AI Is Blowing Up Market Research (in the Best Possible Way)
Plus: Surprising CMO hiring trends, NotebookLM gets useful, and the curse of authenticity.
👋 Happy Thursday AI Marketers. Bet you didn’t wake up today thinking market research was cool. But you will after you hear where it’s headed. In other surprises, CMO roles are in demand, but not in the way you might think. You’re also gonna see a few super helpful AI updates for marketers. They may not be dominating your social feed, but they should be at the top of your priority list. Let’s get you caught up…
Faster, Smarter, Cheaper: AI is Reinventing Market Research
Andreessen Horowitz points to a seismic shift brands and marketers need to recognize: AI is completely redefining market research. Despite the industry's massive $140 billion spend, traditional methods still lag with slow processes and biased data. Boy, is that about to change.
AI-native platforms are conducting autonomous video interviews, compiling vast data sets, and performing rapid analysis. But that’s not the exciting part. Startups are now simulating entire societies of generative AI agents, modeling authentic consumer behavior continuously. Non-stop. 24/7.
Imagine agents seeded with data from customer reviews, CRM histories, social listening insights, and past purchase behavior. Now, picture them interacting with each other, viewing simulated content, shopping virtual store shelves, and writing mock reviews, as they constantly absorb new information and feed it back into the system. Yeah, it’s wild.
This approach moves research from quarterly guesswork to real-time, actionable, granular insights. It's not merely about speed or cost savings, but fundamentally reinventing decision-making fidelity. At a time where shipping products is getting faster and easier, the real advantage will be market intelligence.
CMO Hiring Trends Might Surprise You
Forget the AI doom and gloom about marketing jobs disappearing. CMO hiring is actually booming. But there's a twist. Agency vets are getting overlooked because boards want leaders who can talk business, not just win awards. Internal promotions aren’t doing much better. Outsiders take four out of five new seats. Why all this hiring heat? Tech, scrambling to turn venture-backed growth into real profit, is fueling demand for marketing leadership that's fluent in financial realities.
NotebookLM Now Allows Public Sharing, Opening a World of Marketing Possibilities
Google just made NotebookLM sharable via public link, opening the door to some seriously smart marketing moves. Imagine inviting audiences to explore your content, ask questions, and interact in entirely new ways … all powered by the materials you upload. This is a chance to turn your case studies, pitch decks, onboarding docs, FAQs, and portfolios into interactive, AI-powered experiences that help your brand stand out.
Anthropic’s AI is Writing its Own Blog
Anthropic's AI assistant Claude just took up blogging, drafting its own tech-centric posts overseen by human experts. Claude’s blog might seem quirky at first glance, but look deeper. It's a fascinating peek at how AI-generated thought leadership could become the norm. This is a story for content marketers to keep tabs on. If anyone’s gonna find the optimal workflow for high-quality, AI-generated copy, my money’s on the Claude team.
Figma Now Lets Your AI Access its Design Servers
Figma just simplified life for developers and UI designers. Its new Dev Mode MCP server lets AI tools like Copilot directly grab exact design details, including precise colors, measurements, and graphics data. This means developers spend less time guessing and tweaking, and UI designers see their vision accurately reflected in final apps and websites. Updates like this may not get the full hype treatment, but if you live in the daily workflow between design files and code, fist pumps are in order.
🎥 I sifted through a billion YouTube videos. Here’s one for you:
Retail, e-commerce, and personal brands, check this out. Google’s latest Veo 3 video generator may be getting all the oohs and aahs, but Adobe Firefly continues to impress with real-world utility for marketers. Think complete creative control for product placement, fed right into content and published in a snap. All in the same platform. That’s what I’m talking about.
🎙️ My top 3 podcast episodes this week:
Marketing Tactics You Need to Learn in the AI Era (ft. Morning Brew Founder)
Marketing is changing, fast. Kipp, Kieran, and Morning Brew's Alex Lieberman say tried-and-true tactics like SEO and email are hitting a wall. Their advice? Lean into "vibe marketing" and rethink your team before AI makes your old playbook obsolete.
The Curse of Authenticity
Is authenticity overrated? Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell unpack why marketers’ obsession with "being real" often backfires. If your brand is chasing authenticity as a default, it's time to reconsider. It might be holding you back rather than helping.
5 Ways AI is Different Than Past Tech Trends
Forget comparing AI to past tech fads. NLW dives into Mary Meeker's new report to explain why AI isn't just another hype cycle. It's bigger, faster, and shaking up everything from geopolitics to your own marketing stack. Miss this, and you'll miss what's next.
Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.
🚨 AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:
Senior Manager - AI Product Marketing
W3Global
Lead branding and marketing for the Data, AI, and Analytics division, focusing on strategic planning, analyst relations, and innovative lead generation campaigns.
Details →
Product Manager, AI and Search
Merative
Drive the strategy and roadmap for AI-powered search experiences in healthcare, enhancing user engagement through machine learning and semantic search innovations.
Details →
Head of Marketing
Connecticut Innovations
Shape the go-to-market strategy for Shelf, an AI platform improving data quality for GenAI deployments, leading demand generation and brand awareness initiatives.
Details →
Manager, Growth & AI
Wealthsimple
Develop and execute AI-driven strategies to enhance revenue growth, collaborating across teams to integrate AI into marketing and sales operations.
Details →
AI Marketing Strategist
Trilogy
Design and deploy AI-powered social campaigns, leveraging generative engines and real-time sentiment analysis to drive engagement and community growth.
Details →
📅 AI marketers are gathering across the country and around the world for conferences, summits, and industry events. Here’s where to join them:
DigiMarCon Dallas
Dallas, TX, June 5–6
AI Con
Seattle, WA, June 8–13
Data + AI Summit
San Francisco, CA, June 9–12
DigiMarCon Boston
Boston, MA, June 9–10
eCommerce Summit Denver
Denver, CO, June 10
eCommerce Summit Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA, June 10
Render ATL
Atlanta, GA, June 11–13
CDAO Fed Ready Summit
Washington, DC, June 11
SMX Advanced
Boston, MA, June 11–13
DigiMarCon Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA, June 12–13
DigiMarCon Miami
Miami, FL, June 16–17
Techspo Miami
Miami, FL, June 16–17
Responsible AI Summit
Washington, DC, June 17–18
Have an event to add? Send me the details.
