Marketers bemoan the culture of ‘good enough’ as standards fall amid the AI bubble

As the AI bubble continues to expand, marketers are increasingly concerned about the declining standards in their industry. At the inaugural AI Marketing Strategies event, hosted by Digiday and sister titles Glossy and Modern Retail, participants discussed the challenges posed by AI-driven job cuts and the need for new standards. The term "change management" was a recurring theme, as brand-side marketers sought to implement standards across their digital supply chains.

One participant, representing a premium beauty brand, lamented the poor quality control resulting from reliance on AI-driven ad platforms. They compared the creative output of AI-generated content to a "rough draft," requiring significant human oversight to achieve the desired results. Multiple brand-side marketers complained that their agency partners were not as motivated to safeguard brand standards, often relying on junior employees to monitor AI-generated platforms.

This issue is particularly concerning for premium brands in verticals such as beauty, where AI-generated content can damage brand credibility among audiences. Participants emphasized the need for leaders in brands, agencies, and tech vendors to better appreciate the human element when implementing automation. A small agency chief noted that while AI can achieve campaign implementation within hours, it raises questions about the value employees bring to the table in the AI-first era.

In a separate keynote session, Isabel Perry, global EVP of Strategy at DEPT, discussed adapting marketing techniques from the digital-first era to an AI-first era where bot- or agent-driven internet traffic may surpass human internet traffic. She emphasized the importance of measuring gaps in performance, rather than just industry metrics, to allocate budgets more effectively.

Rajiv Ragu, VP of Digital at Thorne, highlighted the need to curate legacy content online in a zero-click world, adapting to the migration to an AI-first era where both agentic and human audiences coexist. He stressed the importance of investing in updating content libraries to prevent potential brand damage.