How Marketers Use AI to Test Creative Ideas, Generate Insights

Marketers have been quick to embrace the era of artificial intelligence.

A recent Gartner study of 402 senior marketers from North America and Europe found that 65% of CMOs think AI will dramatically change their roles over the next two years.

We asked Business Insider’s 2026 Rising Stars of Brand Marketing honorees how they use AI in their day-to-day work — and which tools they rely on most.

These marketing professionals are using tools like Midjourney and Microsoft’s Copilot to pressure-test creative ideas, spin up visuals and narratives for presentations, and eliminate busywork, creating more space for marketing strategy.

We also asked them to share their advice for early-career marketers who are navigating this period of technological disruption.

If you want more stories that give you an inside look at the changes shaping marketing, subscribe to Business Insider’s weekly newsletter, CMO Insider.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Building an AI stack to mirror day-to-day work

Benny Gee, creative director, Edmunds

I see AI as an accelerator at the start of the creative process. It helps me explore more directions quickly, but the real work is deciding which ideas are worth pursuing and pushing them into something that’s clear, useful, and actually feels like Edmunds.

To support that, I’ve built a small AI stack that mirrors how I work day-to-day: Perplexity for deep research, Claude as a pressure-tester to push back and find holes in my thinking, and tools like Nano Banana and Higgsfield for quick visual exploration, from rough comps to pushing static ideas into motion.

We’re in uncharted territory in terms of how marketing work gets made and who gets hired to do it. The tools are changing fast, the job market is tight, and it’s led to a flood of work that’s fast and cheap — and often forgettable.

What makes me optimistic is that this rewards people who care about craft. Tools have lowered the cost of producing content, but they’ve made judgment and taste more important than ever. The marketers who stand out know what’s worth making, why it matters, and who it’s for.

Using image-generator tools to spin up concepts

Jasmine Sharpe, director and head of creative, Grubhub

Tools like Gemini’s image generator and Midjourney have been invaluable for my team — whether it’s quick ideation to spark concepts, creating visuals for pitch decks, or developing imagery that elevates the creative.

On days focused more on strategy, project, or team planning, or brief development, I lean on the “old faithful” Gemini or ChatGPT to help formalize key inputs, making ideas clearer and more concise.

For up-and-coming marketers and creatives, I would encourage embracing adversity and putting yourself in challenging, even uncomfortable, situations early. You’ll get it wrong at times, but those experiences sharpen your skills, build resilience, and give you the confidence to take smart risks.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to explore different work environments or subject areas early in your career — this will broaden your portfolio, develop your 360° thinking, and prepare you to lead with impact later on.

Using AI as a ‘thought partner’

Fiona Green, head of communications at Amazon Community Operations

In my day-to-day work, I use AI as a strategic thought partner to pressure-test ideas, sharpen messaging, and surface insights that help ensure our campaigns better resonate.

While AI handles parts of execution, uniquely human skills are becoming more valuable, especially creativity, judgment, and a deep understanding of human behavior. Marketing has always been about understanding what motivates people and translating that into stories and experiences that resonate. That doesn’t go away in the age of AI. It becomes even more important.

For those entering the field, I’d encourage them to build fluency with AI tools while also investing in the humanities by studying behavior, culture, and storytelling. The marketers who will rise are the ones who can pair technical capability with critical thinking, empathy, and a clear point of view.

Sprucing up presentation decks

Natacha McLeod, senior manager, creative, The Coca-Cola Company

AI has become a critical part of my day-to-day work, supporting everything from staying on top of priorities and capturing meeting notes to ensuring briefs stay aligned to business objectives. I also use it to generate visuals for decks and help analyze complex data more efficiently.

Microsoft Copilot is my go-to tool because it integrates seamlessly into my workflow, though I actively explore other platforms to stay current as capabilities evolve.

Marketing is undergoing significant disruption, but that is exactly what makes this an exciting time. There is a real opportunity to lean into creativity and passion while using tools like AI to amplify natural skills rather than replace them. At its core, marketing still comes down to understanding what motivates consumers and how brands earn a meaningful place in their lives.

Pressure-testing creative ideas

Mohib Iqtidar, global marketing director, NYX Cosmetics

AI is a creative accelerator, but in beauty, humanity remains the differentiator.

I use GPT tools to synthesize research and unlock insights that would traditionally take hours or days. I also rely on Creaitech and OMI to visualize creative territories and prototype packaging.

AI has fundamentally changed the speed of exploration. We can research, synthesize, visualize, and pressure-test ideas faster than ever, freeing more time for strategic and creative depth.

But beauty marketing is emotional, cultural, sensorial, and deeply human. I used AI to expand creative possibilities, but never to replace real people or real experience.

As marketing becomes increasingly powered by technology, the greatest competitive advantage will remain profoundly human: the ability to understand people and move culture forward.

Anyone can learn the mechanics of marketing. What truly differentiates you is your point of view, your compassion, and how deeply you understand others.

Recording and summarizing meetings

Mia Vandermeer, content and brand marketing manager, Tennr

Recording and summarizing meeting notes has been the most effective use of AI for me. It allows me to stay present and jot down key ideas in brainstorms without missing any of the details.

Other than that, I’m somewhat of a Luddite because we have a company policy that prohibits the use of AI for writing. Clarity comes from writing, and outsourcing the act of writing is outsourcing the work of thinking. There’s value in spending the extra time to write well and clearly, and in crafting original, distinctive ideas that actually get people to think in a different way.

Storytelling is an industry-agnostic need that isn’t going away, especially in the AI slop era we’re experiencing. Companies and brands need storytellers who convey their value, resonate with their audiences, and separate them from everyone else.

Cutting through admin to stay focused on the strategic work that matters

Bita Jedo, influencer marketing manager, EMEA, Disney+

I use Microsoft Copilot to bring efficiencies to my day‑to‑day work, through refining influencer briefs, streamlining longer writing tasks, and quickly summarizing emails and documents.

It helps me cut through administrative work so I can stay focused on the strategic and creative decisions that matter most to our campaigns.

My advice to young people starting out is to seek out as much breadth of experience as you can, even in short bursts.

Careers aren’t linear anymore, and that’s a good thing. There’s also a world of opportunity and side hustles available online, which can help you find what you enjoy and build a more versatile background, as you never know where your career might take you.

Using tools like Gemini to translate numbers into clearer narratives

Celeste Roque, director of social media, Tubi

I use AI to remove friction from work that doesn’t require human instinct.

That matters because I want my team to spend their time where it actually moves the needle: studying our community, understanding what’s resonating in culture, and being creative.

On the practical side, I use Gemini heavily for reporting. It helps chart and analyze performance data so I can translate numbers into clearer narratives for leadership and show the impact social is driving.

My advice to a future generation of up-and-coming marketers is to learn to articulate why something works. If you think a piece of content will resonate, be able to break down why: what tension it taps into, who it’s speaking to, and why the timing makes sense. Instinct will get you in the room, but explaining the instinct is what builds trust.

Working with an internal AI stack composed of multiple models

Rachel Ferrigno, associate director of content marketing and SEO, Zoetis

I use AI primarily as a strategic accelerator rather than a content replacement tool. In day-to-day work, it helps with first-pass content edits and supports workflow efficiency — drafting outlines, helping with creative briefs, and identifying content refresh opportunities.

I’ve been lucky enough to be part of two generative-AI pilot projects at Zoetis, where I’ve learned and assessed multiple tools and refined my prompt-generating skills. My tools of the trade are our internal GenAI capability. Unlike stand-alone tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, our internal GenAI platform brings together multiple AI models — such as OpenAI, Claude, and Mistral — in one place for easier use.

My advice for the future generation of marketers would be to find a balance between being a generalist and a specialist. I suggest finding a niche within marketing you love and then having a few secondary specialties on top of that.

For example, if you’re a content marketing pro, I would suggest leaning into generative AI, search engine optimization, and storytelling as your sub-specialties.