AI is being used across the marketing sector, but in many cases brands are still to see a significant impact. Disconnected tools and processes can make AI just another layer of marketing complexity, but as Jose Espinosa, our Managing Director (Integration), explains, you don’t need a complete rebuild to get AI working for you.
Every marketing conversation we have right now tends to lead back to one place — AI. But turning the hype into genuine value and measurable results is where brands tend to get stuck.
The good news? You don’t need to rip out your tech stack or start from scratch in order to get there.
The fastest route to AI success is not re-engineering your systems, but making them work better (and smarter) together, which can be achieved by implementing the right platforms and practices.
What successful integrated marketing looks like
Across the industry, high-performing marketing teams are using AI to:
- Automate repetitive tasks like content adaptation, approvals, and localization
- Speed up time to market by streamlining workflows
- Personalize at scale using data-driven insights
- Free up creative teams to focus on strategy and storytelling
There is no big secret. These AI tools are on the market, and pretty much every business has access to the same tech that the industry leaders are using. So, what’s the real differentiator between success and failure?
The answer is integration. AI works best when it’s embedded into your existing operations and ways of working — not bolted on.
The role of a Content Marketing Platform (CMP)
A CMP, like ITG’s own Storyteq® technology, helps bring everything together. It doesn’t replace your systems — it’s the backbone of your operation, connecting technologies, tools, teams, platforms, and processes in one place to drive consistency and efficiency in marketing execution.
Rather than isolating AI tools as separate components of your marketing ecosystem, plugging them into your CMP allows you to automate, adapt, and accelerate delivery across your content supply chain — because your content workflows and data are already unified by your CMP.
And with your CMP owning rules around trust and governance, it’s far easier to ensure your AI tools maintain brand consistency and compliance.
Essentially, your CMP is the perfect vehicle to integrate AI effectively into your marketing, acting as the central hub for your entire operations model.
Integration driving marketing performance: A global retail brand’s AI journey
One of our global retail clients faced a common challenge when it came to content creation — too many disconnected tools, too much manual work, and not enough speed.
By integrating AI through our Storyteq CMP, they achieved:
- 50% faster production times
- 3x more campaigns delivered
- 40% cost savings
- 150% increase in engagement
The same systems working better together, united by Storyteq CMP, with the efficiencies of AI integrated throughout the entire content lifecycle.
Best practices for AI integration in marketing
- Start with the challenge, not the tech
Identify exactly where your teams are losing time or struggling to scale. Then choose the tool that most directly addresses that problem. Remember, this isn’t about tech for tech’s sake! - Get buy-in from your teams
Change management is essential when rolling out a new solution like this. Engaging your teams early, explaining clearly, and getting them excited makes a world of difference further down the line. - Automate what slows you down
Use AI-enabled automation to handle repetitive, manual tasks — briefing, reviewing, adapting — so that your people can focus on high-value work (the kind that gets them out of bed in the morning). - Connect your platforms
Connection is key. A CMP will unite your marketing tools, streamline processes, get everyone on the same page, and set the scene perfectly for AI’s successful integration. - Test, learn, and scale
Start small. Prove the value. Then expand AI across more workflows and teams.
AI isn’t a silver bullet
Marketers are being told to “use AI”, but the truth is that there’s a big gap between simply using AI, and using it effectively.
AI usage in isolation may bring some benefits, but only when these tools are properly integrated across your marketing ecosystem will you see significant efficiencies and meaningful ROI.
It’s not a case of reinventing the wheel. The smartest brands are taking the technologies they already have, connecting them through a CMP, and then using that as the foundation to integrate AI throughout their operations.
That’s how you turn hype into value, and investment into results.
Want to see how this could work for your team? Fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch.