In this op-ed, Sam Hoare, area vice president ANZ at Contentful, examines how rapid AI adoption is changing the way marketing teams work, and why the real opportunity lies in making the discipline more human, not less technical.
Marketing has always been a human discipline.
It is built on understanding people, telling stories, and creating experiences that feel relevant and authentic.
What has changed is not the need for those skills, but the environment in which marketers now operate.
Recent research conducted by Atlantic Insights in partnership with Contentful, surveying 425 marketing decision makers globally, shows an industry undergoing rapid change. AI adoption is widespread, yet its impact is uneven. The result is a sector caught between significant promise and practical complexity.
For Australian businesses, this shift is particularly relevant. Many organisations are balancing pressure to adopt new technologies with the need to maintain trust, security and measurable return on investment.
The optimism-execution gap is real
The headline number is clear. Almost every CMO, 96 percent, is prioritising AI adoption. Yet only 65 percent of companies are making meaningful investments, and just 18 percent of marketers say AI has reduced their reliance on developers or data teams.
This gap between intention and impact reflects what many marketing leaders are experiencing on the ground. AI tools are being adopted quickly, with 89 percent of teams already using them in their daily work. But integrating those tools into existing workflows remains a challenge.
In Australia, where marketing teams are often lean and expected to deliver across multiple channels, this integration challenge is more than a technical issue. It becomes a question of productivity and governance. Tools promise efficiency, but without clear processes, they can also introduce new layers of complexity.
A new kind of marketer is emerging
One of the most striking findings in the research is the shift in skills that matter most. Data analysis now ranks as the top capability for marketers, overtaking traditional creative skills. At the same time, creativity has not lost its value. Instead, it has evolved into what the report describes as “evidence-based creativity”, where ideas are informed and validated by data.
This reflects a broader change in how marketing teams operate. Marketers are no longer seen as either creative or analytical. They are expected to be both.
Australian organisations are feeling this shift as they compete for talent with a mix of creative instincts and technical fluency. The rise of AI is not removing the need for marketers. It is redefining what expertise looks like.
Speed, quality and flexibility are no longer trade-offs
Another assumption challenged by the research is the idea that marketing teams must choose between speed and quality. Modern teams are now expected to deliver both, while also maintaining flexibility to adapt quickly to changing market conditions.
This is reflected in the priorities identified by respondents. High content quality, fast execution and the ability to pivot quickly all rank as critical performance factors. In practice, this means marketing leaders are trying to balance multiple demands at once.
For Australian businesses, this is particularly relevant in sectors such as retail, financial services and technology, where customer expectations continue to rise. Delivering timely, personalised and consistent digital experiences is no longer a differentiator. It is a baseline expectation.
The technology stack is getting smaller, not larger
One of the more practical insights in the report relates to tooling. Teams that use between six and ten marketing tools tend to outperform those with either smaller or larger stacks.
This suggests that success is not about accumulating as many platforms as possible, but about building a manageable ecosystem that integrates well. Complexity can slow teams down. The most effective organisations focus on integration and governance rather than constant expansion.
AI is changing how work feels, not just how it is done
The research also included diary studies, observing marketers using AI tools in their day-to-day work. One of the consistent themes was that AI acts as a “thought partner”, helping teams develop ideas, refine content and test concepts more quickly.
This has an important cultural impact. Instead of removing human creativity, AI often reduces the administrative and repetitive work that previously slowed teams down. As a result, marketers can spend more time on strategic thinking and creative development.
For Australian organisations, where many marketing teams operate with limited headcount, this shift can be particularly valuable. The ability to move from concept to execution more quickly can help teams remain competitive without simply increasing resources.
Turning promise into practice
Despite the rapid adoption of AI, the research makes one point clear. Technology alone does not transform marketing. The organisations seeing the greatest benefits are those that invest not only in tools, but also in skills, governance and workflow design.
Security and privacy remain major concerns, cited by nearly half of respondents as barriers to deeper AI adoption. These concerns are especially relevant in Australia, where regulatory requirements and expectations around data use are increasing.
The path forward is not about adopting every new tool, but about building structured, well-governed systems that allow teams to experiment while maintaining control.
A more human future for marketing
There is a common fear that AI will make marketing less personal or less creative. The evidence suggests the opposite.
When used effectively, AI removes friction from the process, allowing marketers to focus more on the human aspects of their work: understanding audiences, crafting narratives and designing meaningful experiences.
For Australian businesses, the question is no longer whether to adopt AI. It is how to integrate these tools in ways that support people, rather than overwhelm them.
The organisations that succeed will not be those with the most technology, but those that use it to make their marketing more thoughtful, more consistent and more human.
