I built this framework because I couldn't find one that met my needs – so I made what I
wished existed. It's here to help you and your team move from AI-curious to AI-confident.
It walks through the challenges (inside the team and outside it), maps practical use cases
across the marketing value chain, and lays out a maturity model across People, Processes,
and Technology. There's also a role-based growth framework – what AI fluency should look
like as a marketer moves from junior to lead.
Aware
Experimenting
Equipped
Operational
Strategic
The challenge
Why AI adoption isn't a plug-and-play move.
AI changes what marketing actually is – not just how we do it. That's a bigger claim
than it sounds, and most teams feel it before they can name it.
Content is suddenly cheap to produce, so producing more of it stops being an edge.
Anyone can generate a decent-looking campaign in an afternoon, which means a
decent-looking campaign is worth less than it used to be. The hard part moves – away
from making things, and toward judgment, taste, and knowing what's worth saying in the
first place.
That asks something real of a team: new skills, new ways of working, and a clear line on
where the ethics sit. And it lands at the same time as a shift we don't control – how
people discover, trust, and engage with brands in an AI-mediated world.
Those who adapt will amplify their impact. Those who don't risk becoming invisible.
The same pressures show up in two places – inside the team, and out in the market. Switch between them.
The pressureWhat's happeningForces you to
Skill disparity
Not everyone is equally comfortable with AI tools, so adoption is uneven.
Forces you toRethink how you hire, onboard, and keep training people.
Quality risks
GenAI generates fast, but not always well. Poor output erodes credibility.
Forces you toDefine quality standards and reintroduce human curation as a checkpoint.
Ethical concerns
Using GenAI without understanding its provenance can backfire.
Forces you toEducate teams on responsible use; know where human sensitivity still matters.
Tool chaos
A growing stack fragments the work and creates decision fatigue.
Forces you toCentralize guidance, approve standard tools, embed them in workflows.
Fear of irrelevance
For some, AI feels like a threat to their creative identity or role.
Forces you toCreate safety to experiment; frame AI as an enhancer, not a replacement.
Lack of governance
Without guidelines, AI use spirals into inconsistency and reputational risk.
Forces you toDocument rules of engagement, approval flows, and content policies.
Autonomy vs standardization
As more people generate content, tone and brand coherence get harder.
Forces you toProvide toolkits and brand playbooks that protect brand integrity.
The pressureWhat's happeningForces you to
Discovery disruption
AI agents answer directly, so users stop clicking through to your site.
Forces you toRethink how you shape understanding when you don't own the platform.
Brand invisibility
Your content may inform AI outputs without being mentioned or credited.
Forces you toDesign assets that survive summarization and still signal your brand DNA.
Lead-gen uncertainty
Traditional funnels break when customers don't engage on your platforms.
Forces you toShift to outcome-based measurement and new ways to capture intent.
Search behavior shifts
Keyword SEO fades as users rely on conversational queries.
Forces you toFocus on structured data and being the source of truth AI relies on.
Signal dilution
AI summarizing and remixing can homogenize your differentiated messaging.
Forces you toSharpen brand voice and positioning so your point of view stays recognizable.
Mistrust of AI content
Some audiences are skeptical of content not clearly authored by a human.
Forces you toDisclose and humanize; know when human storytelling is non-negotiable.
Use-case library
Where AI actually helps.
A working list of where AI actually helps, grouped by function. It's not exhaustive –
it's here to spark ideas about what's possible, and just as often to flag where a human
still has to make the call.
One thing to keep in mind: models aren't interchangeable. Picking the right one for the
task – research, drafting, optimization – matters as much as the decision to use AI at all.
Strategy & Insights6 use cases
Persona research
Competitive analysis
Audience prediction
A/B recommendations
Trend ID
Segmentation
AI works well for
Spotting early trends and summarizing large research – social listening, persona inputs.
Use with caution
Can reinforce bias or oversimplify segments when the data is incomplete or skewed.
Campaign Planning5 use cases
Journey mapping
Channel mix
Timelines
Workback plans
Forecasting
AI works well for
Optimizing channel mix and suggesting schedules from historical patterns.
Use with caution
May ignore brand timing, internal dependencies, or key market moments.
Sales & Enablement5 use cases
Battlecards
Deck co-creation
Objection scripts
Training
Enablement
AI works well for
Drafting battlecards and objection handlers from call transcripts or FAQs.
Use with caution
Tone and context get lost in high-stakes, nuanced conversations.
Analytics & Optimization4 use cases
Report summaries
Insight narratives
Ad-spend
Anomaly detection
AI works well for
Summarizing performance data into plain-language insights.
Use with caution
Anomalies flagged too late or misread without human validation.
Content & Creative6 use cases
Copy drafting
Visual generation
Video editing
Repurposing
SEO
Tone
AI works well for
Speeding up copy ideation and generating visual prototypes.
Use with caution
Off-brand or generic output without proper curation.
CRM & Personalization4 use cases
Subject-line tests
Personalized messages
Lead scoring
Journey tailoring
AI works well for
Testing subject lines and generating personalized variants.
Use with caution
Over-personalization can feel invasive and erode trust.
Personal Productivity5 use cases
Meeting summaries
To-do generation
Brief writers
Prompt libraries
Time management
AI works well for
Summarizing long meetings and turning action points into to-dos.
Use with caution
Summaries drop emotional cues or strategic subtext.
The economics
AI feels free. It isn't.
Cheap and fast is the first impression, and it's misleading. Every token costs something.
Per prompt it's small enough that nobody notices – until a workflow runs ten thousand times
a month, or someone points the most expensive model at a job the cheapest one could have done.
Replacing a person with AI isn't automatically cheaper, either. Quality aside, a human doing
a task well once can beat a model doing it badly three times – plus the review, plus the
rework. So there's a discipline forming that most teams don't have yet: knowing which model
to use for which job, and what each one costs. The frontier model for the thinking that needs
it; a small, cheap one for routine volume. Matching the tool to the task isn't only a quality
question anymore. It's a budget one.
A token isn't free
The per-use cost hides at small scale and shows up hard at volume. Know the unit cost before you automate something that runs thousands of times a month.
Cheaper than a person? Do the math
Sometimes AI wins on cost, sometimes a person does it right the first time. It's a calculation, not an assumption – and it changes per task.
The budget is moving
AI is shifting from a central experimentation budget to each function's P&L. When it lands on your line, the cost is yours to own – so understand it now.
Maturity model
Where you stand.
Five stages for people, processes and tech each.
Stage 01Aware
People
Teams hear about AI tools but don't engage. No skills mapping or training.
Processes
Aware AI could affect processes, but no changes made yet.
Technology
Aware of GenAI tools but don't use them meaningfully. No official stack.
Stage 02Experimenting
People
A few individuals use tools ad hoc, with mixed outcomes. Skepticism persists.
Processes
Small, isolated tests in specific workflows. No documentation.
Technology
Individuals bring tools in without oversight. Security risks emerge.
Stage 03Equipped
People
Skills baseline established. Training and policies introduced. Roles updated.
Processes
AI points of use defined in workflows. Quality checks and review steps added.
Technology
Tool selection begins. Approved vendors. Access managed. First guidelines.
Stage 04Operational
People
Team-wide fluency. AI responsibilities part of onboarding and performance goals.
Processes
AI embedded in content, review, and governance workflows. Feedback loops active.
Technology
Tools embedded in core systems (CMS, DAM, CRM). Usage monitored.
Stage 05Strategic
People
AI expertise is a competitive advantage. Clear mastery per role; built into recruitment and succession.
Processes
Workflows continuously refined from AI learnings. Creative and ethical standards enforced.
Technology
Stack optimized for ROI and adoption. Integrated across the stack; secure by design.
Inside each pillar
AI runs on people, not just platforms. This pillar is about whether the team has the skills, the literacy, and the judgment to use it well – and the ethical compass to go with it.
Metrics to consider% of team assessed, % trained to target, AI fluency benchmarks.
Hiring Standards
Define AI expectations in job descriptions, like languages or software.
Maturity indicatorJD templates include AI proficiency levels per role.
Metrics to consider% of new hires at target AI level.
Ethical Awareness
Literacy around AI, IP, inclusivity, and brand integrity.
Maturity indicatorTeam-wide alignment on ethical content use.
Metrics to consider% of team completing the AI ethics module.
Creative Judgment
When to value human creation, curation, or augmentation.
Maturity indicatorCase-based training on quality thresholds and context.
Metrics to considerInternal audit: % of content hitting quality standards.
Employee Governance
Clear do's and don'ts for GenAI, in and outside Marketing.
Maturity indicatorInternal policy and training on creative responsibility.
Metrics to consider# of reported violations; engagement in guidelines training.
AI changes how the work gets done, not just what gets produced. It runs through planning, workflows, reviews, and governance. Put it into those processes on purpose, instead of letting it seep in wherever someone happens to try it.
SubdomainMaturity indicatorMetrics to consider
Content Lifecycle
Define when GenAI helps: ideation, drafting, polishing.
Maturity indicatorAn AI decision tree built into the briefing/workflow.
Metrics to consider% of content using GenAI appropriately; feedback scores.
Quality Control
Align internal vs external quality standards.
Maturity indicatorA quality review stage defined by content tier.
Metrics to considerRework ratio; external error rate.
Review & Curation
Human checkpoints for brand, tone, facts, and legal.
Maturity indicatorA human checkpoint for curation and approval.
Metrics to consider% of content human-reviewed; average approval cycle time.
AI Use Governance
Policies for usage, disclaimers, citations, reuse.
Maturity indicatorAn AI policy handbook rolled out.
Metrics to considerEmployee understanding score in a pulse survey.
Feedback Loops
Learn from wins and mistakes; refine playbooks.
Maturity indicatorMonthly AI retros or creative post-mortems.
Metrics to consider# of insights actioned per quarter.
Applied Learning
"The Test Bench" – share use cases, demos, lessons openly.
Maturity indicatorExperimentation is normalized; failures shared openly.
Metrics to consider# of contributions per quarter; % participation; # of pilots shipped.
Tools should make the work faster, not messier. This pillar is about having the right ones, connected properly and safely, and being able to show they're actually paying off.
Metrics to consider% of tools reviewed and approved by legal/security.
Performance Tracking
Measure output gains: speed, quality, engagement.
Maturity indicatorSide-by-side tests: with AI vs. without.
Metrics to considerTime-to-publish, CTR uplift, engagement delta.
Marketer growth framework
What AI fluency looks like at your level.
Pick a level and see how the four dimensions shift. Adapted from the Developer Growth
Framework by Tamara Buckland (@LadyGalaxyNZ), updated for AI.
build
high-quality work, rooted in customer empathy
You have a solid grasp of foundational marketing concepts and are actively expanding your knowledge and skills. You're familiar with your team's tools and workflows, and beginning to understand marketing best practices and productivity techniques. You're curious about topics such as automation, analytics, lead generation, event planning, content and thought leadership, ABM, advertising, PR, and CRM.
+ AI skills
You are starting to explore generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Canva AI) to support content ideation, research, or drafting, and have a basic understanding of prompt formulation.
deliver
quality projects, on time, communicated well
You are capable of taking on small, well-scoped components of larger projects. With guidance from more senior team members, you complete these tasks within reasonable timeframes while maintaining a sustainable pace. You're comfortable asking for support when needed, and when facing obstacles you work alongside teammates with persistence and a positive mindset.
+ AI skills
You begin to use AI tools to structure or draft simple campaign elements, developing confidence in applying them to basic marketing tasks.
connect
culture, community, sharing knowledge
You are developing your communication skills across a variety of settings – team stand-ups, client meetings, retrospectives, and planning sessions. You're learning to give constructive feedback to peers and managers, and you contribute to a collaborative environment by supporting new team members and sharing knowledge openly. You reflect on company values and culture and look for ways to positively contribute.
+ AI skills
You are beginning to explore how AI can support collaboration – for example, by generating meeting notes, drafting internal updates, or organizing shared information.
lead
helping others succeed; a safe environment
You respect and actively participate in team processes, offering constructive feedback to help improve how the company operates. You begin to recognize the strengths and development areas of your teammates and use available tools and rituals to support a healthy, inclusive work environment. You help identify blockers, and you're developing the emotional intelligence to navigate team dynamics with empathy and kindness.
+ AI skills
You follow team guidance on ethical AI use and ensure your work aligns with brand standards and content quality expectations.
build
high-quality work, rooted in customer empathy
You have a solid understanding of core marketing concepts and are focused on deepening your expertise. You actively contribute to improving team tools, processes, and productivity, and bring hands-on experience across disciplines such as automation, analytics, lead generation, SEO, product marketing, social media, events, content and thought leadership, ABM, advertising, PR, and CRM.
+ AI skills
You confidently use generative AI tools to enhance your efficiency – copywriting, image generation, content summarization – and apply prompt best practices to ensure relevance and quality.
deliver
quality projects, on time, communicated well
You independently deliver high-quality marketing activities and know when to seek support to stay efficient and effective. You communicate clearly across the team, take initiative to improve workflows and processes, and approach challenges with resilience, viewing obstacles as learning opportunities.
+ AI skills
You integrate AI into campaign planning and execution – using it to streamline asset creation timelines, increase speed, and support iteration without compromising quality.
connect
culture, community, sharing knowledge
You mentor junior team members by guiding them toward insights rather than offering ready-made answers. You actively participate in the hiring process, helping the team make thoughtful, inclusive decisions, and you foster a sense of belonging through tangible actions that contribute to an inclusive team culture.
+ AI skills
You share effective AI prompts, tools, and workflows with peers, encouraging experimentation and knowledge exchange across the team.
lead
helping others succeed; a safe environment
You actively support and advocate for junior team members, helping them navigate project challenges and build confidence. You identify opportunities to improve team processes and suggest thoughtful changes, and you support others with empathy, kindness, and professionalism – especially during moments of stress or challenge.
+ AI skills
You advocate for responsible AI use in team discussions, raising awareness of ethical considerations and reinforcing brand standards in how AI is applied.
build
high-quality work, rooted in customer empathy
You confidently manage large-scale campaigns and budgets, with a strong grasp of KPIs and performance targets. You understand your audience's pain points and craft messaging that lands. You can define multi-tactic strategies, allocate budget effectively, and incorporate best practices and emerging trends – and you proactively form your own point of view to guide decision-making.
+ AI skills
You select the most appropriate AI tools for the task at hand, and tailor AI-generated outputs to align with brand tone, campaign objectives, and audience expectations.
deliver
quality projects, on time, communicated well
You lead and contribute to the successful delivery of complex projects alongside your team. You proactively share information, seek and give feedback, and ensure clear communication across multiple stakeholders. You help others deliver high-quality work, set the tone and pace for execution, and model a resilient, solution-oriented mindset for junior team members.
+ AI skills
You lead projects that strategically apply AI to accelerate execution, enhance personalization, or enable faster iteration – keeping outcomes aligned with brand and business goals.
connect
culture, community, sharing knowledge
You actively share your expertise with other marketers and contribute to the company's internal knowledge base. You work to enhance the organization's reputation externally – attracting talent and positioning the company as a thought leader – and you foster a culture of openness, curiosity, and continuous learning.
+ AI skills
You help integrate AI tools into cross-functional workflows and act as a bridge – demystifying AI for non-experts and enabling more confident, effective adoption across teams.
lead
helping others succeed; a safe environment
You inspire and support a small group of teammates, encouraging them to grow beyond their comfort zones. You create repeatable processes and tools for ongoing challenges, actively promote psychological safety and open conversations about well-being, and help managers navigate performance challenges with courageous, constructive conversations. You consistently role-model empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence.
+ AI skills
You coach others on how to use AI responsibly – prompt design, ethical boundaries, real-world use cases – and help shape team norms around AI adoption, raising awareness of where human judgment and creative oversight are essential.
build
high-quality work, rooted in customer empathy
You bring deep marketing expertise and stay ahead of evolving trends and strategies. You proactively research new approaches, propose innovative ideas to leadership, and help shape strategic decisions. You serve as a marketing-savvy partner in cross-functional teams – asking the right questions, challenging assumptions – and you play a key role in building and scaling a marketing team that meets the company's growing needs.
+ AI skills
You guide others in the responsible use of AI and lead the development of AI-integrated workflows across the marketing stack, ensuring ethical standards are upheld and team adoption is well-supported.
deliver
quality projects, on time, communicated well
You effectively lead and deliver complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and high organizational impact. You communicate complex ideas with clarity, align diverse teams, and champion high-quality outcomes. You identify and address systemic challenges and drive change with confidence, helping others see obstacles as opportunities.
+ AI skills
You define clear success metrics for AI-assisted marketing execution and mentor teams on when and how to apply AI responsibly, balancing speed and scale with creative and strategic integrity.
connect
culture, community, sharing knowledge
You foster a culture of mentorship by enabling knowledge-sharing across the team. You actively position the company as an innovative, values-driven workplace, internally and externally, and play a leading role in hiring – from sourcing and interviewing to inclusive, strategic talent decisions. You recognize strengths in others and help them share their expertise.
+ AI skills
You champion AI literacy across the organization, setting cultural norms around transparency, ethics, and confident experimentation. You frame AI not just as a tool, but as a mindset shift that requires openness, shared learning, and thoughtful integration.
lead
helping others succeed; a safe environment
You manage complex interactions across teams and functions, promoting best practices and modeling a high standard of leadership. You identify systemic issues and underlying dynamics that affect organizational health and take proactive steps to address them. You advocate for team and individual needs, mediate escalated situations with care, and support others in navigating emotional dynamics with compassion.
+ AI skills
You shape policy and norms for AI use across the marketing organization – defining maturity expectations by role, mentoring others in prompt design and ethical boundaries, and representing Marketing's perspective in broader AI strategy. You champion AI literacy, promote transparency, and advance responsible adoption across the company.
Cross-cutting
What runs across every pillar.
A few things don't sit inside a single pillar – they run across all of them.
Ethics & Sensitivity
Built into training, tools, and workflows – e.g. flagging AI images that mimic artists without consent.
Content Quality Matrix
What's OK at each stage: a rough GenAI sketch for internal alignment is fine; a public post isn't, unless curated.
Creative Role Taxonomy
When to use human-only, AI-assisted, or AI-only creation, based on purpose and audience.
Governance
Clear policies for internal and external content use, accountability models, and documentation.
Doing this with your team?
The framework is the map. The hard part is the walk.
If you're moving a marketing team from AI-curious to AI-confident and want a senior operator in the room for it, that's the kind of work I do.