On Marketing, AI, and Building What Actually Fits
A reset on judgment, purpose, and marketing in an AI-shaped world
→This is a story about how access became universal, and how that quietly changed what the real work actually is.
TL;DR
I’m resetting how I think about marketing at the start of 2026. This piece explains why AI has sharpened—not replaced—the need for judgment, why the best marketing grows out of a brand’s mission and vision, and how Marketing Jam is evolving into a space for more thoughtful, bespoke, and collaborative work.
The start of a new year always gives me a reason to pause—not to reinvent everything, but to get quiet and notice what’s shifted… or, gasp, what I’ve been avoiding.
This is a normal part of thinking about beginnings and ends, but what really struck me this year is how meaningfully my thinking about marketing, AI, and how we build businesses has clarified over the past 12 months. Not because the fundamentals changed—they didn’t—but because the systems we’re working inside of are shifting so fast.
I’m not even doing work the same way I did last year — which, in hindsight, feels almost aggressively analog. (I say that with affection for the luddite in all of us.)
This post is how I’m resetting. A way of naming what I’m paying attention to now, how it’s shaping my work, and what you can expect from Marketing Jam as we move into 2026.
What I’m Paying Attention To
I’m increasingly focused on the intersection of marketing and AI.
Not AI as a shortcut or content machine, but as a system. One that’s changing how we interpret market signals, how ideas move, and how decisions get made. Used carelessly, I think it flattens thinking. Used well, I believe it sharpens judgment, surfaces patterns faster, and—ironically—creates more room for thoughtful, human work.
That distinction matters to me. It’s where I live, as a human-in-the-middle marketing operator, making instinctual calls rooted in earned experience and interpreting nuance in ways technology cannot.
What’s become clear is that the status quo has changed. Access, and even technical knowledge, is no longer a barrier to entry when it comes to AI. Everyone has the tools. Everyone has the prompts. Everyone can obtain the same broadly good advice.
What creates advantage now is interpretation. Judgment. The ability to envision what’s possible, build systems, and shape output into something that actually fits the business, the brand, and the moment it’s in.
Put another way, a generic “best answer” might get you moving, but it’s never going to give you a real edge.
A Lens Shaped by Systems and Culture
My background in entertainment, media, and sports also frames how I see this moment. These industries tend to sit at the front edge of the technology adoption curve, where new tools, platforms, and distribution models show up early and visibly. They don’t just respond to cultural shifts. They help shape them.
Sidebar: I was one of the people who bought a 3D TV back in the 2010s. Not because I was obsessed with having the latest tech, but because I wanted to understand how it might change the experience of watching content at home.
To that end, watching how technology changes behavior, attention, and economics has always been an integral part of my life. It gave me a useful lens for understanding consumer psychology, how marketing and culture are intertwined, and what’s now unfolding across the media and entertainment industry more broadly.
It also reinforced something I believe deeply—and have learned the hard way more than once: the best marketing grows out of a brand’s mission and vision. Strategy that’s disconnected from that context—even when it’s smart or proven—rarely holds. AI makes this idea even more visible. Generic outputs may work, but when the technology is used in service of a clear purpose and point of view, the work changes. It becomes more focused, more effective, and far more satisfying to build.
That’s the kind of marketing I care about building.
What that Means for Marketing Jam
Marketing Jam is where I explore these ideas out loud, without rushing them, overly packaging them, or pretending they’re finished.
You’ll see a few different modes of writing here, all shaped by the same lens: curiosity, judgment, and a healthy skepticism of “best practices.”
Instructional pieces (foundations) that help create shared language and ground ideas when something needs anchoring.
Writing about modern systems, especially AI and technology—how new tools are changing the way we connect with people and what becomes possible when they’re applied with intention.
Brand thinking—essays on positioning, identity, narrative, and how to build marketing that’s bespoke rather than borrowed.
And moments where I’m thinking out loud—reflections from my work as a strategist, founder, and professor, where ideas are allowed to take shape over time.
This space isn’t about keeping up. It’s about paying attention, and choosing deliberately, even when the answer isn’t obvious yet.
You don’t need to read everything. You don’t even need to keep up. In fact, you can opt in or out of receiving emails for specific content threads directly from your account page.
My Thoughts on Purpose
You’ll also come to learn that I care about purpose. I believe it gives strategy something solid to stand on.
More specifically, my experience is that marketing decisions tend to fragment when a brand hasn’t defined its goals beyond growth, revenue, or performance. Everything becomes reactive. Channels multiply. Messaging drifts. Even good tactics struggle to compound.
Purpose, as I see it, is therefore about clarity. Knowing what you’re building, why it matters, and how you want to show up. It’s what makes strategy more coherent and tradeoffs easier.
That’s why you’ll see moments inside posts labeled Purpose Plays. These are brief pauses—not prompts to perform or exercises to complete—but invitations to check alignment. To step back and ask whether an idea actually fits what you’re building, how you want to show up, and the kind of brand you’re trying to create.
For me, that internal alignment is where strong marketing starts.
In fact, alignment is the first place I go when I’m struggling with my own brand. When something feels sticky or hard to get off the ground, I return to my why and stay there until the answers surface and the work starts to move again.
On Participation (and Collaboration)
One other thing that matters to me: this space isn’t meant to be a broadcast. I want Marketing Jam to feel like a shared thinking space, not a one-way channel.
Here’s why: My clearest thinking—and my best work—happens in collaboration. In the back-and-forth conversations that sharpen ideas and expose blind spots.
If something resonates, say so in the comments.
If something doesn’t land, push back.
If a thread feels worth extending, send me a note.
That kind of exchange is where this work stays honest.
As I take my first steps into the new year, I’m less interested in chasing what’s new for its own sake and more interested in using powerful tools in service of marketing that’s thoughtful, aligned, and built to last.
If that’s a conversation you want to be part of, I’m glad you’re here. Pull up a chair. I look forward to meeting you in the comment section.
About the Work
I’m Amy Zwagerman—brand strategist, fractional CMO, and founder of The Launch Box. I work with founders and marketing leaders to translate durable marketing principles into strategies and systems that fit their specific context, stage, and goals.
Marketing Jam sits alongside my client work as a place to explore ideas more openly. If the thinking here resonates and you’re curious about working together, you can learn more about my services or get in touch here.
AI-supported, human-led. All ideas and insights are my own. Curious how I use AI and where I draw the line? See my AI Disclosure Policy →