The conversations at this year’s CIM Marketing Conference weren’t centred on one new platform, one emerging technology or marketing tactic. Instead, they painted a much broader picture of an industry undergoing structural change.

AI is reshaping discovery, something everyone in the industry has no doubt about. Consumer expectations are becoming increasingly individualised and social platforms are prioritising expertise over popularity, while trust and emotional connection remain the strongest differentiators brands have.

Perhaps most interestingly, many of these shifts are interconnected. AI is changing how people search, but it’s also changing how platforms rank content, how brands build authority and how consumers make decisions.

Here are six key things that stood out and what they mean for marketers over the next 12 to 24 months.

AI’s influence on marketing is getting stronger day by day.

According to IAB UK’s latest State of the Nation report, 74% of advertisers believe AI-generated search summaries will reduce website traffic as consumers increasingly receive answers without clicking through to brand websites.

This isn’t just another evolution of search. It’s the beginning of a new discovery model.

While traditional SEO remains important, brands now need to consider how they appear within AI-generated recommendations, summaries and conversational search experiences. At Palm, we’ve already seen this influence editorial strategy, with trusted media coverage, expert commentary and authoritative content becoming increasingly valuable signals for AI platforms.

The conference also highlighted the rapid commercial growth behind this shift. By 2030, AI-powered advertising is expected to account for more than £18 billion around 32% of all UK digital ad spend. At the same time, Google’s emerging agentic commerce capabilities are expected to contribute 30% of Google Ads revenue within the next five years.

One of the strongest themes throughout the conference was perhaps the most surprising. Despite the rapid rise of AI, the future of marketing is becoming increasingly emotional.

Traditional demographic personas are giving way to dynamic consumer profiles built around behaviour, motivations and emotional state. As Abdul Zahid explained, marketers should stop thinking about audiences as fixed groups and instead understand that people move fluidly between different mindsets throughout the day.

The implication is significant. Personalisation is no longer about inserting someone’s name into an email. It’s about understanding why they’re engaging with your brand in that moment.

Another recurring theme was the growing importance of expertise. Whether discussing LinkedIn, PR or AI visibility, the conversation repeatedly returned to one idea: authority now outperforms popularity.

LinkedIn provides a good example as according to the latest LinkedIn Algorithm Report shared during the conference, content from direct connections has fallen from 74% of users’ feeds in 2024 to just 31% today, while company page content now represents only 1% of the average feed.

Instead of prioritising relationships, LinkedIn increasingly uses large language models (LLMs) to understand content itself; identifying expertise, niche authority and even personality traits.

For brands, this reinforces the value of original thinking and utilising original data, sharing unique perspectives and demonstrating topic expertise. Posting to be visible is no longer enough, brands need something meaningful to say.

Alongside the rise of expertise comes the rise of people trusting people. Research shared during the conference found that content published by employees receives eight times more engagement than content shared through company pages.

Meanwhile, demand for expert creators continues to grow as audiences seek credible voices rather than polished corporate messaging.

For businesses, this creates a significant opportunity. Investing in founder profiles, leadership visibility and employee advocacy doesn’t simply build personal brands, it strengthens organisational credibility.

In an AI-driven world where expertise increasingly influences discoverability, the people behind a business are becoming just as important as the business itself.

One of the sessions focused on email marketing not as a distribution channel, but as a community-building platform.

As Margaret Ward explained: “A channel can host a community. It cannot create one on its own.”

Research presented during the session found:

• 63% of subscribers feel more connected to brands through behind-the-scenes email content.
• 63% also feel stronger affinity when invited to exclusive events or experiences.

The takeaway extends far beyond email. Consumers increasingly want access, participation and belonging, not just promotions.

The strongest brands are creating communities rather than audiences.

Perhaps the biggest misconception surrounding AI is that it makes great marketing easier.

The conference suggested the opposite.

Consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated at recognising generic AI-generated content and they’re beginning to reject it.

Research shared by CIM found:

• 63% of consumers lose trust in brands when content feels obviously AI-generated and poor quality.
• 79% of Gen Z actively penalise lazy AI content.
• 47.2% of marketing leaders still don’t have a strategy for developing AI skills within their teams.

Rather than replacing marketers, AI is increasing the value of strategic thinking, creativity and editorial judgement. The brands that succeed won’t be those using AI to produce more content. They’ll be the ones using it to produce better insights, stronger ideas and more meaningful communications.

If this year’s conference proved anything, it’s that marketing is becoming increasingly interconnected. AI, PR, content, search, social media and consumer psychology are no longer separate disciplines. They are converging around one central objective: helping brands become more relevant, more discoverable and more trusted.

Technology will undoubtedly continue to evolve but the brands that thrive will be those that combine innovation with authenticity, using AI to enhance human connection rather than replace it.

The future of marketing isn’t about machines it’s about understanding people better than ever before.

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