ORLANDO, FL — Artificial intelligence functions as a tool that handles mechanical and repetitive tasks, freeing human creators to focus on imagination, storytelling, and artistic expression that only humans can deliver.
“AI is an enhancer, not a replacement of the human,” Denise Colella, VP, Global Digital Strategy Group at Adobe, told Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at the ANA Masters of Marketing conference. “If you look at AI and think of the tasks, the mechanical, repetitive tasks that it can take on, that allows the human creator to do uniquely what humans can only do.”
This division of labor positions AI as augmentation that makes creator time more valuable rather than technology that eliminates creative roles.
Consent-based targeting
As cookies diminish and privacy regulations tighten, targeting will shift toward consent-based models that serve consumer preferences rather than surveillance-style tracking, Colella said, noting Google’s recent decision to abandon its privacy Sandbox program.
“When it comes to targeting, it’s all going to be consent based. At the end of the day, a consumer wants to be targeted. They want ads that are interesting to them,” Colella said. “Instead of following people in surveillance type targeting, it’s going to be more consent based.”
AI will enable personalization around intent and timing to create richer experiences for brands and consumers within these consent frameworks.
‘Brand soul’ maintains consistency
Media fragmentation requires advertisers to maintain presence across multiple channels where consumers spend time, making strong core messaging, colors, and imagery essential for consistency.
“The real key to brand advertising is making sure that the soul of the brand is strong. What is your core messaging? Your colors, your imagery, and carrying that through all of the different channels where our consumer lives,” Colella said.
AI embedded in advertising systems enables sequential storytelling that tailors experiences to time of day and specific channels while maintaining brand consistency across fragmented media environments.
The infinity loop
Measurement evolution must follow platform, AI, and targeting changes, treating brand and performance as complementary rather than opposing objectives that inform each other continuously.
“Performance drives brand and brand drives performance — it’s infinity,” Colella said. “When we can understand how a message or an ad is performing, then that’s going to go into the creation of the messaging for the brand and then it goes back to performance.”
This requires constant vigilance over brand message resonance in each channel combined with technology use that keeps messaging relevant and consistent.
“There needs to be constant vigilance over how the brand message is resonating in each channel. And then there also has to be use of the technology available to make sure that the messaging stays relevant and stays consistent,” Colella said.
