Marketing professor Jim Lecinski from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management dives deep into the transformative role of AI in marketing. He highlights how AI is not just a tool but a strategic ally that can significantly enhance productivity and creativity. Jim demystifies concepts like AI agents and offers invaluable tips for professionals at all career stages. He emphasizes the necessity for marketers to actively shape AI strategies rather than just adopt them passively, ensuring a blend of human intuition and AI innovation.
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insights INSIGHT
AI Changes Tools Not Principles
AI reshapes marketing tools rather than core marketing principles like segmentation or pricing.
It radically changes how marketers execute, not the foundational concepts themselves.
insights INSIGHT
AI Adoption Curve in Marketing
Marketing's AI adoption moved from discovery in 2023 to scaling concerns in 2025.
Companies struggle with pilot projects but now focus on enterprise-wide AI strategy.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Prioritize AI for Productivity
Use AI to boost marketing productivity by reducing tedious task times like creative briefs.
Focus first on efficiency gains before expecting AI to unlock new growth opportunities.
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In this episode of the DMI podcast, host Will Francis speaks with Jim Lecinski, marketing professor at Northwestern University, Kellogg and co-author of The AI Marketing Canvas. Together, they explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping marketing — from reducing cycle times and boosting productivity to transforming how marketers plan, execute, and measure campaigns. Jim demystifies emerging tools like AI agents, custom GPTs, and reasoning engines, and shares why marketers need to lead AI strategy rather than passively adopt it. He also offers great advice for how marketers can make the most of AI at junior, middle, and senior levels of a career.Jim's Top 3 Tips
Nominate an AI Champion
Focus on Today’s Practical Use Cases
Upskill with Free Tools
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & State of Marketing Today
01:08 – The AI Adoption Curve
03:30 – How AI Is Actually Used Today
05:01 – 4 Common Approaches to AI in Enterprises
08:42 – Creating an AI Strategy in Marketing
10:27 – Understanding AI Agents vs. Assistants
13:27 – What Marketers Should (and Shouldn’t) Focus On
16:15 – The Human Side of Marketing & Creativity
20:12 – AI-Generated Ads & the NBCU-Waymark Deal
24:33 – “We’re an AI-first company”: Why Leaders Say This
27:02 – How AI Will Affect Marketing Jobs
32:31 – Career Advice by Level
36:12 – What’s New in The AI Marketing Canvas (2nd Edition)
40:17 – How Jim Used AI to Build His Course
45:02 – Reframing AI as a Reasoning Engine, Not a Chatbot
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