Marketers Told to Stop AI Experiments, Focus on Measurable Business Results
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- Mayoritas pemasar masih terjebak dalam fase uji coba AI tanpa mengaitkannya dengan hasil bisnis yang terukur.
- Penerapan tata kelola dan rambu pengaman dinilai krusial untuk mencegah risiko sekaligus memaksimalkan manfaat AI.
- Kesenjangan keterampilan antara tim strategis dan taktis menjadi hambatan utama adopsi AI di organisasi pemasaran.
The marketing industry is under pressure to quickly turn artificial intelligence (AI) experiments into responsible and measurable business decisions. This was the focus of a panel discussion at Brandweek 2026 that brought together Callie Cogley, Director of Consumer Data Strategy at Cox Automotive, and Rafa Flores, Chief Product and Growth Officer at Treasure AI, with moderator Ryan Joe from ADWEEK.
Rather than merely chasing the speed of adoption, marketing leaders are now being asked to slow down and build the right foundations. Cogley stressed that organizations need to step back for a moment to evaluate their goals and methods. "We've taken 20 steps forward, now it's time to take 10 steps back to put up guardrails," she said, describing a shift in the discourse from mere expectations to the reality of implementation.
Flores added that AI has data blind spots, but so do humans. According to him, public discussion focuses too much on the context AI needs, but forgets the role of human judgment. "The marketer's role will never disappear because humans hold full control over the emotions and brand image they want to convey," Flores asserted.
The discussion also highlighted internal challenges: AI does free employees to think more strategically, but this actually makes things difficult for those accustomed to working tactically. Cogley observed that many individuals who are hesitant about AI do not even know its potential. To address this, she encourages exploration by sharing personal experiences, such as using AI every morning to summarize emails, chats, and meetings. "The most important thing is that those who have already felt the benefits of AI can share their experiences," Cogley said.
Flores has a similar approach, using prompts and AI signals to send tactical suggestions to his team. "My first prompt is: tell me the latest developments in our business over the last 24 hours, and the AI gives me trends. I also do it on the product side," he explained. He stressed that AI is here to stay because its benefits have been proven, as long as it is used wisely, governed, and secure.
"AI is here to stay because we have seen the advantages of using it. And there's a lot of good that comes with it if you use it wisely and it's governed and secure." - Rafa Flores
Indonesian Context
For marketers in Indonesia, this message is relevant given that AI adoption in the country continues to rise, especially in the e-commerce and startup sectors. However, many companies are still stuck in a trial-and-error stage without clearly measuring business impact. Regulations such as the Personal Data Protection Law (PDP) also demand strict AI governance, in line with the experts' call at the forum. Indonesian companies need to learn from global experience that AI investment must be directed toward concrete results, not just following trends.
Going forward, the question is how organizations can bridge the skills gap and ensure AI is not only an efficiency tool, but also a driver of growth. Without a commitment to governance and human resource development, AI experiments will only become costs without results.
