Hey, marketers in the loop.

A huge welcome to the new subscribers who joined us since the last edition! I'm thrilled to have you here. My mission is simple: to help you lead AI transformation in your marketing organization.

What challenges are you facing in leading AI adoption? What topics should I dive into more (or less)? I'm here to help - just hit reply or book a 1:1 with me. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Last week, I put a Microsoft Copilot AI agent to the test by letting it take over one of my mailboxes temporarily. The results? Eye-opening. While it wasn’t perfect, it’s part of my ongoing experiments to save time on repetitive tasks and explore the potential of AI agents.

Join me on December 13th at 9 AM PST for a live session where we'll explore three levels of agentic AI, from simple tools like the AI Marketing Tools Comparison to productivity agents like Microsoft Copilot, which can act on instructions, and a new beta agent that can operate computers just like humans - by looking at a screen, moving a cursor, clicking buttons, and typing text. 🤯

And last but not least... starting this week, the newsletter will arrive every Saturday. More consistency, more value, straight to your inbox!

Onward.

In this issue:

• Your guide to building a game-changing AI Council

• VMware's journey to responsible and impactful AI adoption

• How Slack and Sprout are creating a culture of AI

• And much more

Reading time: 10 minutes

MY FAVORITE FINDS

Industry News

▪️OpenAI’s 12 days of ‘ship-mas:’ all the new announcements (OpenAI, The Verge)

▪️OpenAI’s o1 model sure tries to deceive humans a lot (TechCrunch)

▪️The OpenAI Sora protest is just a taste of what’s coming in 2025 – here’s what needs to change (Tech Radar)

▪️Ads might be coming to ChatGPT – despite Sam Altman not being a fan (TechCrunch)

▪️Microsoft developed a tool that watches and understands what you do online, giving you spoken help in real-time. (ZDNET)

Industry Reports

▪️Pretty much all Gen Z knowledge workers are using AI (Axios)

▪️Women and generative AI: The adoption gap is closing fast, but a trust gap persists (Deloitte)

▪️Autonomous gen AI agents could increase the productivity of knowledge workers, but the “autonomous” part may take time for wide adoption (Deloitte)

▪️29 CEOs of mid-sized companies reveal the reality of AI adoption (Thrive)

▪️Generative AI is making inroads in search marketing, but it needs to win consumer trust if it wants to become a “Google killer” (Semrush and Statista)

▪️Martech for 2025: A brand-new, deep report on AI marketing use cases, stack foundations, and market structure (Chief Martech)

Practical Tips

▪️How to stop the AI you’re using from training with your data (The Verge)

▪️Claude lets you personalize your AI writing – here's how (Tom’s Guide)

▪️ChatGPT prompts to write LinkedIn posts that get likes (Forbes)

▪️How to humanize AI content so it will rank, engage, and get shared in 2025 (Hubspot)

Case Studies

▪️How Sprout Social is creating a culture of AI across the marketing org (Sprout Social)

▪️How to introduce AI within your company: Tips from Slack's CEO (MIT)

Thought Leadership

▪️Ethan Mollick’s 4 guiding principles for leading with AI (Big Think)

▪️CEO of a $4.5 billion AI company reveals his 6 predictions for the industry next year, including China leading the US (Business Insider)

▪️How to manage two types of generative artificial intelligence (MIT)

▪️The difference between incremental and transformative gen AI lies in a shared understanding of what drives performance for your organization (HBR)

▪️The Only Code That Matters Is Integrity—Not Intelligence (Forbes)

▪️7-mistakes-business-leaders-are-guaranteed-to-make-in-2025 (Forbes)

DEEP DIVE

How to Build an AI Council That Drives Change

As artificial intelligence transforms business, marketing leaders face a unique opportunity: spearheading AI adoption within their organizations. Creating an AI Council isn't just another governance initiative - it's a chance to drive innovation while positioning yourself as a strategic leader. This guide will show you how to build an effective council that creates lasting impact.

Why an AI Council Matters Now

With AI evolving at a rapid pace and use cases multiplying daily, many organizations find themselves stuck in analysis paralysis. This is where an AI Council becomes invaluable, providing the structure and momentum needed to move forward confidently. Think of it as your organization's compass in the AI landscape - a cross-functional team that guides strategy, drives adoption, and ensures responsible implementation.

Remember, AI transformation isn't just about technology – according to BCG, it's 70% about people and processes.

Call It What You Will – But Be Smart on the Purpose and Scope

Identify business needs, opportunities or gaps not being addressed by the various teams and departments adopting (or willing to adopt) AI. Common issues include a lack of clear AI policy, strategy, and formal training. Conducting an initial evaluation of your organization's current state will help clarify the purpose and scope of the working group, which can vary in size and impact.

Whether you call it a Center of Excellence (CoE), committee, council, or task force, the terminology matters less than the purpose and scope. The key is to align the structure with your organization's culture and needs:

• A CoE operates continuously, maintaining standards, expertise, and training across various business units.

• A committee can be permanent or temporary (ad hoc) and typically handles formal governance and specific focus areas.

• A council serves as an advisory body providing strategic insights without direct operational responsibilities.

• A task force is a temporary group tackling immediate, specific issues or projects.

The beauty of this approach is that you can start small and evolve the structure as your initiative grows.

Note: For educational purposes, I will continue to use the AI Council nomenclature in this article.

Pro tip: Depending on where you are in your journey, you may want to kick off a comprehensive AI readiness assessment (e.g., surveys, 1:1s, and workshops), or make this your first project in the AI Council. Check the free resources available here.

Building Your Dream Team

Assembling your AI Council requires strategic thinking and careful curation. Start with a core group of forward-thinking leaders and AI enthusiasts who bring diverse perspectives to the table. While keeping the initial team small, ensure representation from key functions: IT for technical guidance, Legal for compliance oversight, Sales for revenue opportunities, and Operations for efficiency gains.

The power of your council lies in this cross-functional expertise. Each member brings unique insights that shape a comprehensive approach to AI implementation – from identifying use cases to managing risks and measuring success.

While executive sponsorship isn't mandatory at first, securing it early can accelerate your impact. The better you demonstrate how the AI Council supports business priorities, the higher your chances of getting leadership support.

Power move: Even if you're not in a formal leadership role, you can initiate this movement. Make sure you align priorities and time commitments with your manager, but also how to navigate potential political challenges. Begin by gathering AI enthusiasts across departments for regular discussions about best practices and shared learnings. As common themes emerge and individuals step up, you can invite them to create an AI Council.

From Vision to Reality: The AI Charter

Your first major task? Developing an AI Charter that sets the foundation for everything that follows. This isn't just another document to file away - it's your manifesto for change. A strong charter should articulate:

• A clear purpose beyond just "adopting AI"

• Specific, measurable objectives tied to business priorities

• Guidelines for responsible AI use (you may find this free resource relevant)

• Regular review cycles to stay current

The key is making it ambitious enough to inspire but practical enough to execute.

Leadership note: The charter will give you direction, but it won’t be set in stone. It's critical to review it often, not only to make potential updates but also to remind you and the team of the original agreements.

Building Your AI Movement

Now that your charter is established, focus on creating a movement that energizes your organization. Start by prioritizing initiatives that balance impact with achievability - where you can solve real business challenges quickly and visibly.

Early wins are crucial. Choose projects that demonstrate clear value within months, creating natural champions who can speak firsthand about AI's impact. Keep momentum by making success visible through regular touchpoints like lunch sessions, newsletters, or recognition programs where teams can showcase their work and inspire others (this is my favorite part in my experience building Centers of Excellence in big tech).

The real magic happens when you create an environment that celebrates learning and success. By making AI approachable and its wins visible, your council evolves beyond governance into a catalyst, igniting innovation and inspiring others to join the transformation.

Strategic move: Success breeds success. Create a simple framework for teams to share their AI wins - whether it's a monthly spotlight in your newsletter, a Slack channel, or a recurring slot in team meetings. The easier you make it to celebrate progress, the more teams will be inspired to explore AI's potential.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

New AI councils often find themselves stuck despite good intentions. Here are the five most common pitfalls and how to avoid them:

• Lack of executive sponsorship: Without senior leadership support, councils struggle to drive change. Secure at least one senior champion who can advocate for your initiatives, remove roadblocks, and provide strategic alignment and resources.

• Taking on too much: When everything becomes an "AI initiative," the council becomes a bottleneck. Focus on high-impact, well-defined projects and create clear criteria for what falls under the council's purview.

• Excessive control: Overly restrictive rules often backfire. Instead of prohibiting AI use, create clear guidelines that enable safe adoption while managing risks. Knowledge workers will use AI tools - better to guide them than block them.

• Forcing one-size-fits-all policies: Different departments have different needs. Focus on creating flexible base guardrails while allowing teams to adapt policies for their specific contexts.

• Poor communication strategy: Without targeted communication, impact remains invisible. Develop messaging that addresses each stakeholder level: leadership needs ROI metrics, managers need implementation guidance, and teams need clear use cases and best practices.

Leading The Change

Leading an AI Council positions you at the intersection of career growth and organizational transformation. Beyond developing technical expertise, you'll forge cross-departmental relationships and drive meaningful change. Whether starting with a formal council or gathering enthusiasts for initial discussions, your organization's AI future awaits its champion. The first step is yours to take.

CASE STUDY

From Grassroots To Greatness: How VMware Built An Internal AI Revolution Through Its Marketing AI Council

What if the key to successful AI adoption wasn't top-down mandates, but rather an organic, employee-led movement? That's exactly what VMware discovered when they created one of the world's first Marketing AI Councils.

The AI Challenge And Solution

In late 2022, VMware faced a common scenario: their 700+ person global marketing team was experimenting with AI tools like ChatGPT without clear guidance. As Jessica Hreha, ex-VMware's Head of Global Integrated Campaigns explains: "We came back from our break in January and I was starting to hear conversations - 'silos of swirl' I call it. We had some interest, some excitement, some intrigue, and some outright fear for jobs and what was going to happen with generative AI."

Rather than implementing top-down mandates, VMware harnessed existing interest within the organization. In February 2023, Hreha gathered a small group of passionate marketers to form what would become the Marketing AI Council.

That initial group of 8-10 people became the seed of what would grow into VMware's Marketing AI Council.

Making AI Accessible

The council adopted three key strategies:

1. Education First: Making AI literacy fundamental through expert-led enablement sessions

2. Clear Guidelines: Establishing and regularly updating AI usage policies

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Expanding beyond marketing to include legal, IT, and sales, growing to over 35 members

This thoughtful approach struck a balance between empowerment and responsibility. Marketers were encouraged to experiment with public data while adhering to boundaries like safeguarding confidential information. As the council's impact grew, executive leadership took notice. By May, VMware's CMO officially became the council's sponsor, providing strategic alignment and significantly enhancing its visibility and resources.

Transformative Results

The impact was substantial:

• Reduced agency project timelines from 6 weeks to 1 day

• Cut customer advocacy project time from 3 days to 4 hours

• Decreased video script creation from 2 hours to 5 minutes

• Enabled 765 marketers with approved AI tools

• 30% increase in click-through rates on AI-assisted copy

• 90% time savings in project completion

The human impact was equally significant. As one team member noted: "I'm more excited about my job since I started using AI than I've been in years because I can focus on the creative, engaging parts."

Key Insights

VMware's success reveals several crucial lessons:

• Grassroots momentum beats top-down mandates

• Education and enablement are crucial for adoption

• Cross-functional collaboration ensures comprehensive governance

• Clear guidelines empower rather than restrict

• Human oversight and creativity remain essential

• Executive sponsorship amplifies impact

The council continues to evolve, expanding across content marketing, advertising, and digital initiatives. As one member reflected: "It has changed the way that I approach every task that I do. It's not just about content, it's about strategy." They've created a blueprint for embracing transformative technology while keeping humans at the center of the process.

ICYMI

▪️AI Agents Will Make Your AI More Useful

▪️How to Choose the Right AI Tool for Your Marketing Needs

▪️Agency (Or Other Partners) Using AI? Here's What You Need to Know

▪️AI And Copyright: A Quick Marketing Guide

▪️How to Minimize AI Hallucinations

▪️Creating an AI Policy That People Will Actually Follow

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