Insights From Our Experts
When you pack a room full of curious minds, marketers, leaders, strategists, and people who just like cool technology, something electric happens. That’s exactly what we experienced at the Liger Lair during our recent AI event: a night built on big questions, real talk, and an honest exploration of where marketing is headed in 2026, and what the biggest AI marketing trends of 2025 are already revealing about that future.
The message that echoed through every conversation was simple but powerful: AI is accelerating everything, but human agency is still the differentiator.
The Energy Inside the Lair
From the moment people walked through the door, the excitement was obvious. Some showed up as early adopters who already live inside their AI tools. Others were skeptics looking for reassurance. Many were simply feeling the pressure of a fast-changing landscape and wanted to understand what’s coming next.
And that mix is exactly what made the room come alive.
Amanda opened the event with the perfect grounding reminder that we’ve seen (and survived) change and disruption before. Remember all that panic around Y2K? We ended up sailing right past that into the fresh chaos of social media, the cloud, the gig economy, and now, AI.
Our shared resilience set the tone for the entire night.
AI Is Powerful, But Only When Intentional
Many current AI marketing trends point toward the same truth we discussed that night. One of the clearest takeaways was that AI on its own doesn’t create meaningful marketing. People do! AI enhances possibilities, but it doesn’t define strategy, emotion, or truth.
We explored how brands are using AI today to:
- Speed up research and ideation
- Build smarter customer journeys
- Personalize content at scale
- Visualize campaigns faster
But what struck attendees most was the difference between “using AI” and “using AI well.”
The brands using AI well are the ones asking:
- What problem are we solving?
- What story are we telling?
- What does our audience actually need?
- Where does human decision-making matter most?
AI magnifies clarity. It also magnifies confusion. Intentionality is the line that separates the two.
Human Creativity Still Wins
One of the liveliest discussions of the evening centered on what makes marketing memorable, and spoiler alert, it’s neither data nor automation.
It’s:
- Emotional resonance
- Human humor
- Authentic voice
- Unexpected storytelling
- Empathy
AI can help produce content, but humans give it meaning.
A moment that stuck with many attendees came from a conversation about brand voice. We asked:
“Can AI mimic your voice?” Sure.
“Can AI replicate your lived experience, your intuition, your humor, your timing?” Absolutely not.
Attendees agreed that an effective AI branding strategy still requires human intuition. That’s where competitive advantage lives.
Everyone Wants Clarity
Across industries, from healthcare and finance to professional services and insurance, audiences are overwhelmed. The influx of automation, tools, dashboards, and data has created as much confusion as opportunity.
What resonated deeply was this idea:
AI should simplify complexity.
Throughout the event, attendees shared where AI actually helps:
- Turning scattered data into clean, actionable insights
- Automating repetitive work
- Creating consistency
And also where AI falls flat:
- Messaging that requires nuance
- Moments where empathy matters
- Long-term brand storytelling
- Leadership and internal communication
Relationships Drive Marketing Forward
This also came up in the Q&A with Dedren Snead: AI can produce content, but it can’t build relationships.
Trust, especially in regulated or high-stakes industries, still comes from:
- Clear communication
- Real faces
- Real voices
- Reliability
- Expertise
- Availability
AI can support these things, but leaders and teams need to embody them.
One attendee said something that perfectly summarized the night: “‘AI is like the teammate who never gets tired,” someone said. “But you also notice that something, intuition, emotion, isn’t there.”
“AI helps me think faster,” another guest shared, “but it doesn’t feel the things that shape the final decision.”
The “yes, but” nature of these sentiments is no coincidence. AI may be a boon to productivity and the heavy stress that sometimes comes with the modern work load, but it lacks spark. It lacks soul. Thankfully, our empathy and creativity will always be there to fill the gap.
The Future Is Human with Machine, Not Human vs. Machine
Perhaps the biggest shift attendees walked away with was a reframing of AI itself. The narrative isn’t “AI is coming for your job.” It’s: AI is becoming part of your team. How will you collaborate with it?
We talked about AI as:
- A co-writer
- A strategist’s assistant
- A creative partner
- A research engine
- A brainstorming collaborator
- A spark when you’re stuck
A Night Rooted in Curiosity, Connection, and Community
One of the best parts of the evening was the open conversations happening between attendees. People swapped stories, exchanged ideas, debated use cases, and shared where they’re struggling or succeeding with AI.
That’s the magic that no blog or tool or webinar can replicate.
We believe events like this matter because AI is a huge cultural shift we’re all experiencing. It’s changing how teams collaborate, how leaders make decisions, and how brands connect with their audiences.
And navigating that shift is easier (and, let’s face it, more fun) when you’re not doing it alone.
What’s Next
Events like this matter because they bring together real marketing and AI insights through the connections that can only be made from shared curiosity.
We’ll be hosting more events in 2026! If you want updates, insights, or support applying AI to your own organization, reach out anytime! We love this stuff, and we love helping teams find clarity and confidence in a changing world. Until then: stay curious, stay creative, and stay human. You can also keep in touch via our monthly newsletter.
