Navigating Generative AI in Social Marketing – Key Takeaways from MAICON
I recently joined over 1,100 marketing and communications professionals at the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON) in Cleveland. The focus? How AI—primarily Generative AI like ChatGPT—is driving rapid digital transformation across marketing and communications, and all the excitement and challenges associated with it. This year’s theme, “Keep it Human,” was a powerful reminder that while AI continues to evolve, it’s the human element—creativity, empathy, strategy—that remains critical, particularly to social marketing. AI is a tool, but it’s people who shape its impact.
Heading to Cleveland, I was cautiously optimistic. Over the past year, C+C has integrated Generative AI tools into our digital and communication strategies, optimizing reporting and workflows. Like many others, working with AI has been a mixed bag of awe, frustration and unease. After three days of workshops and panels, I left the conference feeling both grounded in our current approach and inspired by what’s possible – and yes, still cautiously optimistic.
Here are four key takeaways from MAICON that are already shaping how we work:
- AI Literacy as a Differentiator
The conversations at MAICON emphasized the importance of AI literacy. Companies that invest in understanding and leveraging AI are setting themselves up for long-term success. As AI becomes the new language of the internet, those who understand how to use it effectively will stay ahead.
According to the World Economic Forum, AI and machine learning specialists are among the top 10 fastest-growing jobs globally. As Paul Roetzer, CEO of the Marketing AI Institute, said, “AI literacy for all” is the goal—empowering professionals to combine AI knowledge with their domain expertise to drive innovation. At C+C we created clear guidelines, amended our contracts and conduct regular training to enhance everyone’s AI literacy.
- AI Adoption Perception Shift
There are real fears and concerns around AI adoption ranging from security and bias to job replacement, and even its environmental impact. This lack of familiarity with AI can contribute to barriers for adoption across organization. Conversations around AI benefits need to evolve with use cases as proof. As a tool, AI’s true value goes beyond automating tasks. The real power lies in giving teams more time to focus on strategic, creative work.
At MAICON, discussions moved beyond the idea of saving time to how AI helps teams reclaim time for higher-value projects. AI adoption will require a shift in perception, from “efficiency” to “empowerment.” AI as a tool in the right hands doesn’t just save time, but gives time back to teams by getting them to a more strategic, creative space earlier, with greater autonomy to deepen and scale their contributions.
- Human Centered Imperative
“AI is a solid first draft” was a common phrase at the conference, and it aligns with our agency guidelines. AI isn’t an easy button or a magic wand; it’s a tool to assist in idea generation, content creation and analysis. The human element is what refines, personalizes, and ensures its quality and relevance of the final product.
- The Evolution of SEO and Search: Zero-Click Search
One of the most compelling discussions at MAICON was around zero-click search and AI —when users get the information they need directly from search engine snippets without ever clicking on a website. If you’ve Googled something recently, you’ve likely seen these AI-generated snippets at the top of the results page.
This shift is changing the way we think about SEO, paid search, and digital campaigns. Organizations and programs that rely on website traffic will need to rethink their strategies as zero-click searches become more common. We’re already integrating this into our conversations and strategies.
I’ll explore zero-click search in my next post.
As AI evolves, so does the myriad of emotions I’ve felt over the past year. These takeaways are already shaping our work, and many of them reinforce best practices we’ve been following as we continue to explore and integrate AI. I’ll continue to remain both cautiously optimistic and inspired.
If you’re curious to hear more about how we’re leveraging generative AI for digital strategies and learn how to integrate for your programs, reach out through our Contact Us page.
