CHENNAI, August 31, 2026: Artificial intelligence is moving beyond assisting marketers to increasingly influencing decisions, executing campaigns and shaping customer journeys. As AI takes on more of the work, the marketer’s role is evolving from content creator and campaign manager to strategic conductor. These are some of the insights from a new white paper, AI in Marketing: From Insight to Action: How AI Is Rewiring Modern Marketing by Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, that was launched in the presence of C.K. Ranganathan, Founder, CavinKare, who shared his insights on building differentiated brands through innovation, execution and consumer understanding.
Prof. Bharadhwaj Sivakumaran, one of the lead authors of the white paper, said, “What our research makes clear is that AI adoption in marketing is not a technology question, it is a leadership question. Organisations are not struggling to access AI; they are struggling to govern it. The marketers who will create lasting advantage are those who know when to let AI execute and when human judgement must step in, to protect brand trust, cultural relevance and the quality of customer relationships.”
Authored alongside Prof. Arti Srivastava and Prof. Kalpana C., the study draws on insights from senior marketing decision-makers across BFSI, retail, FMCG and services. The research identifies a four-stage evolution of AI in marketing, moving from foundational data capabilities and predictive modelling to collaborative human-AI decision-making and, ultimately, an agentic stage, where AI can autonomously orchestrate campaign cycles, conduct real-time ad bidding and influence inventory decisions. The study also highlights a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour. Traditional linear journeys are increasingly giving way to ‘4S’ behaviour: Streaming, Scrolling, Searching and Shopping, creating a more fragmented path to purchase and increasing the need for brands to respond to consumers in real time and across multiple touchpoints.
Sharing his thoughts, C.K. Ranganathan, Founder, CavinKare, said: “Building a successful brand starts with a strong idea, but the real value lies in turning that idea into a differentiated and profitable proposition that addresses an unmet consumer need. As technology and AI reshape marketing, brands will have access to greater speed, data and intelligence, but human judgement will remain critical in deciding how those capabilities are used. The brands that will win, especially in a diverse market like Bharat, will be those that combine technology with deep consumer understanding, quality, convenience and relentless innovation.”
The research found that analysis of large datasets containing 10,000–15,000 records has been reduced from around four hours to just over an hour in industry applications. In one financial services example cited in the research, AI-driven customer profiling reduced the outreach required for a campaign from approximately 12 lakh customers to 2 lakh. Yet, the research makes a clear distinction between efficiency and effectiveness. While AI can process information and optimise for scale, human judgement remains critical to understanding context, empathy and the quality of customer relationships. “AI can optimise for volume, not value; it can provide scores, but it cannot give you empathy or understand the true quality of a customer interaction.” The research therefore positions the future marketer as a strategic conductor, responsible for directing AI while ensuring that brand authenticity, ethical decision-making and cultural nuance are not lost in the pursuit of speed and scale.
The white paper was presented at the annual brand conclave at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, held under the theme ‘The Next Billion Customers: Building Brands for Bharat.’ It brought together marketing leaders, entrepreneurs and future brand custodians to explore how technology and changing consumer behaviour are reshaping the future of brand building in India. Brand Conclave 2026 ultimately underscored a shift that extends beyond technology. As AI becomes increasingly capable of executing the work of marketing, the competitive advantage for brands may lie in the distinctly human ability to decide what matters, why it matters and how it should matter to the consumer.
About Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai
Founded in 2004 by Padma Shri Dr. Bala V. Balachandran, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, is a premier business school known for its innovative pedagogy, industry-relevant curriculum and strong corporate engagement. The Institute holds AACSB and AMBA accreditations and NBA Tier-1 status, and offers full-time and executive management programmes.
Website: www.greatlakes.edu.in
