Insight Partners Consultant Says AI Will Reinvent Marketing, Not Kill It
Gary Service, a partner at Insight Partners' consulting team, emphasizes that artificial intelligence is transforming business far beyond a mere technological revolution. He explains that AI is reshaping how companies develop products, manage employees, communicate with customers, and make decisions. Service warns that simply using AI tools to speed up work misses the deeper, ongoing organizational transformation required.
Service, who has a background in marketing, entrepreneurship, and academia, highlights that the current AI-driven change is continuous rather than a one-time project. He stresses that companies must build organizations capable of constant adaptation as new AI tools emerge, altering customer expectations and internal operations alike.
He notes that competitive advantage will shift from merely using AI models to how companies leverage their vast data to generate actionable insights. Despite AI's capabilities, Service believes human qualities like judgment, empathy, and trust-building remain crucial, coining the term "brand bilingualism" to describe the need for companies to communicate effectively both with machines and humans.
Service identifies common mistakes companies make when adopting AI, such as over-relying on AI without domain expertise, leading to generic content that lacks originality. He also points out that established companies face new competition from AI-driven startups but retain advantages like customer bases and accumulated data, which they must continue to innovate upon.
Regarding Israel, Service praises its energetic and fast-moving tech ecosystem, viewing AI as a catalyst that shortens the time from idea to product. His key advice to CEOs and marketing leaders is to stay open to change, learn continuously, and embrace new approaches, summarizing: "Marketing is dead. Long live marketing." He foresees marketing being reborn with new skills and tactics suited for the AI era.
The interview was conducted ahead of Service's lecture at Globes' annual MAD conference.
