AI and the Future of Marketing

At CES 2025’s C Space, this issue and more were tackled in a fireside chat between Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder & Executive Chairman of S4 Capital, and Greg Stuart, CEO of MMA. Part of the "AI Now: Marketing's Journey from Hype to How" series—organized by Monks in collaboration with Adobe—the conversation explored the profound ways AI is redefining the marketing playbook and what brands must do to stay competitive.

Want to know how AI is transforming marketing—and how your brand can rise to the occasion? Watch the full session below to hear Sorrell’s candid take on the opportunities, challenges and strategies that will define the next era of marketing innovation.

Sorrell, known for his decades of leadership in the advertising industry, offered a unique perspective on why AI represents more than just another technological shift. Comparing it to previous revolutions like the rise of the internet, he argued that AI’s potential to disrupt is even greater—impacting not just how campaigns are executed, but how organizations operate at their core. He shared insights into how brands can leverage AI to drastically improve efficiency, citing examples of cost reductions of 30% or more in creative production. However, the road to these gains, he noted, requires a willingness to challenge legacy structures and overcome internal resistance.

Beyond efficiency, Sorrell explored AI’s role in enabling hyper-personalization at scale. Marketers now have the tools to produce millions of tailored assets for different audiences, but this abundance creates its own set of challenges. If everyone is leveraging AI to hyper-personalize, how do you differentiate your brand? According to Sorrell, the answer lies in the strategic use of human creativity, which remains critical in cutting through the noise of a crowded digital ecosystem.