In this episode, Rum continues his conversation with Mark Durney, Executive Vice President of Digital and Innovation at Porter Novelli, they discuss the fragmentation of today’s media ecosystem and how AI-driven insights can help brands cut through the noise. Mark explains why “audience-first, data-led” has become more than just an industry buzzphrase—it's a necessity for pinpointing relevant communities, shaping content, and delivering truly personalized monitoring. They also discuss balancing automation (to handle tasks like account summaries or first-draft content) with the human touch that guards against misinformation and “AI hallucinations.” Finally, Mark highlights the value of strategic networking—framed as “friendship first”—for building authentic agency relationships and fostering long-term career growth in a world where constant innovation and collaboration remain the keys to success.

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