Recap of Ad World 2023

I attended Ad World at the end of March, the annual online conference for digital advertising and marketing professionals. I wanted to share some of the highlights from it, particularly how AI is impacting the marketing profession, and some takeaways from Seth Godin's keynote speech.  

The conference brought together some of the most talented and innovative minds in the industry. Over the two days there were several different tracks, and over 100 speakers overall, covering a wide range of topics, including social media marketing, email marketing, SEO, and everybody’s hero, AI. It’s great that they provide additional time to review the presentations, because there is way more content than two day’s worth.  

One of the key takeaways from the conference was the growing impact of AI, especially  on the marketing profession. As AI technologies continue to evolve, it is becoming increasingly important for marketers to understand how it works and, perhaps more importantly, how to use it to their advantage, to make themselves more effective. From chatbots to predictive analytics, AI is transforming the way we approach marketing, and many Ad World sessions made it clear this trend is only going to continue in the years to come.  

The highlight of Ad World was the keynote speech by marketing pro Seth Godin. Godin is one of the most influential thinkers in the industry, and his speech did not disappoint. He spoke about the importance of building meaningful connections with customers, rather than simply trying to sell them something. He stressed the need for marketers to be authentic, transparent, and empathetic in their approach, in order to build trust and loyalty with their audience.   

The keynote also touched on the impact of AI in marketing in general. Set Godin discussed how it has the potential to be incredibly powerful, but that it has to be used sensibly and of course ethically. He encouraged us to consider the human impact of our works, and to always prioritize the needs and desires of our audiences. I thought tying these two together was genius, and should produce truly authentic results.  

Attending Ad World 2023 was incredible, and I already can’t wait for next year. The conference provided valuable insights into the benefits of AI and how it is transforming the marketing profession, as well as inspiring talks by some of the industry's most influential leaders. I feel better equipped to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of marketing and AI, and I'm excited to see what the future holds. And of course, I got a lot of good ideas, and a looong to-do list.