Will this marketing revolution be the most profound?

Every week we will talk about a “Paradigm Shift” as AI transforms a part of marketing. Today we thought we would remind everyone that this type of shift happens every once in a while but maybe this revolution will be different?

Marketing has always been like a disco ball at a club—shining, spinning, and reflecting the cultural zeitgeist of its era. Each revolution hasn’t just added a few disco lights to the dance floor—it’s flipped the script, replaced the DJ, and rewrote the playlist entirely. Today, with AI as the DJ spinning futuristic tunes, we’re moving faster than ever and we are just getting this party started. Let’s moonwalk through the ages and see how the beat has changed.

Back in ancient times (~10,000 BCE), marketing was extremely simple. Think of barter markets as the farmer’s market of yore: no creators, no catchy jingles, just word-of-mouth and good ol’ reputation. “Your wheat looks mighty fine, and my goats are the GOATs—deal?” This was personal, trust-driven, and slow, but it got the job done. It set the foundation for value exchange, where storytelling first emerged: “I swear my wine survived a lightning storm and if you don’t you will go out doing what you love!”

Fast forward to the Commercial Revolution (11th–15th century), where merchants became the rockstars of the Silk Road. They started to slapp branded symbols on their goods to tell a story and build an emotional and memorable brand connection —“Buy my spices; Marco Polo loved these, he used them every night!” Branding turned products into passports of trust, proving that even back then, a strong logo and brand identity mattered and added value.

Enter the Industrial Revolution, when Henry Ford’s assembly line wasn’t just spitting out cars—it was spitting out a new need for marketing. Suddenly, there were more goods than buyers. Cue slogans (“Have you driven a Ford lately?”), jingles, and early advertising agencies trying to make products stand out in a sea of sameness. Marketing became a carnival, and speed to market was the name of the game.

By the time we hit the 3 martini lunch Mad Men era, the world was hooked on brands. David Ogilvy was one of the wizards of this age, conjuring emotional branding like magic with his copywriting prowess. TV was in it’s prime, you could reach everyone. Picture a glamorous housewife on TV swooning over detergent like it’s the rarest vintage of a French champagne—marketing wasn’t just selling; it was seducing and the world drank it up.

Then came the digital age, a revolution on steroids, one most of us are very familiar with. Platforms like Google and Facebook created once in a lifetime businesses, that turned marketing into a data-driven science making billions every month. Suddenly, you could show an Yoga leggings ad to a Millennial digital nomad in Venice at 10 :04 AM on a Tuesday. Small businesses finally got an equal seat at the table, and e-commerce changed the game forever as the DTC models and Super Apps were born.

Now, here we are in the AI Revolution. If one thing for sure, AI’s speed and precision make it the Usain Bolt of marketing revolutions. So here we are, on the fastest ride yet, ready for sonic speeds with AI as your Co-Pilot. The question isn’t whether you’re on the plane, but whether you choose to keep up. What’s next? Maybe a marketing world which is less familiar, but one we can co-create with together you. Scary? Maybe. Exciting? Definitely. Let’s strap in, we are ready for take off. —