As much as we live in a world where our
daily marketing lives are taken up by dashboards, data feeds, and decision trees, omnichannel marketing can sometimes still feel like herding siloed customer experiences and KPIs without a shared
compass.
At the June MediaPost Performance Insider Summit, I was fortunate enough to moderate a panel called "Has Anyone Truly Mastered the Omnichannel
Maze?" Spoiler alert: no one has. Despite years of tech investment and measurement innovation, most marketers believe they are omnichannel, but the reality is far from it. Panelists
weren't afraid to admit that data is still siloed across teams and systems. Creative is rarely optimized holistically. Measurement follows, rather than precedes. And most of marketing is still
reactive, rather than proactive. As one panelist summed it up, "It's not about having more data. It's about having connected data that translates into real-time, informed action."
That's where I believe there is an emerging opportunity: AI agents.
Let me be clear, I’m not referring to chatbots or plug-and-play automation
tools. I’m talking about autonomous AI agents that function as intelligent co-pilots; capable of analyzing, planning, and optimizing marketing strategies across platforms in near
real-time.
What Could AI Agents Actually Do?
Think about an AI agent recommending flighting across CTV, paid social, and streaming
audio based on seasonal trends, weather, and intent signals. Picture it auto-generating dynamic creative versions tailored to micro-audiences and contextual signals. Or rebalancing media budgets based
on competitive pressure or in-moment demand shifts without waiting for a monthly MMM output.
Marketers today do have tools that offer speed and
automation. Automation and AI are not the same thing, though. Automation speeds up workflows. AI makes them smarter. The distinction matters. AI agents bring intelligence, not just efficiency.
They uncover patterns in customer behavior that are invisible to us, reimagine product positioning in evolving markets, and dynamically develop messaging across audiences, formats, and devices. They
don't just execute the strategy; they help write it.
The Omnichannel Disconnect: A Human Problem First
On the panel, we discussed how
omnichannel confusion is more often caused by internal breakdowns than external complexity. Systems weren't built to talk to each other. Teams were trained on channels, not journeys. And while media
has become more addressable, strategy hasn't caught up.
Something I've been thinking about is the way we've been treating people like tools and tools like people. It's
backwards, and it's burning people out.
We’re living in a paradox: marketers are asked to do more with less, be specialists and generalists, and stay agile while
chasing stability. Human capacity has hit a ceiling. AI and automation shouldn’t replace human talent, they should amplify it.
But we cannot take for granted that
AI will thrive in systems that have not been modernized. AI agents are only as good as the signals they ingest. That is why foundational readiness matters. You cannot skip over the hard work of
unifying your data, auditing your blind spots, and investing in system interoperability.
So What Now? Three Steps for Forward-Thinking
Marketers
Future-proof your media strategy and finally slice through the omnichannel pinball maze, start here:
1. Train teams to
trust but also guide AI ; not simply rely on it.
AI needs human oversight, feedback, and direction correction. Build internal fluency and curiosity, not fear.
2. Fix the foundation before chasing the shiny.
Unify your data infrastructure. Break down walls between CRM, DSPs, and CMS. Don't add AI to a broken
stack.
3. Redefine your ROI: Return on Innovation.
Not all AI investments yield immediate returns, but inaction is more expensive. Ask: Is
the pain of change greater than the cost of staying the same? This is one of the many questions I have up on my wall to guide my thinking daily.
This is a moment
for marketers to shift the conversation. We don't need more dashboards. We need copilots. We need AI that helps us look around corners, think more clearly, and move faster without losing creativity or
strategy. The brands that embrace this shift, that empower their talent with the right tools and reshape the organizations around them will be the ones that finally emerge from the omnichannel
maze.
If you’re interested in submitting content for future editions, please reach out to our Managing Editor, Barbie Romero at Barbie@MediaPost.com.