New in Ad-Land: AI Transformation Teams are Reshaping How Brands Organize for the Future
Marketing organizations are changing as artificial intelligence forces a rethinking of how creative, media, and data functions operate together.
The emergence of dedicated “transformation teams” within organizations is one interesting shift in marketing operations. These specialized groups now carry responsibility for identifying AI providers, implementing changes, and ensuring the technology actually delivers on its promise.
“Those groups didn’t exist a couple of years ago, so that’s something where we’re focusing a lot of attention on now,” said Taylor West, global head of growth and CX at Clinch, in this video interview with Beet.TV.
The silos are actually crumbling this time
For years, the advertising industry has talked about breaking down organizational silos. West argues that AI has finally provided the catalyst for genuine structural change that years of strategic initiatives failed to deliver.
“We’ve always talked about, over the last 20 years, everything was built in silos,” West said. “And you talk about, are the silos crumbling? Are they changing? Now they truly are because of the technology.”
The integration imperative extends beyond organizational charts to encompass how brands think about their core marketing functions. According to West, success now requires “both technology and teams that can understand it holistically and activate to truly unlock the potential.” That’s a departure from the specialist-driven models that have dominated marketing operations, where creative, media buying, and data analytics operated as distinct disciplines with limited cross-pollination.
AI is an instrument, not just a tool
The distinction between viewing AI as a tool versus an instrument brings implications for how organizations approach implementation. West emphasized that the human element remains critical despite the technology’s capabilities, pushing back against the notion that automation alone will deliver results.
“People talk about AI being a tool, but it’s really more of an instrument, and it’s only as good as the people that are leveraging it,” West said. “There’s a tremendous potential with what you can unlock with AI, but you also can’t forget the people that are coming in and actually how you capitalize on that to really unlock the benefits.”
Gartner research predicts that, by 2027, a lack of AI literacy will rank among the top three reasons CMOs are replaced at large enterprises. The analyst firm found that while 65% of marketing leaders expect their roles to be disrupted by AI, only 32% believe significant skill changes are needed – a potentially dangerous disconnect.
Governance could determine winners and losers
For CMOs weighing where to direct their AI investments, West offered pointed advice: pay attention to the connective tissue between creative, media, and data rather than focusing exclusively on any single function. The less glamorous work of integration may prove decisive.
“Don’t sleep on the middle,” West said. “It’s the least sexy of all of it, but it’s absolutely critical to the long term success of any organization, be it a brand or agency. You need to have the partners that can actually help you connect all of those pieces.”
Organizations that build compliance considerations into their AI strategies now will avoid costly rebuilds later, West argued. “Make sure that you have a good governance policy in so that you can actually follow through with it and you don’t have to go and start over in the future,” West said. “Laying a solid foundation is truly going to determine the winners and losers.”
Marketing organizations are changing as artificial intelligence forces a rethinking of how creative, media, and data functions operate together.
The emergence of dedicated “transformation teams” within organizations is one interesting shift in marketing operations. These specialized groups now carry responsibility for identifying AI providers, implementing changes, and ensuring the technology actually delivers on its promise.
“Those groups didn’t exist a couple of years ago, so that’s something where we’re focusing a lot of attention on now,” said Taylor West, global head of growth and CX at Clinch, in this video interview with Beet.TV.
The silos are actually crumbling this time
For years, the advertising industry has talked about breaking down organizational silos. West argues that AI has finally provided the catalyst for genuine structural change that years of strategic initiatives failed to deliver.
“We’ve always talked about, over the last 20 years, everything was built in silos,” West said. “And you talk about, are the silos crumbling? Are they changing? Now they truly are because of the technology.”
The integration imperative extends beyond organizational charts to encompass how brands think about their core marketing functions. According to West, success now requires “both technology and teams that can understand it holistically and activate to truly unlock the potential.” That’s a departure from the specialist-driven models that have dominated marketing operations, where creative, media buying, and data analytics operated as distinct disciplines with limited cross-pollination.
AI is an instrument, not just a tool
The distinction between viewing AI as a tool versus an instrument brings implications for how organizations approach implementation. West emphasized that the human element remains critical despite the technology’s capabilities, pushing back against the notion that automation alone will deliver results.
“People talk about AI being a tool, but it’s really more of an instrument, and it’s only as good as the people that are leveraging it,” West said. “There’s a tremendous potential with what you can unlock with AI, but you also can’t forget the people that are coming in and actually how you capitalize on that to really unlock the benefits.”
Gartner research predicts that, by 2027, a lack of AI literacy will rank among the top three reasons CMOs are replaced at large enterprises. The analyst firm found that while 65% of marketing leaders expect their roles to be disrupted by AI, only 32% believe significant skill changes are needed – a potentially dangerous disconnect.
Governance could determine winners and losers
For CMOs weighing where to direct their AI investments, West offered pointed advice: pay attention to the connective tissue between creative, media, and data rather than focusing exclusively on any single function. The less glamorous work of integration may prove decisive.
“Don’t sleep on the middle,” West said. “It’s the least sexy of all of it, but it’s absolutely critical to the long term success of any organization, be it a brand or agency. You need to have the partners that can actually help you connect all of those pieces.”
Organizations that build compliance considerations into their AI strategies now will avoid costly rebuilds later, West argued. “Make sure that you have a good governance policy in so that you can actually follow through with it and you don’t have to go and start over in the future,” West said. “Laying a solid foundation is truly going to determine the winners and losers.”
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