by design” rather than gender-focused messaging. The Cost of Neglect Perhaps most puzzling is the frequency with which acquiring companies simply neglect their purchases after transactions close. Businesses get acquired – sometimes at significant cost – and then allowed to wither rather than being nurtured toward growth potential. Rust compares business development to plant cultivation: seeds will grow with minimal attention, but structured support – like a stake helping a vine climb toward sunlight – produces stronger plants bearing larger fruits. The same principle applies to acquired companies. Neglecting brand transformation leads to predictable failures. Teams cannot understand strategy without clear articulation of what the company stands for. Customers fail to perceive value when it goes unexpressed. Culture fractures without internal alignment, and misalignment breeds resistance that undermines sales effectiveness. Eventually, the market loses sight of what the company represents, competitive positioning erodes, and the investment opportunity dissipates along with the premium that strategic branding could have created. Looking Ahead: Trends for 2026 and Beyond Three trends deserve attention from private equity professionals focused on brand-driven value creation. First, generational shifts have fundamentally altered workforce and customer expectations. Millennials and Gen Z want to work for organisations that care about their audiences and hold values they can identify with personally. The old PE playbook of acquire, strip, and flip no longer attracts the talent or customer loyalty necessary for sustainable growth. Second, AI requires proactive engagement rather than passive acceptance. Understanding these tools and deploying them strategically – while maintaining human judgment – will separate successful firms from those drowning in generic content. The winners will keep their eyes open, using AI for specific purposes rather than allowing it to drive business decisions. Third, relationship dynamics demand respect for courtship conventions. Business development remains fundamentally about human connection, yet many organisations rush toward closing before establishing trust. The equivalent of proposing marriage on a first date appears constantly in LinkedIn solicitations that skip value demonstration entirely. Understanding that relationships require multiple touches and consistent value delivery provides competitive advantage. As for AI investment opportunities, Rust maintains cautious optimism. He worked recently with a drone software company that acquired an AI firm to enhance video data analysis for defence applications, enabling faster tactical decisions while reducing the need for constant human monitoring. This represents AI used thoughtfully as a tool – precisely the model that deserves investment. However, the current boom inevitably attracts companies claiming value where none exists. Scrutiny remains essential. Creativity as Competitive Advantage Perhaps the most troubling observation Rust offers concerns how business leaders equate creativity with risk. This equation represents a fundamental misunderstanding: creativity is the single most powerful tool for achieving differentiation and growth. In markets awash with AI-generated sameness, human creativity and provocative perspective become more valuable than ever. The firms that thrive will be those with the audacity to be different – to push forward with distinctive points of view while competitors retreat to forgettable positioning. Consider hiring as an analogy. When reviewing candidates, interviewers are not determining whether applicants possess necessary qualifications – that was answered before the interview. Instead, they seek to understand whether candidates are different, whether they bring passion that will challenge existing thinking. The same applies to companies: differentiation commands attention and premium value, while sameness leads to commodity pricing. For founders considering private equity investment, the advice is straightforward: develop a clear story expressed in audience-appropriate language rather than internal jargon. Ensure alignment throughout the organisation. Engage sales teams as amplifiers of that narrative. Find passionate people within the company and give them voice – authentic enthusiasm proves more compelling than polished corporate communications. These steps position companies for maximum pre-acquisition valuation and set the stage for continued growth under new ownership. Private Equity Branding and Hunger for Growth Fueling Value Creation with Private Equity branding. Image generated wth Gemini from our text Private equity branding ultimately asks a simple question: how hungry are you for growth? The answer determines whether acquired companies flourish or fade, whether investments multiply or stagnate, and whether exit multiples reward strategic vision or punish brand neglect. In a world where perception increasingly drives reality, the firms that master strategic storytelling will capture disproportionate value – transforming $80 million companies into $120 million ones, and perhaps far beyond. The post Private Equity Branding Enhances Valuation Through Storytelling appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

The ebook self-publishing landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. What was once viewed with scepticism by the publishing industry has become a legitimate and often preferred path for authors worldwide. To understand the current state of this evolving market, we spoke with Kris Austin, whose platform Draft2Digital serves over 300,000 authors publishing more than a million titles across global markets. From Oklahoma City, he shared his insights on how independent authors are reshaping the publishing world. Inside the Ebook Self-Publishing Industry With market shares amounting to 40% of sales in the US, ebooks present new opportunities for writers who are able to benefit from self-publishing platforms like Self2digital. Can you introduce Draft2Digital and its mission? Draft2Digital currently serves over 300,000 authors who are independently publishing more than a million titles. We have been operating since 2012, and the industry has changed considerably during that period. Our goal is to help authors achieve their dreams by removing technical barriers and making the publishing process as streamlined and straightforward as possible. What languages and markets do you cover? We have published books in over a hundred languages. While English remains predominant, approximately 15 to 20 percent of sales come from non-English titles, with Spanish and German ranking as the second and third most popular languages. Our distribution reaches 180 countries, and about 40 percent of all sales occur outside the United States. ebook self publishing industry entrepreneur Kris Austin talked to us from Oklahoma City, OK. How has self-publishing evolved since 2012? When we started in 2012, self-publishing was still in its early stages. The real catalyst came in 2007 when Amazon released the Kindle, which sparked the explosion of digital books. Back then, there was significant stigma attached to being an independent author; many felt they were not as credible as traditionally published writers. Today, that perception has completely shifted. Many authors now choose self-publishing as their first option. We also see numerous hybrid authors who move between traditional and independent publishing, depending on their goals. The focus has shifted to the quality of the book and reader demand rather than the publishing model itself. What types of books dominate the ebook market? The majority of our ebooks are genre fiction: romance, fantasy, mysteries, and thrillers. These narrative fiction categories account for approximately 80 percent of ebook sales. Our print-on-demand service shows a different pattern, with roughly 40 percent fiction and 60 percent non-fiction. All these books are intended for consumer readers purchasing for personal enjoyment. Genre fiction (romance, fantasy, mysteries, and thrillers) amounts to approximately 80 percent of ebook sales Wit ebook self-publishing, authors can find readers anywhere in the world without leaving their homes. Image created with Midjourney Is ebook self-publishing viable for image-heavy books like photography? It is possible, though more demanding. Image-heavy books typically require a professional formatter to achieve the desired layout, particularly in digital formats where presentation can be challenging. For print editions, colour printing and layout involve additional complexity compared to text-only publications. What determines success in ebook self-publishing? The most successful authors treat publishing as a business. After creating a book they are proud of, they focus on marketing, discoverability, sales, and distribution. They approach it with an entrepreneurial mindset. However, it can also work as a part-time endeavour, particularly for authors writing series with multiple titles. One advantage of independent publishing is that you do not need a massive readership to succeed. Indie authors typically retain 60 to 80 percent of their sales revenue, allowing them to price competitively and target niche markets effectively. Even with just 2,000 potential readers, if you capture that audience and build loyalty, you can build a sustainable career. Indie authors typically retain 60 to 80 percent of their sales revenue If writing is your dream, ebook self-publishing could make it real draft2digital claims. How does Draft2Digital help authors reach global audiences? First, availability is essential. Authors upload their manuscript in Word format to our website, along with a cover image. I recommend not spending more than 100 dollars on a cover when starting out. Our system converts everything to digital formats and distributes to thousands of stores, including major online retailers, smaller platforms, and libraries across the US, UK, and Australia, typically within a few days. Accurate metadata, including title, description, and category, is crucial for helping readers find your book. What marketing strategies work for unknown authors? Discoverability is always a challenge. Successful authors connect with readers through social media, choosing platforms based on their target audience. Facebook may suit an older demographic, while TikTok reaches younger readers. Authors must identify where their audience congregates and invest effort in building those connections. Nothing comes free when selling a product; it requires consistent work. What are the main differences in reading habits across countries? Reading preferences vary significantly by region. Some countries, like the US, have high ebook adoption, while others, such as Germany, still favour print by a considerable margin. Certain markets, like Canada, show preferences for book bundles. Interestingly, German readers consume many English-language books, so we sell substantial quantities of English print titles there. What is the current balance between ebooks and print? When ebooks began growing around 2007, there were widespread concerns about the death of print. That never materialised. Ebook growth peaked around 2013, but print remained dominant. Currently, approximately 60 percent of books sold are print and 40 percent are ebooks, though this varies by genre. Romance readers predominantly purchase ebooks due to lower cost and convenience, while non-fiction readers prefer print for its tactile qualities and ease of reference. This ratio has remained relatively stable for years. Approximately 60 percent of books sold are print and 40 percent are ebooks Are people reading less than before? Readership fluctuates in cycles. We saw a significant peak during the COVID lockdowns, and we have been coming down from that high. However, engagement appears to be recovering. Books now compete with digital streaming and social media for attention, but dedicated readers will always find their books. We are optimistic that younger generations will discover books that resonate with them and develop reading habits. How is artificial intelligence affecting the ebook market? AI-written books exist throughout the market. We support AI as a tool for outlining, brainstorming, and various other assistance, much like word processors and spell checkers became standard aids. What we do not support is fully AI-generated content. AI-written books have become a significant challenge This has become a significant challenge, with platforms like Amazon being flooded with such material. It harms the industry and makes it harder for readers to find quality books. While AI may eventually produce excellent literature, we are not there yet, and this remains an ongoing challenge for the market. How do you help authors stand out in a crowded marketplace? We maintain merchandising relationships with all major retailers. Our mission is to identify promising books and propose them for spotlight placement and promotional features. We submit thousands of titles annually and achieve a 60 percent success rate. Authors can apply through our website to participate in these programmes. We also invest heavily in author education through our Self Publishing Insiders podcast, where we interview industry leaders, successful indie authors, and service providers to help authors improve their marketing and sales strategies. What do you predict for the future of digital publishing? Independent authors have proven their agility and ability to respond quickly to reader demands in an industry historically slow to adapt. Traditional publishers are increasingly looking to indie authors for insights on how to operate differently. They are actively recruiting successful independent authors into the traditional world. I expect traditional publishing to adopt more characteristics of indie publishing: greater agility, flexibility, and responsiveness. This convergence will continue accelerating over the coming years. Final thoughts about ebook self-publishing The ebook self-publishing revolution has fundamentally altered the publishing landscape. What Kris Austin describes is not merely a shift in distribution channels but a democratisation of authorship itself. With platforms like Draft2Digital removing technical barriers and providing global reach, the determining factors for success have shifted from gatekeepers to readers. For aspiring authors, the message is clear: quality content, business acumen, and direct reader engagement now matter more than ever. The stigma of self-publishing has given way to recognition that, ultimately, a book’s value lies in its ability to find and satisfy its intended audience, regardless of how it reaches them. Learn more at Draft2Digital The post Inside the Ebook Self-Publishing Industry appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Whereas artificial intelligence is reinventing Web writing, the written word has never been more valuable. Selim Niederhoffer, a copywriting trainer and bestselling author, has recently been exploring how marketing professionals can still succeed amidst “enshitification“, online influence, and automation. Meet an expert who remains confident in the power of words. Copywriting in the age of … The post Web writing : words retain all their magic appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Commentary on the environmental impact of AI often swings wildly between doom-and-gloom catastrophism and blind techno-optimism. But where's the truth in all this? On July 24, 2025—the symbolic date of Earth Overshoot Day—we sat down with Yves Grandmontagne, founder and editor-in-chief of DCMAG (Data Centre Magazine*), to get his take on AI and its real … The post The Truth About the Environmental Impact of AI appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Will the AI bubble burst or is GenAI here to stay? The artificial intelligence industry is experiencing unprecedented financial euphoria. Yet, the current situation is very confusing. AI investments are reaching dizzying heights. Let's mention OpenAI's $40 billion funding round at $300 billion valuation and Mistral AI's €1.7 billion funding round. Yet, some commentators are … The post Is the AI Bubble About to Burst? appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

The world of artificial intelligence is evolving at breakneck speed, and nowhere is this more conspicuous than in the emergence of AI agents. As organizations grapple with separating genuine innovation from marketing hype, we sat down with Ed Keisling, Chief AI Officer at Progress Software, to cut through the noise and understand what AI agents … The post AI Agents, Beyond the Hype appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

In an era of overtourism, where mass travel increasingly strains destinations worldwide, Christopher Hill offers a compelling alternative with his voluntourism/volunteer travel business, Hands-Up Holidays. As a founder and managing director of this company, Hill has built a business model that demonstrates how travel companies can be forces for good rather than exploitation. His approach … The post Voluntourism: Changing the World from Your Hotel appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

AI is radically transforming the B2B sales landscape and accelerating the shift towards intelligent sales enablement. At a major B2B event which took place in Paris in July 2025, I met with Stephane Renger, co-founder and managing director of Salesapps. The leading European sales enablement vendor has placed AI at the heart of its innovation … The post AI Sales Enablement: 20% Time Savings for Sales and 50% for Marketing appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Are AI and developers the world's best friends or is artificial intelligence a threat to the future of programmers? As artificial intelligence models are becoming increasingly sophisticated, many questions are raised about the future of developers across the industry. Will AI replace programmers entirely, as Eric Schmidt and Dario Amodei are predicting? Will junior developers … The post The Future of Developers in the Age of AI appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

How do luxury brands maximize experiences in sports events? I attended the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters, which showed a strong presence of elite brands fighting for high-end customer engagement. Brands such as Rolex, Sergio Tacchini, and Replay can be found advertised almost everywhere at the famous tennis tournament. These brands use the values of this tennis … The post Luxury Brands Maximize Experiences in Sports Events appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

If you are dying to understand the various GenAI prompting methods, how AI interacts with your prompt, and why this is key to optimising your results, this free prompting guide was made for you. The post GenAI Prompting Guide for Aspiring Experts appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

How is AI Search changing the Internet and what role are we playing in this transformation? In this article, I discuss the current state of adoption of AI-powered search engines. By reflecting on the perspectives of Kevin Roose, Matteo Wong and Joanna Stern, this piece explores what we gain—faster, more organized access to information—and what … The post AI Search : Breaking Up With Your Traditional Search Engine appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Let AI handle the chores, and humans do the thinking: such should be the future of content marketing. In this piece, I try and debunk a few myths. Firstly, generative AI  can be creative — and often is. Secondly, AI doesn't necessarily make us stupid; we don't need it for that. And thirdly, becoming a … The post Chores to AI, Thinking to Humans appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Isn't the notion of “disruption “, aka disruptive innovation, used and abused by analysts and technology experts? And by dint of abuse, aren't we in the process of deluding ourselves? At a time when some are fretting about the volatility of the business generated by ‘unicorns' or even centaurs, it is perhaps worth asking whether … The post Is disruptive innovation overhyped? appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Growth hacking can often be perceived as toxic, but you can sit back and relax, it is possible to practise ethical growth hacking but it requires time and energy, growth hacking expert Frederic Canevet explained to Visionary Marketing. In a nutshell, it may be a little harder than you think, but it is well worth … The post Ethical growth hacking is not an oxymoron appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

AI is redefining retail for good, bringing in the kind of automation and professionalism once implemented in the manufacturing industry. In this case, it's mostly revolving around data-driven marketing decisions and in-store retail media capabilities. As shown by Axians, a VINCI group company, AI isn't a mere toy for undergraduate students who are failing their … The post AI in retail: shrinking queuing times today, headcount tomorrow appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Data-Driven AI is the future of customer experience, François Ajenstat told us at a recent interview. François is Chief Product Officer at Amplitude, the company behind a digital analytics platform aimed at helping B2B and B2C businesses build better products, websites and ecommerce experiences through behavioural data. François stressed the significance of data-driven AI within … The post Data-Driven AI Is the Future of Customer Experience appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Ever heard of cookie pop-ups? It's true that it's hard to escape them. Following the 2011 Cookie Directive, sites have finally complied. But rather than deleting cookies, they have installed cookie pop-ups, which throw annoying messages at you and prevent you from surfing the web. They're useless, mostly because they don't really improve data confidentiality. … The post Protecting your privacy and avoiding cookie pop-ups appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

The state of influencer marketing in Europe 2024 is a survey conducted by Kolsquare, a leading European influencer marketing agency. It provides a particularly interesting perspective on influencer marketing budgets, how influencer marketing is handled and its future trends. Besides, its comparison of Europe's main markets for IM is clearly enlightening. It's one of the … The post Influencer Marketing: Average European Spend at €3.5m Annually appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

The Cyber threat landscape in Europe is quite worrying. A recent survey by Cloudflare was conducted amongst 4,261 IT executives responsible for cybersecurity in Europe. 24% of the sample is made from small enterprises (150–999 employees), 24% from medium-sized businesses (1,000–2,500 employees) and 52% from large organisations (above 2,500 employees). All major European countries were … The post Cyber threat Landscape Europe, 2024 appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Content creation with artificial intelligence is already old hat as it's been going on for a few years and, unfortunately, slop is now populating the Internet at an increasing pace. Yet, when I received this message from a good friend of mine last week regarding Google's new app entitled NotebookLM, I was shellshocked. I tried … The post NotebookLM by Google: Artificial Voices, Real Concerns appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Whereas Ed Zitron is castigating the major Tech players responsible for the peak of inflated expectations surrounding AI, many tech pundits are still touting that AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is within reach. To find out if AGI is a myth or a reality, I interviewed J.G. Ganascia, a long-time AI researcher and philosopher. In the … The post AGI (General Artificial Intelligence), Myth or Reality? appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Are GenAI and content marketing compatible? Adobe organised a round table discussion on that subject during their Experience Makers conference in Paris in early November 2023. The debate brought together a few digital experts. During this discussion, I mentioned that there were limitations to GenAI images and that they weren't technical. Others contended that it … The post GENAI and Content Marketing: Learning from experience appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Our reporters attended the Paris Retail Week 2024 event, a trade show of which we are media partners, to take stock of fraud and the role of AI. We collected a lot of valuable feedback on threats (both in-store and e-commerce) and the countermeasures proposed by artificial intelligence. To do so, we interviewed Gilles Bijaoui, … The post Harnessing AI to Combat Fraud in Retail and E-Commerce appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

What is the likely impact of AI and GenAI in particular on jobs, especially in Europe? Two recent reports on the topic, one in the UK and another one in France shed light on this question. According to the French report, such impact could amount to 5%. Yet another case for precision vs accuracy. That … The post GenAI impact on jobs: doom or boon? appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Whether it's music and AI, or innovation in the broad sense of the term, at Visionary Marketing we like to look back in time. A few days ago, while doing the housekeeping of some of our 3,000 articles, we rediscovered this post by Mia Tawile written in July 2016. Eight years is the equivalent of … The post Music and AI: Back to the Future appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Thomas Deneux is the founder of Learning Robots whose aim is to help pupils, students and businesses to learn AI, with the help of home-made self-driving gizmos. These little machines on two wheels are more serious than you'd think. They are all about the teaching of advanced computing. Thomas described his philosophy to me during … The post Learning AI with the help of robots appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

What are the most outstanding new features of LinkedIn in 2024? Reid Hoffmann's professional network was created almost 21 years ago (in May 2003) and acquired by Microsoft in 2016. Visionary Marketing invited Bruno Fridlansky to talk about this platform, of which he is an expert. Together we were able to answer a few basic … The post LinkedIn's new features under the microscope appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

What if hiring luxury venues during the 2024 Olympics were a good opportunity for brands, even small ones?  The Olympic Games are only six months away from now and I was wondering how much of an opportunity it was for brands and which ones. To find out I invited Tanya Bencheva, the CEO and founder … The post Luxury Venues during the 2024 Paris Olympics appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Just like the Trojan war, the AI “revolution” will not take place*. Today's topic is the inevitable generative AI. This is the perfect opportunity for us to discuss what a technological revolution is or isn't. Here are our thoughts, and we might as well warn you that we are putting our trotters in the trough in … The post The AI ‘revolution' will not take place appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

How can a responsible marketer survive when the world around us is crumbling? Or at least when experts are telling you that it is. Three years to the day, the French association of marketers Adetem asked Visionary Marketing to join its CSR responsible marketing initiative, and naturally we welcomed the opportunity. That almost seemed natural to us. … The post CSR: a survival guide for the depressed responsible marketer appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Will marketers survive the content shock in the age of AI? The Omnes Education Group launched a cross-organisational programme in English called “Content creation in the age of AI” to help its students better understand GenAI. Close to 1,000 students will be certified in this program by early February 2024. As part of the program, … The post Surviving the Content Shock In The Age of GenAI appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

According to a recent Forrester report (How Generative AI Will Transform CRM), GenAI may have significant and beneficial impacts on Customer Relationship Management systems and practices. The real question is, however, how effective GenAI could be when it comes to handling various customer-facing tasks? And how easily could it adapt to specific CX applications? Forrester's analysts … The post Can GenAI have an impact on CRM? appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

What are the applications of geographic information systems? Following our discussion with Catherine Crook, we asked Floyd Bull to answer that question for us. Geographic information systems and their applications How did you get started with GIS? During college, I saw geographic information systems as an opportunity that would lead to jobs after my studies. … The post What are the applications of GIS systems appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Visionary Marketing spoke with Catherine Crook ­– senior GIS program manager for Hexvarium – to discuss the use of geographic information systems or GIS and its impact on communication networks and the world. We touch on her day-to-day obligations as a senior gas program manager. The software is used for tracking systems, the issue of … The post A day in the life of a GIS program manager appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Product Information Management (PIM) systems are a driving force behind a good customer experience. A 2023 survey entitled “Elevating customer experiences with product experiences”, sheds light on how product information can greatly enhance CX. Virginie Blot, Product Experience Management evangelist at Akeneo, gave us her point of view and analysis on that survey. Place a … The post PIMs at the heart of Customer Experiences appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

A recent study on behavioral targeting demonstrates the evolution of consumer behavior and its impact on segmentation in consumer marketing. While criticisms of profile-based segmentations are nothing new, the study in question provides a quantified demonstration of the extent of change in this area. It also provides figures and details on the various so-called “Behavioral … The post Behavioral Targeting is the right way forward appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

The green market revolution (impacts, how to adapt and change retail business models and organisations) was the title of Forrester‘s Thomas Husson's Keynote at the Paris Retail Week 2023 Trade Show. A topic of vital interest to our readers and ourselves. We interviewed Thomas to better understand how urgent the situation is, and how consumers … The post Forrester's Green Market Revolution appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

The learning curve that governs qualitative marketing studies is pivotal if you want to avoid ending up with mountains of useless data. What's more, the kind of data produced by marketing studies is unstructured and complex. Gathering too much of it will also inevitably lead to soaring costs. Our simple methodology based on the experience … The post The learning curve of qualitative studies appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

AI may be fun to play with but its implementation within businesses is a tad more complex. Visionary Marketing attended a round table discussion on the impact of generative AI on businesses and the future of work at Big Data AI Paris in September 2023. AI and IT experts from different backgrounds were able to … The post Implementing AI within businesses appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Visionary Marketing spoke with Katja Graisse – co-founder of Balistikart, an independent digital creative agency – to discuss the Incognito AI Influencer Project. We touch on the benefits and limitations of AI-generated influencers, the intertwining of art and business, and more. Katja provides an optimistic assessment of the current digital landscape, proclaiming that the usage … The post An AI Incognito Influencer in the digital world appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

‘Breaking down silos' is certainly digital transformation's most common phrase and myth. If you haven't heard this phrase repeated over and over again, chances are your government hasn't let you out of your house after the Covid-19 pandemic. It's probably the biggest fable about transformation projects, be they digital or not. Some time ago, I … The post Breaking down silos: digital transformation's greatest myth appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Will marketing jobs be killed by AI? We met with Jamie Brighton, at Adobe Summit 2023*. Jamie is Product Marketing Director for the Adobe Digital Experience business. His answer to the above question is a blatant No! He sees AI as being a co-pilot of marketers in their daily tasks. A set of tools to bridge … The post Marketers should not be afraid of losing their jobs to AI appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

It's this time of year, Adobe summit 2023 is taking place on June, 8–9 in London and Visionary Marketing will be there as #adobepartner (disclosure*). After a few years where the event only took place online (check our coverage here). It's now a hybrid event, which is taking place both online and offline. As we … The post Making Preparations for Adobe Summit 2023 appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Are digital experiences getting in the way of customers' experiences? We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Joseph Pine, author of the article titled ‘Are Your Digital Tools Wasting Your Customers' Time?” Having previously interviewed him, we knew he had an interesting perspective on the matter. He takes a close look at the way … The post Are Digital Experiences Hampering Customer Experiences? appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Could one reduce the carbon footprint of digital advertising? When it comes to carbon emissions, digital is often criticised, and programmatic advertising in particular. How big is that footprint? And how could one minimise it? How are advertisers reacting? A recent Scope3 study sheds light on this subject. It shows that the digital marketing industry … The post Reducing the carbon footprint of digital advertising appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Platform business models facilitate the exchange of goods and services between two or more interdependent groups, often producers and consumers. They are responsible for totally new ways of doing business. In our interview with Benoît Reillier from Launchworks.co, we discuss his book entitled Platform Strategy, from which he derived a cartoon version. In this book he … The post Understanding Platform Business Models Now and in the Future appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

Social media requires proper and effective visuals for your posts to be more impactful. Any first-grade student knows that. Seasoned marketers do too. That said, a recent study by Vistacreate and the Content Marketing Institute showed that there is room for improvement in that area. In this report, CMI's Robert Rose, founder and chief strategy … The post How to use social media visuals more effectively appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.

How do consumers form their perceived value of a product or service? This is the question that Bain & Company has attempted to answer in a very noteworthy brief published by Harvard Business Review. It opens up a new perspective on perceived customer value, beyond the hackneyed Maslow pyramid. This is the subject of today's … The post Perceived value: how customers rate a product or service appeared first on Marketing and Innovation.