As AI reshapes marketing at an unprecedented pace, it is tempting to focus on the latest tools and platforms. Yet beneath the excitement lies a more fundamental shift. The future of marketing will be defined less by the technology brands buy, and more by how effectively they connect customer data, build trusted relationships and deliver meaningful experiences at exactly the right moment.
In an interview with New Digital Age, Mac Ossowski, Chief Operating Officer of GetResponse, a lifecycle automation platform, discussed why the convergence of adtech and martech is accelerating, how brands should think about AI-powered personalisation, and why email marketing is entering a new phase of strategic importance.
Are adtech and martech finally becoming one?
The conversation around adtech and martech convergence has gathered momentum over the past year. While the technologies are certainly moving closer together, the bigger challenge is not software integration but agreeing on what actually defines a customer.
Advertising platforms typically identify people through anonymous IDs and optimise campaigns in milliseconds. Marketing technology, by contrast, is built around long term customer relationships, consent and individual history. These different perspectives have traditionally been reflected in separate teams, separate budgets and separate objectives.
The real convergence, according to GetResponse, is happening at the data layer rather than within individual tools, enabling more connected lifecycle marketing. Organisations that create a single, shared understanding of the customer will be far better positioned than those simply adding more technology to their stack. Success will depend on aligning people, processes and measurement before worrying about platform consolidation.
How can brands personalise without becoming intrusive?
AI now enables marketers to personalise communications at a scale that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Brands understand browsing behaviour, purchase intent and engagement patterns in remarkable detail.
The challenge is not necessarily that companies know too much. Rather, consumers become uncomfortable when they cannot understand how brands acquired that knowledge.
Transparency therefore becomes as important as personalisation itself. Brands should clearly explain what data they collect, why they collect it and what customers receive in return. More sophisticated preference centres that allow people to actively manage their data could become an increasingly valuable trust building tool.
Consumers generally appreciate relevant experiences, particularly when they receive tangible value. What they reject is the feeling of being monitored without understanding the process behind the recommendations they receive.
Is AI creating too much content?
Generative AI has dramatically reduced the cost and effort required to create high quality content. The result is that producing good content is no longer a competitive advantage on its own.
Instead, differentiation comes from relevance, timing and context.
Within email marketing, triggered lifecycle communications provide an excellent example. Messages sent after specific customer actions, such as abandoning a basket or returning after a long absence, account for only a small proportion of total email volume, yet generate a disproportionately large share of revenue.
That success is driven less by copywriting than by understanding exactly when customers are most receptive to receiving a message. In an AI-driven content landscape, brands that simply produce more material risk becoming indistinguishable from competitors creating similarly competent content.
Why is email becoming strategically important again?
For years, email was often overshadowed by newer digital channels. That perception is changing rapidly.
As customer acquisition costs continue to rise and search behaviour evolves, brands are placing greater emphasis on retaining and growing existing customer relationships. The increasing number of zero click search experiences makes attracting visitors to owned websites more difficult than ever.
Owned audiences therefore become increasingly valuable assets. While brands own their customer lists, they must still understand inbox algorithms, deliverability requirements and consent management to maximise performance.
The growing importance of customer lifetime value is also driving renewed investment. Rather than focusing solely on acquiring new customers, marketers are looking for more effective ways to encourage second, third and fourth purchases from existing audiences.
How is creativity evolving in email marketing?
One encouraging trend is the rise of genuinely useful branded content.
Rather than sending overt promotional messages, many brands are developing educational and inspirational content that naturally incorporates products without making sales the primary objective. Whether offering practical advice or expert guidance, this approach helps strengthen long term customer relationships while positioning the brand as a trusted source of information.
Email remains an unusually personal communication channel, allowing recipients to engage with content on their own schedule rather than demanding immediate attention through live events or webinars. That makes creativity increasingly important, not simply in design but in delivering genuine value.
Will all marketing platforms eventually consolidate?
The answer depends largely on company size.
Large enterprises often seek broad technology ecosystems that combine CRM, marketing automation and customer service within a single platform. Smaller organisations, however, increasingly value specialist solutions that are easier to implement, less expensive to operate and flexible enough to meet changing business needs.
For many mid-market businesses, managing a highly complex enterprise platform can become more of a burden than a benefit, particularly when only a fraction of available functionality is actually used.
*GetResponse is a client of Bluestripe Communications, owned by Bluestripe Group, the publisher of NDA.
