In this blog, we summarise the key points from their conversation, covering strategies for AI adoption, customer engagement, and personalised campaigns. For the full discussion, watch the embedded video of the entire podcast episode.
Identifying the AI Adoption Gap in Marketing
While AI adoption in marketing is growing, fully embracing it at a strategic level remains a challenge. Leaders know AI can bring significant benefits, yet uncertainty about where to start, along with concerns over AI’s impact on roles and budgets, often holds companies back.
Steve explains that some CMOs face “AI imposter syndrome,” a mindset that leads to hesitation rather than the action needed to keep pace. To tackle this, he urges business leaders to promote AI’s role across their teams and integrate it thoughtfully.
“It’s not about losing jobs to AI, but to marketers who know how to use AI.” Steve Hyde
By encouraging AI adoption from the top down, leaders can overcome reluctance and support a more agile, future-ready marketing approach.
Building an AI Roadmap That Works
Rather than a one-off IT project, Steve recommends seeing AI as an evolving tool that can adapt as business needs grow. This step-by-step roadmap provides marketing teams with an organised approach to trial and expand AI where it has the greatest impact.
Key Components of an AI Roadmap
- Set Clear Goals
Start by identifying specific marketing challenges AI could help solve, such as improving customer segmentation or enabling more precise content targeting. - Start Small with Pilots
Running targeted pilot projects in areas like customer data analysis or content personalisation allows teams to gain experience without overwhelming resources. - Regular Board-Level Review
Maintaining board-level engagement ensures AI stays on the strategic agenda and aligns with broader business objectives. Reviewing progress helps businesses remain adaptable, refining their approach as technology evolves.
By setting up a flexible roadmap, businesses position AI as a continuous strategy rather than an isolated initiative.
Unlocking Deeper Customer Insights
One of AI’s greatest strengths is its ability to analyse huge amounts of data and reveal nuanced insights into customer behaviours and needs. The work they are doing at Push shows how AI-driven tools can offer deeper customer understanding, enhancing engagement and creating new growth opportunities.
In one instance, AI enabled Push to identify three previously overlooked customer segments for a client who had initially targeted five. This allowed for a more targeted approach and helped the client reach audiences they hadn’t previously considered.
When businesses use AI to gain in-depth customer insights, they can develop more responsive and tailored marketing strategies. It’s about connecting with the customer on a level that goes beyond surface-level demographics, delivering real-time insights that keep the brand relevant.
“AI revealed additional customer groups where there was a clear unmet need underlining how AI can reveal valuable market opportunities.”
AI in Content Creation and Performance Marketing
For performance marketing, AI-driven content tools offer a faster, more targeted way to craft messaging that aligns with specific customer groups. By automating content creation, marketers can focus on developing personalised campaigns that resonate with each target segment, building brand loyalty and engagement.
Steve encourages leaders to view AI as a complement to human creativity, not a replacement. Marketing teams can experiment with AI-driven imagery, predictive analytics, and language models to discover what resonates best with their audiences.
Encouraging team members to explore these tools builds familiarity and confidence in AI, allowing for more effective and impactful content campaigns.
“Encourage your team to use AI, not as a replacement, but as a powerful enhancement to their creativity,” Steve Hyde
Elevating AI to a Strategic Priority
For AI to truly succeed, Steve insists that it must be seen as a strategic priority. By making AI central to the overall business strategy, marketing teams have the support they need to integrate AI fully and consistently. He explains that AI goes beyond simple outsourcing; it should be embedded as a core part of the business’s growth plan.
Involving CEOs, CFOs, and other C-suite leaders ensures AI remains integral to decision-making, helping the business adapt quickly to market changes. By prioritising AI at the highest levels, leaders can empower marketing teams to drive a competitive advantage that translates into real, measurable growth.
Steps for Digital Marketing Leaders to Take Today
To build a successful, AI-driven marketing strategy, digital leaders can focus on these key actions:
- Invest in AI Training
Providing AI training for marketing teams equips them with the skills to experiment confidently and innovate continuously. - Encourage Transparency and Open Dialogue
By being open about AI’s role and potential, leaders reduce fear and encourage a collaborative approach to AI. - Prioritise Customer-Centricity
AI’s primary benefit lies in its ability to enhance customer insights. Leaders should ensure AI remains aligned with customer needs, making adjustments as those needs change.
Steve’s advice to CEOs, CMOs, and business leaders is clear: those who actively build AI into their marketing strategies today will lead in the market tomorrow. Digital marketing is evolving, and companies that prioritise AI integration now are positioned for sustained success in an AI-driven world.
To explore how AI can give your business a marketing edge, get in touch with our team at Push for tailored insights and strategies to support your growth.
