Digital Trends: 09.15.25

How can AI help me with this? I’m training myself to ask this question before starting any task. It seems simple and obvious, but old ways of working are hard to shake. In strategic planning, there are plenty of moments to pause and consider how AI might help. Neil Perkin has a great resource that maps AI’s role across different stages of the planning process with some smart thought-starters. The IAB has also published a very cool AI in Advertising Use Case Map that explores how AI can support research, planning, production, and measurement.

I love stumbling across creative ways to use AI in my work. To explore your own AI use cases or track pilots, check out the free, customizable templates in the Kickframe Toolbox. And if you’ve come up with any clever new use cases you need to let me know and I’ll share them in my next newsletter.

AI & Consulting Work

My interest in exploring new AI use cases comes in part from running my own small consulting and training business. These tools can make it feel like having extra people on my team, giving me capabilities (and time!) I wouldn’t normally have. For large consulting firms, I’m it is very different. What happens when thousands of junior staff are doing work that AI can now support? Hiring for junior consulting roles in Canada has dropped 40% since 2022, the year ChatGPT launched. At the same time, new “AI-first” consultancies are emerging, with junior teams focused on designing and refining AI-driven workflows.

More broadly, the impact of AI on hiring young people isn’t evenly distributed. Roles where AI automates work (like coding) are shrinking, while roles where AI augments work are holding steady. For those starting careers in strategy or marketing (I know a few of you who subscribe!), I think it will become increasingly important to take ownership of the value that you provide and be responsible for finding new ways for AI to increase it. And if you can help others – especially older, senior-level leaders - understand and apply AI within teams, you’re gold.

Shadow AI

One reason that you’ll stand out is that AI adoption in most companies is a mess. A recent study found that workers at over 90% of companies use personal chatbot accounts for daily tasks - usually without IT approval – while only 40% of companies have official subscriptions. As employees get comfortable with personal AI tools, they’re more frustrated with clunky IT-approved tools. But many keep using them on the down-low, with 1 in 3 calling it their “secret advantage.” This is creating a division between those adopting AI and not – a “two-tier economy”. For those of you who lead marketing teams (I know a few of you who subscribe!), I think it’s important to create a clearly supported safe space to experiment with AI, and focus on celebrating responsible, creative use cases and recognizing those leading the way.

Fresh Reports:

  • Culture & Trends Report (YouTube): A marketer’s guide to the media habits and interests of 14–24-year-olds, with a bunch of references I’m not even going to try to pretend that I know.

  • Social Media Trends / Marketer’s Guide (OK COOL): A fun, smart guide to what’s trending in social culture right now, with plenty of great examples and commentary.

  • AI & Search (Semrush): Study shows that ChatGPT is not cannibalizing search, it is expanding search by providing Google searchers with a new mode of information seeking.

  • How Customers us AI Search (Bain): New data shows that more people are using ChatGPT for shopping, and clickthroughs within ChatGPT answers are growing significantly (from 2.2% to 5.7% CTR).

Cool Beans