Dear VPs of Marketing, (an open letter about AI)
Dear VPs of Marketing,
We all know AI is no longer just another tech trend; it has become the foundation of modern marketing. It is changing how everything works. The old rules don’t apply anymore. Teams are drowning in tools they barely understand. Data sits unused. And customers are making decisions influenced by machines that often bypass brands entirely.
So what does that mean for us?
It means we’re in a position of power and responsibility. Instead of simply adopting and bolting on AI, we need to lead with it. It means scaling creativity, tightening strategy, protecting brands and delivering results that move the business forward.
This open letter lays out what we all need to know today, what’s coming next and how to guide your team into a future built on effective AI.
1. TODAY: Build AI Fluency Across Infrastructure, Skill & Strategy
Understand our AI infrastructure. As the Financial Times highlights, knowledge of data centers, compute options (GPUs, TPUs, edge), hybrid cloud, and energy constraints is no longer optional. Align AI initiatives with business goals and avoid vendor lock-in datacamp.com+15omnibound.ai+15entrepreneur.com+15.
Invest in AI literacy. Canva’s recent findings show 92% of marketing leaders consider AI skills essential yet many teams struggle to use these tools effectively. Prioritize training, upskilling and onboarding best practices. Our teams need to know how to effectively use the tools that will be driving business results.
Track AI visibility & performance. With tools like Adobe LLM Optimizer, brands can monitor their appearance in AI interfaces. Use chatbots and AI-driven search results to ensure campaigns aren’t invisible in emerging channels.
2. TODAY: Operationalize AI to Scale Creativity & Precision
Hyper personalization is table stakes. Nielsen reports 59% of marketers see AI powered personalization and campaign optimization as the most impactful trend in 2025. Real time dynamic ads and predictive next action journeys are already here.
Automate routine work but keep humans in the loop. Harvard and Forbes agree: AI should eliminate guesswork and handle repetitive tasks so people can focus on strategy and creativity.
Bridge siloed experiments with measurable ROI. Research by Jasper and Search Engine Journal confirms that while experimentation is widespread, many lack systems to measure business impact. Create clear benchmarks tied to KPIs across funnel stages.
3. TOMORROW: Future Proof Your Marketing Strategy
Leverage agentic AI as strategic teammates. AI agents can manage some routine tasks campaign execution, prioritization and insights and effectively becoming our lieutenant in day-to-day operations freeing time for higher level creative and strategy sessions.
Govern ethically and resist AI washing. As with prior emerging tech trends, as AI adoption surges, so do ethical risks like privacy, bias and transparency. AI-washing (overstating AI capabilities) is under scrutiny by regulators like the FTC and SEC . Put governance frameworks in place now.
Plan for hybrid creative workflows. Our best creatives will integrate AI tools like Midjourney or ChatGPT for ideation but human strategic thinking and brand voice will remain critical economictimes.indiatimes.com.
Monitor edge and localized compute trends. FT points to emerging neuromorphic chips and On Premises AI as low latency solutions. Think about how this supports real time marketing.
4. CALL TO ACTION: AI Readiness Playbook
Audit our technology & data stacks. Know the compute mix and where latency, bots or regulation require edge or hybrid models.
Upskill the organization. Launch AI literacy programs spanning executives to junior marketers and cover tools, ethics and measurement.
Performance first deployment. Integrate tools like Adobe LLM Optimizer, automation engines and personalization platforms and insist on dashboarded ROI.
Govern with integrity. Build clear policies on privacy, bias, and transparency—including accountability when AI makes public-facing decisions.
As PwC’s Chief AI Officer warns, AI alone is table stakes, it’s how you integrate it with human strategy that sets you apart. datacamp.com+4nielsen.com+4advertisingweek.com+4investors.com. Today demands understanding and operational mastery. Tomorrow requires strategic foresight and ethical stewardship.
We all stand at the helm of AI’s potential to reframe marketing and customer relationships affecting ROI. We all need to navigate wisely with vision and our human intelligence at the core.
May your Metrics be Excelling,
Mike Wagner, Wags Consulting
