10 of the best insights from the September MarTech Conference

The September edition of the MarTech Conference featured six panel discussions focused on the dynamic duo of data and AI and their impact on the marketing organization. 

The panels focused on:

• Navigating consent and compliance in the AI world
• Organizational alignment for the AI age
• Improving your CX with AI and data activation
• Under-utilized data sources in the martech stack
• Building a martech stack for data and AI
• How AI decisioning will change your marketing

We combed through 95 pages of transcripts from the event (with a little help from our MarTechBot) to bring you 10 of the most valuable insights from the show. If you haven’t watched the sessions, register or log in at the link below and we’re sure you’ll find even more thought-provoking insights. 

1. AI is the ultimate enforcer of data quality

Delivered by Jessica Kao, with supporting points from Verl Allen, in the panel “How to get your organization aligned for the AI age: Positioning marketing, ops and IT for success.”

This will force companies to adopt long-overdue best practices. For decades, marketers have talked about “garbage in, garbage out,” but often got away with subpar data because humans could intervene and clean it up. However, AI lacks this human filter and will only accelerate chaos if it’s fed poor-quality data. 

This reality is forcing organizations to finally implement the data governance, standards and alignment they needed all along, as there is no longer a choice. Adopting an AI initiative can be the very catalyst needed to kickstart a data cleaning project, rather than waiting for data to be perfect before starting.

2. The future marketer is a hybrid of data scientist, ethicist and storyteller

Delivered by Anthony Coppedge in the panel “Navigating the chaos of consent, compliance and customer trust in an AI world.”

To succeed in the AI era, marketing leaders need to blend three critical skill sets: fluency in AI-driven tools for data analysis, a deep understanding of the ethical and legal frameworks governing data and proficiency in human-centered storytelling. 

The marketer of the near future will not just push campaigns, but will be responsible for orchestrating entire “ecosystems of trust and personalization,” requiring comfort with both machine logic and human emotion.

3. Don’t wait for new laws to create AI governance

Delivered by Adam Eisler in the panel “Navigating the chaos of consent, compliance and customer trust in an AI World.”

Instead, Eisler recommends building on existing privacy principles now. Companies should not be passive while waiting for specific AI regulations to be passed. Existing comprehensive privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA do not have an “AI carve out,” meaning their principles already apply. 

Marketers should look to established concepts such as the right to opt out of profiling and automated decision-making as foundational signposts for building a robust AI governance program today.

4. Manage AI agents like employees, not just software

Delivered by Ali Schwanke, with supporting points from A.J .Sedlak, in “How to get your organization aligned for the AI age: Positioning marketing, ops and IT for success.”

As AI becomes more autonomous, it requires a new level of leadership and delegation. Think of AI as “robotic people to be managed.” This means setting clear parameters for the decisions AI can make, monitoring the quality of its work and holding it accountable, much like conducting employee performance reviews. This shift in mindset is crucial as AI moves from a simple efficiency tool to a more integral part of the team.

5. The concept of a single ‘center’ for your martech stack is obsolete

Delivered by Angela Vega and Florian Delval in the panel “MarTech reimagined: Building a stack for the dominant forces of data and AI.”

The traditional model of a martech stack revolving around a single core platform like a CRM or marketing automation system is being fundamentally challenged. We are moving toward a more modular, “no center” architecture where companies assemble the best-in-class tools like puzzle pieces. 

In parallel, the cloud data warehouse is emerging as a powerful gravitational core, where data is centralized to allow various applications and AI models to plug in without creating endless data copies.

6. Human oversight in AI decision-making is a non-negotiable

Delivered by Jonathan Moran, with supporting points from Katie Robbert, in the panel “How AI decisioning will change your marketing.”

Claims from vendors about fully autonomous AI running go-to-market (GTM) operations with no human involvement should be viewed with extreme skepticism. A human-in-the-loop is essential at all times. This oversight is critical for preventing bad or biased decisions, ensuring quality and managing the significant risks associated with AI-driven actions.

7. Implement AI successfully by starting with one specific, high-impact use case

Delivered by Kara Alcamo and Jonathan Moran in the panel “How AI decisioning will change your marketing.”

Instead of attempting to clean all company data or overhaul the entire marketing strategy at once, the recommended approach is to start small and prove value incrementally. 

By focusing on a single, well-defined business problem, a team can concentrate its data hygiene efforts on only the necessary data, test and refine its AI models, and demonstrate a clear return on investment before scaling the initiative to other parts of the organization.

8. In the AI era, transparency is your most valuable currency for building customer trust

Delivered by Anthony Coppedge in the panel “Navigating the chaos of consent, compliance and customer trust in an AI world.”

With most consumers stating they are more likely to trust brands that are clear about their data usage, transparency has become a key competitive advantage. This requires moving beyond dense legal jargon in a privacy policy. One powerful example is to provide customers with a dashboard where they can log in and see exactly how their data is being used, empowering them and fostering a stronger sense of trust.

9. Your customer, not your brand, now defines the customer journey

Delivered by John Heywood in the panel “Unlock the power of the underutilized data hiding right in front of your team.”

Marketers must abandon the idea of creating rigid, linear customer journeys and instead focus on meeting customers wherever they are. Today, customers define their own paths to purchase, and brands must be agile enough to follow. 

This requires a multichannel strategy that can bring together signals from web, email, apps and social platforms to understand and respond to the customer’s real-time behavior and intent.

10. There’s an evolution from ‘marketing ops’ to ‘go-to-market systems’ 

Delivered by Julz James, prompted by Jessica Kao, in the panel “How to get your organization aligned for the AI age: Positioning marketing, ops and IT for success.”

This is a critical strategic shift. The traditional Marketing Operations (MOps) role, often focused on a single tool like Marketo or HubSpot, is expanding into a more holistic GTM systems function. 

This new role manages an integrated suite of technologies across marketing, sales and customer success, acting as a crucial link between departments. This cross-functional perspective is essential for breaking down the technology and data silos that hinder organizational alignment and efficiency.

Get an audio overview of the September 2025 MarTech Conference

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