Agentic AI is Reshaping Marketing: Experts Reveal What’s Next for Brands and Customer Experience

Agentic AI Is Changing Marketing — Here’s What You Need to Know

The buzz around Agentic AI is growing across Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malaysia, especially in marketing circles. AI agents are becoming essential tools, evolving from simple chatbots to complex automation systems that promise faster service, smarter decision-making, and greater adaptability.

For marketers, these AI agents open new doors for delivering personalised customer experiences and powering ‘conversational commerce’ — where conversations drive sales and engagement in fresh ways.

Jonathan Reeve, VP for APAC at Eagle Eye, highlights how AI like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s voice assistants are already managing tasks and planning for users through natural conversations. Startups are building AI agent solutions tailored to specific business needs, tapping into foundation models from leading AI providers.

What Exactly Is Agentic AI?

The term “agentic AI” is often used but rarely defined clearly. Marty Hungerford, Chief Innovation Officer at BRX, points out that many so-called agentic AI systems are just automated workflows using AI tools rather than truly autonomous agents.

He defines a true agentic AI as one that:

• Understands and interprets high-level goals
• Plans and breaks down tasks independently
• Makes decisions even under uncertainty
• Acts across systems without supervision
• Self-corrects and learns from feedback

For example, Hungerford describes a system that fully automates news gathering, scriptwriting, avatar generation, video editing, and email delivery without human intervention. While impressive automation, it doesn’t yet meet the full criteria of agentic AI.

Some current systems like OpenAI Operator, Manus, and Kruti meet parts of the criteria but still rely on preset workflows and need human oversight. A truly agentic AI would transform how brands operate.

AI Assistants vs AI Agents: What’s the Difference?

It’s important to distinguish between AI assistants and AI agents. Assistants help users complete tasks based on ongoing input. Agents operate more independently, making decisions and taking actions to achieve goals with minimal human intervention.

Nexxen’s recent launch, nexAI, is a strong example of an AI assistant. It uses generative AI to turn complex consumer data into actionable audience profiles and campaign plans quickly. Karim Rayes, Nexxen’s Chief Product Officer, explains that nexAI streamlines reporting and optimisation, freeing marketers to focus on driving results.

Conversational Commerce vs AI Agents

Conversational commerce uses AI-driven chatbots to enhance customer interactions and make shopping easier. AI agents go beyond this by performing more complex tasks autonomously, including problem-solving and decision-making.

Sangeeta Mudnal, CTO at GenAI platform Glu, points out that conversational commerce is shifting how brands create and deliver experiences. Glu automates tagging, content suggestions, and repetitive tasks, allowing brands to experiment with new AI channels efficiently.

How Agentic AI Will Impact Customer Interactions

AI agents can transform retail marketing by acting as personal shoppers and deal hunters. Eagle Eye’s AI-driven personalisation engine exemplifies this potential. AI agents can answer customer queries, compare prices, and guide shoppers, changing how brands promote products and build loyalty.

Sarah Richardson from the Australian Loyalty Association notes that agentic AI enables personalised offers and experiences in real time, anticipating customer needs before they express them. Voice assistants and visual search are opening new doors into loyalty ecosystems.

Billy Loizou, APAC VP at Amperity, envisions AI agents that act as personal shoppers, instantly finding products based on size, style, budget, and even weather. This shifts how brands compete for consumer attention.

Strong Data Infrastructure Is Key

Success with AI agents depends on how well brands manage and unify customer data. Loizou emphasizes that brands must transform how they collect and use data to deliver relevant recommendations and personalised experiences.

Derek Slager, co-founder and CTO at Amperity, warns that fragmented or poor-quality data undermines AI agents. Accurate, connected, and well-governed data is essential for reliable AI-driven decisions and maintaining customer trust.

Are Brands Ready for Agentic AI?

Despite the excitement, many brands still lag in eCommerce maturity. A recent report by Arktic Fox and Six Degrees Executive found 75% of surveyed brands believe they have work to do to catch up with global leaders in digital and marketing capabilities.

Teresa Sperti from Arktic Fox highlights that agentic AI will upend shopping journeys by enabling machines to interact and purchase on behalf of consumers. Brands that don’t adapt risk falling behind as most product discovery now starts online.

For marketers, the message is clear: building strong data foundations and understanding the practical capabilities of AI agents will be crucial to staying competitive in the near future.

To explore AI courses that can help marketing professionals get ahead, visit Complete AI Training.