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Marketers at Possible weigh AI's role while guarding human connection in advertising
Marketing execs at the Possible conference in Miami are using AI for data processing and talent recruitment while guarding against losing the human touch that makes ads work. Spending hasn't pulled back despite economic uncertainty, attendees said.
Marketers at Possible Adjust to AI While Trying to Stay Human
Marketing executives gathered at the Possible conference in Miami this week shared a consistent concern: generative AI is moving fast, and they're working to harness it without losing the human element that makes advertising effective.
The conference, now in its fourth year and headed by Christian Muche, brought together leaders from insurance, media, research, and advertising to discuss how AI is reshaping their work. Several executives described practical applications rather than theoretical possibilities.
How Companies Are Using AI Today
Katie Klumper, a marketing and growth executive at Geico, said AI is helping the insurer find and keep talent. Her department has become competitive enough that other companies actively try to recruit from it.
Kerel Cooper, CMO at market research firm Marketcast, described using AI to process data faster while preserving the emotional insights that drive advertising effectiveness. The firm sits between media, marketing, and culture, tracking signals that affect ad performance.
Tim Huelskamp, co-founder of news source 1440, emphasized the value of neutrality in an era of polarized information. The site employs multiple fact checkers and focuses on what Huelskamp calls "knowledge serendipity" - discovering unexpected connections in news.
Economic Uncertainty Hasn't Stopped Spending Yet
Alan Schanzer, a media agency veteran attending Possible for the first time, said the conference feels like "Cannes Lions and CES all scrunched into one." He noted that economic signals worry him, but he hasn't seen marketers actually pull back spending.
Alejandra Salazar, founder of Latin-focused agency CROING, and Yasmin Dastmalchi, president of Maybelline New York, shared tactics for authentic connection with Latin consumers - a market where cultural nuance matters more than automation.
Digiday will publish a second set of interviews featuring additional executives from the conference.
For marketing professionals looking to build skills in this space, consider exploring AI for Marketing resources or a structured AI Learning Path for Marketing Managers.