Marketing podcast host Jon Evans has urged marketers to stop obsessing over AI tools and refocus on strategy, warning the brands that combine clear strategic thinking with creativity will define the next era of marketing.
His hit podcast Uncensored CMO, has grown into one of the world’s most recognised marketing shows, attracting more than three million downloads across 150 countries by stripping away polished PR messaging and diving into the realities of modern marketing.
Speaking backstage at Cairns Crocodiles in Far North Queensland, Evans admitted marketers are entering a period where execution is increasingly automated.
“I would say that what every marketer has to focus on, is strategy,” Evans said. “Because all the tools are being updated with AI, and everything is being automated, there’s all this change going on in the world, and we’ve never had to do more than we have today with less.”
Evans argued that while AI is transforming workflows and making marketing execution faster, it will not replace the need for strong creative and strategic direction.
“The people that win are going to be the ones with the best strategy, and the most creativity,” he said.
“I think that’s where the action is going to be, and I think marketers around the world need to get on it in terms of strategy, and that’s where they are going to make a big difference.”
