There’s no shortage of noise around AI. Headlines promise revolutions, LinkedIn is full of visionary takes, and internal conversations often start with: “We need to be doing more with AI.”
From flashy prompts to bold predictions, AI marketing automation has quickly become one of the most talked-about trends in the industry.
But what does that actually mean for marketing teams in practice?
That question shaped much of the recent IHALC session, where leaders across content, production, and operations came together to unpack what AI really looks like when applied with purpose. And if one theme cut through the hype, it was this:
Operational AI in action: from theory to real results
We’ve been helping global enterprise brands bring AI into their operations, not as a gimmick, but as a core part of their marketing infrastructure. In one case, we partnered with a leading global technology company that needed to scale creative output across multiple markets, without losing control or relevance.
They needed to scale creative output across global markets without losing relevance or control. With Halo Intelligence, our proprietary AI solution, we were able to achieve the following results:
- 3x more content output
- 50% faster speed to market
- 40% reduction in production cost
- And a 150% uplift in audience engagement
That’s the difference between talking about AI and building it into the heart of your engine.
Getting it done: Why the right partner is key for success
AI can feel overwhelming. It’s technical, quickly evolving and tied into everything from data and workflows to governance and adoption.
It’s no surprise then that 35% of marketers cite integration complexity as a major hurdle, while 34% say they feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of AI tools available, making it harder to choose the right solutions, let alone embed them into working systems.
That’s why who you partner with matters.
ITG is more than a tech partner; through us, brands can operationalize AI across marketing operations and the content supply chain. That means:
- Building frameworks around what really matters: scale, quality, speed
- Designing tools and workflows that integrate with your team
- Guiding governance, compliance, and internal adoption
- Ensuring creative remains human-led, but supercharged by automation
When AI is operationalized properly, it doesn’t replace the creative process, it empowers it. That’s the point.
The 3 things AI should help you do (Today)
If you’re exploring AI’s role in your marketing ops, don’t overcomplicate it. Start with these three results that should already be on the table:
- Work faster
Cut the time spent briefing, reviewing, and revising across every channel, without sacrificing quality.
- Find and repurpose smarter
Stop reinventing content for every campaign. Use AI to surface, adapt, and extend what you already have.
- Translate and adapt instantly
Translate and adapt creative at speed, by market, by format, by message, without starting from scratch.
These aren’t hypotheticals. Global brands are already doing this today through AI-powered content production.
If your AI setup isn’t delivering these yet, it’s time to rethink the system.
The framework behind the output
AI performs best when your goals, data, and workflows are already aligned.
We use a simple framework to help clients assess and deploy AI marketing automation effectively:
- Strategy: What business challenge are you solving?
- Data: Do you have the right content signals, usage inputs, and feedback loops?
- Operations: Can your teams use it day-to-day, at scale, without friction?
- Governance: Are the outputs brand-safe, compliant, and auditable?
Operational AI only works when the basics already do: strategy, data, operations, and governance.
The real value of AI marketing automation comes when it’s integrated directly into marketing operations, powering faster, more efficient content production without compromising creativity or brand control.
Brands that implement operational AI with the right strategy, governance, and team alignment gain a clear competitive edge in today’s content-heavy landscape.
At ITG, we help brands navigate the complexity of AI in marketing, combining automation, insight, and execution to deliver measurable business outcomes that scale.