Nick Cronk, Co-Managing Director, CP West
The world’s premier tech conference is an overwhelming experience which requires athletic footwear and a well-organized calendar. Packed with talks, workshops, seminars, networking and social events, some 17,000 attendees gathered to ingest as much as they could on all things tech, digital and web.
The event is huge for the city of Vancouver, validating its already burgeoning tech scene and drawing thousands of visitors from across the globe. Here are my key takeaways from a dizzying few days:
1) No One Has a Clue About AI
Quite simply, I didn’t hear or speak to one person who has figured it out yet. We’re firmly in the infancy phase of discovery, and will be for some time. While there is (rightly) much hype around the possibilities of what it can do, we’re spinning in a world of trials and tests, with existing applications and uses remaining rudimental. The infinite incantations of where and how it manifests in your marketing world is paralyzing, so much so that actual implementation is slow. There’s no doubt, however, that if you can navigate this chaos, identify that sweet spot and take a leap into some unknowns, the net result and benefit will be huge. Attempting to do that as a side project or initiative means you’re going to come up short. It needs serious commitment, dedicated resource and courage to avoid the pitfalls of the discovery cycle.
2) The Agentic Age Cometh
This is going to fundamentally challenge the way we think of the customer journey, marketing funnel and experience within a frighteningly short space of time. While they might not yet be able to take out the trash, we’re increasingly familiarizing ourselves with the capabilities of AI agents to make other menial tasks a thing of the past. From booking flights or hotel rooms, to your weekly supermarket shop, the days of how consumers interact with brands, especially in the purchase stage, are about to experience a drastic change, comparable to the arrival of the internet. Brian Yamada sums up the opportunity well when speaking about Bionic Brands, where the marketers who win will find ways to increase relevance and personalization at scale. This isn’t just about making the future even more frictionless, it’s actually about using technology to make it more human.
3) ROI Is Dangerous
Marketers are increasingly falling into a trap where they chase efficiency and optimize for the incremental, says Joey Camire. It makes us myopic, he adds, leading us to do the same activity over and over again to maintain the status quo. Outcomes can be explained, good or bad. But in doing so, other critical metrics fall to the wayside: lessening differentiation, thwarting innovation, worsening customer experiences, and making it near impossible to drive significant growth. This isn’t to say that taking un-calculated risks is the solution, but instead a reminder to challenge ourselves as marketers to pursue opportunities outside of the ordinary. A timely reminder too, given the latest report from WARC (June ‘25), which explores Why Marketing Needs A New Measurement Mindset, and outlines how to embrace real-world nuances to help marketers make confident decisions.
As we grapple with the AI revolution and re-evaluate our measurement mindsets, one thing is clear: the future of marketing demands not just adaptation, but bold imagination. What’s your next brave leap? Let’s talk.