Marketers must embrace AI to overcome industry anxiety

As of May 2025, marketing professionals are grappling with the anxiety surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) in their advertising strategies. This concern is prevalent as many marketers feel a pressing need to learn how to effectively incorporate AI into their campaigns. A recent discussion featured Fiverr's CMO, Matti Yahav, who shared insights on the importance of experimentation with AI tools, emphasizing that understanding the technology can significantly enhance marketing effectiveness. Yahav insists that the application of AI must be guided by human insight, as its efficacy is contingent upon the quality of the questions posed to it. Fiverr has adopted an approach that encourages the permissive use of AI within its freelance community, actively promoting how freelancers leverage AI to improve their creative outputs. This strategy aligns with Yahav's view that humor can play an essential role in marketing campaigns, especially when addressing topics that may be perceived as serious or controversial. He argues that taking risks in marketing—by injecting humor and light-heartedness into AI-related campaigns—can help to ease the apprehensions surrounding the technology and lead to successful engagement with audiences. Advertisers, however, face persistent challenges; nearly two-thirds report uncertainty about whether consumers are genuinely viewing their streaming ads. Amid this landscape, major companies like Amazon are striving to navigate luxury marketing, signaling a competitive environment eager for effective solutions. In the face of these hurdles, Yahav advises marketers to focus on their brand values and embrace statements that may not resonate with everyone, pushing for disruptive marketing that cuts through the clutter. This environment of AI anxiety has sparked discussions among CMOs about the broader implications of technology in marketing. The consensus is that understanding how to blend human creativity with AI capabilities presents the key to overcoming these fears and is vital for creating compelling campaigns. As more marketers adopt a mindset of exploration regarding AI tools, the industry may gradually alleviate its anxieties and discover practical, innovative methods for engaging consumers.