[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: AI raises the value of strategy

The message is clear: knowing how to use AI is not enough. Marketers must also know what to ask, what matters, what to prioritize and when to challenge the machine.

Marketing is entering a period where technology can increasingly automate execution, analyze data and accelerate content creation. But as AI takes on more technical tasks, the value of human judgement is becoming more, not less, important.

A new report by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and mediasense, based on 166 industry professionals representing brands that collectively spend $80 billion globally, highlights this shift. Strategic thinking was identified as the biggest talent gap, cited by 72% of respondents, ahead of data strategy and execution at 46%.

The message is clear: knowing how to use AI is not enough. Marketers must also know what to ask, what matters, what to prioritize and when to challenge the machine.

Yet the industry faces a skills paradox. While 56% of respondents say AI fluency is underdeveloped and 55% point to gaps in data-driven decision-making, more than half say organizations struggle to upskill existing talent quickly enough.

There is also a structural problem. Incentive models score just 2.6 out of five, suggesting organizations may not sufficiently reward the strategic behaviour they say they need.

The implication is significant: AI may automate marketing tasks, but it will not automatically produce better marketing. Competitive advantage will increasingly depend on organizations that combine AI capability with human judgement—and redesign talent, incentives and leadership around that combination.

Campaigns of the week

Lufthansa has launched Premium lives in the details, a global campaign created with Serviceplan that puts the airline's onboard experience at the centre of its brand communication.

McDonald's is bringing SpongeBob SquarePants and ONE PIECE together in a global Happy Meal campaign, with lead agency tms overseeing the partnership and developing the campaign's creative and retail experience.

The General Insurance has partnered with the upcoming Street Fighter film for an advertising campaign featuring WWE Superstar and actor Joe "Roman Reigns"

Agencies and accounts

WPP Media has been appointed DoorDash’s first global media partner across its portfolio of on-demand delivery brands.

Macmillan Cancer Support has appointed VCCP as its strategic brand and creative partner with VCCP agencies SomeOne and VCCP Blue taking responsibility for the charity's brand development and creative campaigns.

Social-first creative agency Kill Boring Dead (KBD) has expanded its relationship with SunRice Group’s ANZ portfolio, adding SavourLife and Toscano to its client roster and extending its existing contract with Always Fresh.

Partnerships and acquistions

Ocean Outdoor is partnering with French OOH and DOOH media owner Cityz Media to bring its brand experience, innovation and creative production capabilities to Klépierre’s retail destinations across France.

Blue Raven has selected Adhese as its retail media technology partner as the e-commerce group prepares to expand its advertising proposition across several of its specialist online stores.

Serviceplan Culture has entered a strategic partnership with women's sports investment platform Monarch Collective to advise brands on their role in the growth of women's football and wider women's sport.

Other major news of the week

IAB Europe has appointed Sonia Carreno, President of IAB Canada, as its Chief Executive Officer elect. She will succeed Townsend Feehan, with the leadership transition scheduled for next quarter.

Edelman Germany has launched Trusted Transformation, a consulting service designed to help companies manage organisational and business transformation through strategic communications and trust management.

Bob Koigi is the editor-in-chief of Marketing Report.One

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