Breaking the AI Hype: What Really Matters from MAICON 2024 

AI is everywhere in marketing today. With tools like ChatGPT and countless new AI platforms making headlines, it’s easy to get swept up in the hype. But as marketing leaders, it’s critical that we focus on what drives real results, not just on what sounds exciting. 

At the 2024 Marketing AI Conference (MAICON), I was able to see firsthand where AI is making a genuine impact—and where it’s still more hype than substance. 

This recap isn’t about what’s shiny and new, but about what actually matters for marketing teams looking to harness the power of AI. Here’s a breakdown of the most important, actionable takeaways from MAICON that marketing leaders should prioritize. 

The Reality of AI Adoption in Marketing 

The numbers are clear: 98% of marketers are using AI in some form, but most of the use is still in the experimental phase. While AI tools are more accessible than ever, many organizations are still figuring out how to integrate them effectively into their workflows. Most marketers are using AI for ad-hoc tasks like copywriting, automating emails, or generating quick reports—but scaling AI across an entire marketing operation is still a major challenge. 

At MAICON, it was clear that most companies are far from leveraging AI’s full potential. The real work lies in moving from experimentation to transformation—and that requires more than just trying out new tools.  So, what can marketers do?  Here’s some practical advice and next steps from Marketing AI leaders: 

1) AI Literacy: The Key to Avoiding Random Acts of AI

One of the major gaps discussed at MAICON was AI literacy.   In fact, 78% of marketers report NO AI-focused education or training in their organizations!  Unfortunately that means most marketing teams are introducing AI tools without truly understanding how to use them or integrate them into their workflows. This is leading to a large wave of “random acts of AI”—using AI in disconnected, one-off ways that don’t scale or provide lasting value.

The reality is that AI literacy is now a must-have skill. It’s not enough to know the tools; marketing teams need to understand how to evaluate AI outputs, how to prompt AI systems correctly, and how to integrate AI into more sophisticated processes.  And of course, how to ensure they are responsibly navigating use of AI for their customers, clients and their company.

How to Get Started With AI Literacy: 

• Measure AI literacy across your marketing organization as a starting point across the key factors to understand where your team needs to shore up competency and skills. 
• Take advantage of available resources, like Andrew Ng’s “AI for Everyone” and certifications from the Marketing AI Institute, to ensure your team is equipped for the future.

2) Scaling AI: The Missing Piece

One of the recurring themes at MAICON was the challenge of scaling AI beyond small, isolated tasks. Gary Survis from Insight Partners broke this down into key issues: data problems, fragmented systems, and gaps in staff adoption. The result is that many organizations get stuck in the “experimentation phase” and struggle to scale AI across the entire business.

The challenge of scaling AI is not just about choosing the right tools; it’s about aligning your systems, processes, and people. Moving from experiments with AI to full-scale implementation requires a holistic approach, addressing the deeper issues that prevent scaling.

How To Get Started With Scale:

• Assess your best AI tool pilots and workflow experiments against the most common barriers to scale, i.e., such as fuzzy goals, siloed data, or lack of internal alignment 
• Solve for the barriers like a well-run, mature organization as opposed to halfhearted or ad hoc efforts 

3) Beyond Tools: The Importance of Data Readiness

One of the standout sessions was led by Tim Hayden, who reminded everyone that before you can effectively implement AI, you need to have your data house in order. Data is the foundation of any successful AI initiative. Yet many marketing teams are so eager to dive into AI tools that they overlook the importance of having clean, unified, and accessible data

Before introducing AI into your organization, conduct a data audit. Ensure your data is clean, reliable, and accessible across the business. Without this, AI tools will only amplify existing issues, leading to more inefficiency and frustration rather than solving problems.

How To Get Started with Data Readiness:

• Conduct a thorough data audit to assess data cleanliness, accessibility, and integration
• Align your data strategy with your AI roadmap to avoid fragmented, ineffective solutions

4) Don’t Skip the Basics: Organizational Readiness and Leadership Alignment

Another key takeaway from MAICON was that successful AI adoption requires strong organizational readiness and leadership alignment. AI is not a magic fix—it demands careful change management, a clear strategy, and leadership buy-in. Without these elements, even the best AI tools will fail to deliver meaningful results.

Many speakers emphasized the importance of creating internal AI councils to align legal, risk, and security teams while fostering a culture of innovation. Building a supportive environment where teams feel safe to experiment with AI is essential for unlocking its full potential.

How to Start with an AI Council:

• Survey your organization for AI enthusiasts and initiative volunteers
• Establish an internal AI council to navigate legal, ethical, and risk concerns
• Align leadership around a clear AI vision and ensure buy-in from across departments
• Foster a “safe playground” environment where teams can test and learn with AI without fear of failure

5) The Future of AI: Moving from Hype to Transformation

The future of AI in marketing is less about flashy new tools and more about how AI can transform entire organizations. The next big shift will come from multimodal AI (which can handle text, video, images, and more) and AI agents that can automate complex tasks across systems.  And that next shift is happening… now! 2024-2025.   

But to get there, marketing leaders need to focus on the fundamentals: building a solid data foundation, ensuring AI literacy, and aligning their teams and processes. Then, we can be ready to move from today’s AI tools to the transformative AI of tomorrow. 

MAICON 2024 was a valuable reminder that while the hype around AI is real, what truly matters is how we implement it. For marketing leaders, this means focusing on the fundamentals: data readiness, AI literacy, and scaling AI across your organization. The future of AI is bright, but only for those who are prepared to do the hard work of integrating it into their business.