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How brands and agencies are using AI and new tech
PLUS: Amazon’s vision for a full-funnel retail media future
Zihan Lyu
September 06, 2025
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Hi there!
Highlights from today's newsletter:
✅ Nike reframes 'Just Do It' as 'Why Do It?' to engage next-gen athletes
🚀 How Billion Dollar Boy is redefining creator marketing at scale
🧠 Inside the CMO Mindset: Budget gaps, burnout, and the role of AI
EDITOR’S PICK
#EXCLUSIVE Q&A
Creator marketing has moved from the sidelines to the center of brand strategy. In this Q&A, Ed East, CEO of Billion Dollar Boy, shares why companies like L’Oréal and Unilever are restructuring around creator-first approaches, what’s driving million-dollar budgets, and how brands can balance authenticity with scale.
He also dives into the measurement gap holding CMOs back and the role of AI as a creative co-pilot. For marketers looking beyond the buzz, East offers a clear-eyed view of how to build relevance, trust, and growth in the creator economy.
#EXCLUSIVE Q&A
For years, retail media was seen as a conversion play - a way to nudge customers at the very end of their journey. But Amazon is betting big on a different future. In an exclusive interview with ClickZ ahead of Retail Media Pioneers, Rudolf Schneider, Director of EU Account Management at Amazon Advertising, explains how streaming platforms, connected TV, and trillions of first-party signals are reshaping the way brands build awareness and loyalty.
He shares why the path from discovery to purchase has never been more complex, the mistakes marketers make when chasing “full-funnel” strategies, and how AI tools are quietly rewriting the rules of retail media.
WHAT WE ARE READING
 | B2B marketers are advised to transition from executing isolated campaigns to adopting product management methodologies, focusing on designing systems that address buyer needs throughout complex, team-driven purchasing decisions. The article highlights that growth in AI-enabled GTM environments depends on structured, iterative processes and precise measurement of buyer engagement rather than superficial metrics. This approach ensures marketing remains rigorous, data-driven, and aligned with changing regulatory and industry expectations for transparency and impact. |
 | Brands and agencies are rapidly integrating AI and emerging technologies, closely monitoring regulatory outcomes such as Google’s recent courtroom victory, which impacts the permissibility and future oversight of AI-powered search. Marketers should note Taco Bell’s reversal on drive-through AI, revealing industry caution. These developments signal necessary vigilance regarding compliance, operational transparency, and consumer data use. |
 | Nike’s “Why Do It?” campaign redefines its classic slogan to address the psychological pressures and economic realities confronting young athletes, leveraging the credibility of global sports stars and diverse media platforms. This reframing responds to shifting social contexts and challenges posed by declining revenue and expected tariff impacts. Marketers and brand managers should note Nike’s pivot: aligning legacy messaging with contemporary concerns is essential to maintaining relevance amid sociopolitical volatility. |
WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO
🎙 OPS CAST
CMOs continue to face pressure to justify marketing spend, with attribution models often creating more confusion than clarity. Persistent budget gaps in MarketingOps reflect the lack of strong frameworks for proving impact, which limits both scalability and resource allocation. At the same time, AI is reshaping operations by adding reason-based systems to traditional models, though this also raises questions about oversight and responsibility.
Automation and digital employees offer relief by easing burnout. Yet for many marketing leaders, the real strain comes not from workload but from the ongoing demand to prove their strategic value across both creative and analytical roles. Making sense of these pressures helps teams work smarter and scale.
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