Marketing is operating in a state of permanent change. New platforms emerge, tools evolve, and expectations rise, yet one thing became clear at the CIM South East event at Henley Business School - progress depends less on chasing technology and more on how thoughtfully we use it.
Throughout the day, speakers returned to a shared concern. As marketing becomes faster and more automated, the risk is not that we fall behind, but that we forget who we are trying to reach.
Discovery no longer follows a straight line
One of the strongest reminders from the day was that discovery has stopped being linear. Search behaviour is no longer confined to a single engine or a predictable journey. People move fluidly between platforms depending on mood, intent and trust.
Short-form video, communities, recommendations and AI tools all play a role in how audiences seek answers. For marketers, this means visibility is no longer just about ranking well, but about showing up in the right places with the right tone. Understanding motivation matters more than mastering mechanics.
Leadership in an age of acceleration
As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in daily workflows, marketing leadership is being redefined. Speed and efficiency are valuable, but they are not enough on their own.
The conversations around AI and leadership highlighted the importance of judgement, curiosity and responsibility. Knowing when to rely on technology, when to question it and when to override it is quickly becoming a core leadership skill. AI can sharpen thinking, but only if marketers remain actively involved in the process.
Why behaviour still beats tactics
Marketing psychology surfaced repeatedly, not as theory, but as practical guidance. Campaigns succeed when they reflect how people actually think and behave, not how we assume they do.
When marketers take time to understand values, emotions and decision-making, the work becomes clearer and more effective. This is where strategy gains depth and where brands build credibility rather than noise.
Creativity cannot be automated
The closing discussion looked ahead to what AI means for creativity. The consensus was reassuring but challenging: automation will raise the baseline, but it will not replace original thinking.
Generic outputs are easy to spot and even easier to forget. What continues to stand out is perspective, storytelling and ideas rooted in real insight. Creativity still needs human input, context and courage.
Using technology with intent
Rather than framing the future as people versus machines, the more useful question is how marketers can use technology without losing intent. Tools should support better work, not flatten it.
If marketers remain thoughtful, ethically aware and willing to challenge both data and outputs, the pace of change becomes an opportunity rather than a threat.
A final reflection
ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude are just tools, and not a safety net.
It can help shape ideas, speed up delivery and remove friction, but it will not persuade a sceptical stakeholder, spot a cultural misstep or land a bold idea at exactly the right moment. Those moments still rely on experience, confidence and human judgement.
And that, perhaps, is the most encouraging takeaway of all.
Special thanks to the CIM South East Committee for planning the event.
Thank you to Hannah Allbrooke for leading on the event planning alongside Marie Wilcox, and to Pippa White. Thank you also to Ricci Masero and Wing Tsang for supporting the event and hosting several seminar sessions.
Finally, thank you to Christine Bowles and Jonathan Stringer for their support with communications.
CIM South East would like to thank Henley Business School for hosting the event on campus.