This year's Marketing Association's Digital Day Out event focused on the transformative power of AI in digital marketing. Josh Bosher, Marketing Manager at BetterCo., shares his insights from the event, highlighting key takeaways to help marketers make the most of AI, navigate the post-cookie era, and uphold ethical standards in their strategies. Read Josh's reflections below on Digital Day Out 2024 to learn more.

In July 2024, the Marketing Association hosted their annual Digital Day Out event at the Aotea Centre. Sponsored by Google, this event brought together industry professionals and innovators to explore the future of digital marketing, and how marketers have a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference by utilising AI.

Can’t See the Wood for the Trees

For years, it felt like we were only being told that AI would change the game without any practical proof. But we’re now – finally – starting the see the full impact; we’re officially in the era of AI, and it’s glorious.

Digital Day Out 2024 arrived at the perfect moment. We’ve all heard about AI’s potential to revolutionise industries and change the world, and DDO was a testament to how our best and brightest have developed tools and used them to drive positive change. A showcase of how these tools and technologies are transforming marketing strategies, enhancing customer experiences, and driving business growth.

This inflection point is an exciting time for marketers to harness AI’s capabilities and make a meaningful impact. But despite the excitement, many marketers still find AI daunting.

The Future is Now

It’s important to remember that AI isn’t new; it’s been working behind the scenes for years. Yet as Vasilios Kostidis, Senior Account Manager at Pure SEO, highlighted during his “Do’s and don’ts when using Gen AI for SEO” presentation, 87% of marketers are concerned about AI with 64% fearing it will take their jobs, and ¾ fearing it’ll impact their pay. However, it was made clear during the event that AI isn’t here to take anyone’s job (yet!), it’s here to do the heavy lifting so that marketers can focus on what they do best: making moments of magic.

As Lauren Abney, Business Strategist at Google said, “How can we leverage AI to be the best version of ourselves?”.

We’ve Got Food at Home

The phasing out of cookies is making us inspect and reinforce our foundations. We already have all the information we need, as long as we consolidate, validate, and continually enrich our data points.

As cookies phase out, the digital marketing landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. This shift has put a focus on first-party data, ensuring it is accurate and reliable. During the panel discussion "Goodbye Cookies, Hello AI: What This Means for Personalisation, Privacy, and Measurement," Travena Addenbrooke, Marketing Transformation and Gen AI Lead at Spark NZ, discussed the importance of truly understanding your data to maintain visibility and effectiveness in marketing strategies.

It’s a journey that many have already started and it’s paying dividends. Rachel Howie, Digital Manager at RealNZ highlighted that since blending online and offline transactional data, they have a more accurate and holistic view of campaign effectiveness – something cookies alone could never do.

This transition also presents an opportunity to build stronger, more trustworthy data practices that consumers are comfortable with.

Making Sense of The Madness

By harnessing data effectively, we can create actionable insights that are the driving force behind impactful marketing strategies.

Jenny Haggard, Global Brand Strategy and Thought Leadership Lead at Spotify delivered an extremely engaging presentation titled "Trendspotting with Spotify: How to Harness Culture, Innovation, and Personalisation for Marketing". She explained how Spotify leverages its first-party data to create personalised and impactful marketing campaigns. Their approach allowed them to see that the number 1 genre for Gen Z is “sad” (should we send help?!), which directly led them to develop their Bummer Summer campaign.

Try and Try Again

During the panel "Post Less, Interact More," Stanley Henry, Founder & Managing Director at The Attention Seeker, discussed the value of testing content quickly, embracing failures, and not fearing low-fi content. This approach allows marketers to iterate and improve rapidly.

However, as Vasilios pointed out in his SEO presentation, this strategy doesn’t apply to all aspects of marketing. High production values are still essential for areas like SEO, where quality is paramount.

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

It’s not easy navigating the challenges of modern marketing while maintaining integrity, but you must be clear on where you stand, and stand strong.

Mike Felix, CCO at dentsu Aotearoa, addressed the rising trends of cancel culture in his presentation "Brands in a Backlash World". He stressed the importance of brands taking a stand for their values and causes, fully comprehending the implications, and staying true if there’s pushback. The consequences of not doing so are potentially way, way, worse. Public scrutiny is intense; it’s a balancing act of creating impactful content, whilst ensuring it’s ethical and vetted.

Where is the Line?

Zaria Parvez from Duolingo introduced what she calls "Unhinged Marketing", advocating for bold, boundary-pushing strategies that are social led. However, she also emphasised the importance of knowing where to draw the line by being prepared to eventually cross it. Marketers often make content to impress the senior leadership team, not for their audience. But Duolingo’s approach is a perfect mix of creativity and responsibility, ensuring their campaigns resonate without crossing ethical boundaries.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised…

It’ll be a short video on social media.

The inspiring story of Runner 321 is one of how a moment was turned into a movement that led to significant change in running marathons around the world. Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, Chief Creative Officer at FCB Canada, shared how an online video sparked inspiration to work with the Down Syndrome Society to shift perceptions on what people with Down syndrome are actually capable of. It was a powerful case study honouring marketing that drives social change and creates positive impacts beyond business goals.

A Duty of Care

Having free reign of all this technology is not without risk. The "Correct The Internet: Unmasking Bias in the Digital World" presentation was a stark reminder of our duty to ensure accuracy in the digital age. As marketers, we hold the power to shape perceptions and must commit to delivering truthful, quality content; staying aware of how our unconscious biases can create issues that we could never predict.

Shoot For the Stars

Digital Day Out 2024 was a testament to the evolving, and awe-inspiring nature of digital marketing. From harnessing the power of AI, to navigating the probably-for-the-best post-cookie world, the event provided invaluable insights and generated fuel for excitement and creativity. As we move forward, embracing these innovations and maintaining our commitment to ethical marketing will be key to success.

The future sure is bright, and the opportunities are limitless for those willing to get stuck in – just don’t forget to have some fun along the way.

Source: Josh Bosher, 18 July 2025