AI, Personalization, and News Are Changing Marketing — But Fear Still Holds Brands Back
At the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Lou Paskalis, founder and CEO of AJL Advisory, highlighted a clear shift in marketing. Technology has finally caught up with the promise of delivering truly personalized experiences. However, brands must be willing to move beyond old, rigid marketing models to seize this opportunity.
Advances like agentic AI, large language models, and interoperable data sets allow brands to understand consumer mindsets and motivations almost in real time. This means marketers can send messages that actually grab attention and resonate, stopping the endless scroll. The catch? Marketers need to replace outdated, rules-based approaches with AI-driven, omnichannel strategies. The big question: Do marketers and agencies have the courage to make that leap?
AI as a Practical Tool, Not a Threat
After much debate about AI threatening jobs, the marketing industry is ready to embrace AI as a tool for smarter work. Paskalis compared AI to the electric drill — a tool that didn’t replace carpenters but improved their efficiency and output. The real fear comes from not understanding AI’s role in marketing.
AI helps marketers reach highly targeted audiences, not just millions in broad segments. For example, instead of advertising to all shoe buyers, brands can focus on the 50,000 consumers actively shopping for shoes today. This targeting leads to lower customer acquisition costs and campaigns that truly connect. While CPM might increase, the overall cost to acquire customers drops significantly.
The Promise and Pitfalls of Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising is a double-edged sword. Paskalis described it as “the worst thing that ever happened to advertising — and the only salvation of marketing.” Its ability to deliver detailed, page-level data is invaluable, yet many brands fail to adapt their creative assets to fit the specific context where ads appear.
Marketers need to ask themselves: Are you customizing your ads to match the page-level context? If not, why? Often, rigid teams, outdated governance, or agency silos stop brands from fully leveraging programmatic’s potential.
The Business Case for Advertising in News
Despite lingering concerns about brand safety, advertising in news environments remains one of the most effective and underused channels. Paskalis cited a case where a major financial services brand saw a 70% reduction in customer acquisition costs and a 23% drop in CPM by advertising alongside news content.
Many marketers avoid news due to fears about negative headlines nearby. However, research from Stagwell shows no drop in purchase intent when ads appear with unsettling or provocative content. Beyond efficiency, news delivers unique reach that’s critical for maximizing campaign impact. Unlike traditional reach tables, programmatic now allows brands to measure and optimize reach quickly and at scale.
The Renaissance of News and What Brands Should Do
With global uncertainty driving demand for trusted information, news consumption is growing, especially among younger audiences. This is creating a new opportunity for marketers willing to invest.
The message for brands is clear: Stop fearing tools like AI, programmatic advertising, and premium news placements. Instead, start using them to create smarter, more relevant, and more efficient marketing that cuts through the noise of today’s fragmented media landscape.
Marketers ready to deepen their AI skills and apply new techniques can explore comprehensive learning options at Complete AI Training.
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