Vinny La Barbera

expert panel

AI can generate dozens of campaign ideas in seconds. But knowing which are worth pursuing—and investing in—takes more than machine speed. With AI use in marketing at U.S. companies more than doubling in just two years, the distinction between using the technology and using it well is becoming increasingly important.That shift may also change who on a marketing team is best positioned to contribute. Marketers who lack AI fluency risk falling behind, while those who rely too heavily on the technology may never develop the customer insight, creative instincts and critical thinking needed to judge what it produces. The 2025 AMA Marketing Skills Report, based on a survey of more than 1,200 marketers, reflects this balance: Respondents ranked generative AI as the top future skill, yet the report emphasizes that human skills such as communication, innovation and adaptability remain essential. The consequences of falling behind on AI—or failing to focus on fundamental human skills—can extend beyond individual skill gaps and lead to ineffective campaigns, misguided investments and messaging that erodes customer trust. Below, members of the Senior Executive CMO Think Tank draw on their marketing expertise and leadership experience to share practical strategies for developing AI-fluent marketers who can think independently, exercise sound judgment and uphold the standards that protect their brands.

expert panel

Companies refresh their brands for plenty of legitimate reasons: The business may have evolved, its audience may have changed or its identity may no longer reflect its products, positioning or ambitions. Changes in markets, business models, acquisitions or target audiences can create a gap between what a company has become and what its brand still communicates.Still, even a well-founded refresh can go wrong. The most visible risk is backlash when customers feel a company has discarded or even disrespected something they valued about the old brand. But there’s another, quieter risk, too: In the push to look current, a company can strip away the visual cues, language, personality and positioning that made its brand recognizable, leaving behind something polished but generic and harder to distinguish from competitors. For example, the streamlined, sleeker logo briefly introduced by Cracker Barrel in 2025 got pushback from customers and commentators who described it as “soulless,” “bland,” and “generic.”So how can CMOs modernize a brand without alienating the people who already value it or stripping away the qualities that set it apart? Below, members of the Senior Executive CMO Think Tank share what separates a strong brand refresh from a forgettable one—and what marketing leaders should protect most carefully as a brand evolves.

expert panel

Marketing leaders are used to proving their work through numbers that move quickly: leads captured, conversions completed and pipeline generated. Community-led growth, however, plays by a different set of rules. Its value often develops over time through relationships, conversations and shared experiences, and a strong brand community may influence business outcomes long before they can be traced to a transaction.Gen-Z’s skepticism toward polished advertising campaigns is leading many brands to shift from chasing clicks to building relationships. The benefits go beyond simple discovery: A large audience may see a brand’s message, but a genuine community chooses to return, participate and bring others into the conversation.Where many organizations stumble is in trying to create and manage community initiatives with the tools, timelines and expectations built for traditional demand generation. When leaders look primarily for immediate conversions, they may undervalue promising progress or pressure teams into tactics that weaken the relationships they’re trying to build. Further, with communities like TikTok and Instagram playing a large role in community-building, brands that don’t understand the priorities of today’s social media algorithms—which favor metrics like watch time, engagement rate and content relevance—may even struggle to get out of the starting gate.Community-led growth, then, requires leaders to rethink both how value is created and how progress is demonstrated. Below, members of the Senior Executive CMO Think Tank draw on their expertise in brand storytelling, digital advertising and customer engagement to examine where community-building initiatives go wrong, what leaders should do differently and how they can measure success more accurately.