• by Tom Johnson , August 11, 2025

Let’s talk about donkeys: Specifically, the ones dragging most marketing organizations through the mud. You’ve got an F1 engine (AI) sitting in the garage, but instead of building a car that can handle it, you’re bolting it onto a rickety old cart. What happens? The donkey gets dragged along at breakneck speed, wheels flying off, and everyone wondering why the ride is so bumpy.

This isn’t just a metaphor—it’s reality. Silos, slow workflows, and campaign cycles built for another era are grinding against the very thing AI needs to thrive: speed, integration, and adaptability.

And here’s the kicker: AI-driven personalization delivers 5–8x the ROI on marketing spend and increases sales by 10% or more. But despite this massive potential, many are still stuck trying to make the donkey faster instead of building the car.

The problem isn’t the tech. It’s the operating model. AI isn’t just another tool in the marketer’s toolkit—it’s the engine that can power exponential growth, but only if the rest of the machine is built to handle it. Real-time data and decisions? Your team can’t still be waiting for next quarter’s campaign brief. Media, CRM, content? They all need to work together like a pit crew, not separate garages. And forget linear processes—AI needs systems that adapt on the fly, responding to signals in real time.

The next leap for CMOs isn’t about more AI pilots or bigger tech stacks—it’s about reengineering the entire marketing machine. Here’s where to start:

Rebuild teams into integrated squads, where media, CRM, and content aren’t just aligned—they’re inseparable.  Cultures need to shift from risk-averse to agile, with teams testing, learning, and adapting at the speed of change. Move from siloes to systems.

Shift workflows from rigid, step-by-step processes to dynamic, adaptive systems that respond to real-time customer signals. Enable full-funnel optimization.  Campaigns need to evolve into continual engagement, powered by always-on AI delivering personalized experiences at scale.

Evolve governance structures to empower decision-making at speed, without getting bogged down in endless approvals.

Using AI effectively also requires a close look at operating models.  If your operating models are outdated, here are two ways to move forward: 

-- Attribution models must evolve from tracking the last click to evaluating multichannel, multi-touchpoint journeys for clearer ROI and spending precious budget on the most effective channels. 

-- Data segmentation must be integrated across all areas of business to create opportunities for personalized messaging, upselling, and cross-selling.

Marketers using AI report significantly higher productivity and success rates than those who don’t. Yet, without the right infrastructure, even the best AI tools can’t deliver their full potential. 

Here’s the thing: You can’t win the Monaco Grand Prix by making the donkey faster. It doesn’t matter how much horsepower you strap on—it’s still a donkey. The winners in this AI era will be the ones who stop tinkering with the past and start building for the future.