Why Adoption Feels Like Imposter Syndrome

#288 AI in Marketing | In this episode, Dave is joined by three B2B marketing leaders: Sara Ajemian, Head of Brand & Communications at SOCi, Jennifer Delevante-Moulen, CMO at Knak, and Tara Robertson, CMO at Bitly. Together they share real-world perspectives on how AI is actually shaping marketing teams today—what’s working, what’s not, and how leaders are adapting.

Dave and the panel cover:

• The most overhyped AI use cases in B2B marketing (and where human nuance still wins)
• Real success stories, including building an AI-powered content research engine, scaling global localization, and using AI to make creative teams more data-driven
• How CMOs are personally using AI as a strategic thought partner for board prep, customer insights, and team coaching

Whether you’re experimenting with new tools or figuring out how to bring AI into your strategy, this conversation gives a grounded look at what B2B marketing leaders are really doing today.

Timestamps

• (00:00) - – Intro
• (03:21) - – Meet the panel: SOCi, Knak, Bitly
• (07:21) - – Has AI met or missed expectations?
• (12:06) - – The most overhyped AI use cases
• (15:21) - – Why human nuance still matters in personalization
• (20:21) - – The imposter syndrome of AI adoption
• (23:21) - – The power of AI with memory
• (26:01) - – Best AI use cases from the panel
• (31:59) - – Scaling global localization with AI
• (34:59) - – Training brand teams to be more data-driven
• (38:59) - – How CMOs personally use AI in their workflow
• (42:59) - – Using AI as a strategic thought partner
• (46:59) - – Coaching teams with AI feedback loops
• (48:59) - – The frustrations of iteration and tool updates
• (52:59) - – Is leadership pushing AI adoption?
• (56:59) - – Budgeting and building a modern AI-enabled tech stack
• (59:59) - – Final takeaways and closing

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Brought to you by:

Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive.

Optimizely - An AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Get a free, personalized 45-minute AI workshop to help you identify the best AI use cases for your marketing team and map out where agents can save you time at optimizely.com/exitfive (PS - you'll get a FREE pair of Meta Ray Bans if you do).

Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.  

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