The Dave Gerhardt Show

Marketing in the Age of AI: CMOs Separating the Hype from What’s Real


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#288 AI in Marketing | In this episode, Dave is joined by three B2B marketing leaders: Sara Ajemian, Head of Brand & Communications at SOCi, Jennifer Delevante-Moulen, CMO at Knak, and Tara Robertson, CMO at Bitly. Together they share real-world perspectives on how AI is actually shaping marketing teams today—what’s working, what’s not, and how leaders are adapting.


Dave and the panel cover:

  • The most overhyped AI use cases in B2B marketing (and where human nuance still wins)
  • Real success stories, including building an AI-powered content research engine, scaling global localization, and using AI to make creative teams more data-driven
  • How CMOs are personally using AI as a strategic thought partner for board prep, customer insights, and team coaching

Whether you’re experimenting with new tools or figuring out how to bring AI into your strategy, this conversation gives a grounded look at what B2B marketing leaders are really doing today.


Timestamps

  • (00:00) - – Intro
  • (03:08) - – Meet the panel: SOCi, Knak, Bitly
  • (07:08) - – Has AI met or missed expectations?
  • (11:53) - – The most overhyped AI use cases
  • (15:08) - – Why human nuance still matters in personalization
  • (20:08) - – The imposter syndrome of AI adoption
  • (23:08) - – The power of AI with memory
  • (25:48) - – Best AI use cases from the panel
  • (31:43) - – Scaling global localization with AI
  • (34:43) - – Training brand teams to be more data-driven
  • (38:43) - – How CMOs personally use AI in their workflow
  • (42:43) - – Using AI as a strategic thought partner
  • (46:43) - – Coaching teams with AI feedback loops
  • (48:43) - – The frustrations of iteration and tool updates
  • (52:43) - – Is leadership pushing AI adoption?
  • (56:43) - – Budgeting and building a modern AI-enabled tech stack
  • (59:43) - – Final takeaways and closing

  • Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
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    ***

    Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.

    Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.

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    See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.


    ***

    Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.

    • They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
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    The Dave Gerhardt ShowBy Dave Gerhardt

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