Industry leaders reflect on CES 2024 and share their top takeaways

The Drum tapped leaders from Media.Monks, Code and Theory and other agencies to share the soundbites that stood out to them the most at the show – however profound, exciting and daunting they may be.

Katie Richling, chief marketing officer, Media.Monks: “The next wave of AI is not just about people using interfaces, as the reigning discourse surrounding AI suggests, but is rather about the collaboration between humans and AI in workflows, where the human element ensures quality and provides feedback for reinforcement learning, and AI assists with tasks like creating content variations and translations. This symbiosis is leading to scalable and efficient workflows, but is also bound to evolve the commercial model for agencies – and it will be interesting to see how they adapt.”

Brent Buntin, chief growth officer, Code and Theory: “At CES, there were devices that measure everything from biometrics to bodily fluids – everything from babies’ socks that collect data to app-driven urine tests. There is so much data being collected in health tech, and given how adept our industry is at using data, it feels like marketing on the cellular level is on the horizon.”

Amy Carvajal, chief creative officer, Code and Theory: “There was a noticeable push towards ‘invisible tech’ that naturally incorporates technology into our lives without others realizing it’s there. Think technology that intuitively works with your body and accessibility plays like audio enhancements for the hearing impaired, embedded in eyeglass frames that are visibly undetectable. There was also tech that helped you see better and drive better, all without signaling to the world that you are using it. It seemed like there was almost no space, surface, or even my body where tech wasn’t being created to enhance living. It’s exciting but also a bit scary.”

Michael Kassan, chief executive officer, MediaLink: “CES is incredibly hard work. It’s not just about admiring shiny new tech. Marketers were in Vegas to meet new tech partners, test new innovations, ink new deals, and learn how to harness the new technology that will define how brands connect with people in the months ahead. The explosion of exhibitors in the C Space was a direct reflection of the number of brand decision makers who were there to set their strategic agenda for the year.”

Esther Raphael, chief marketing officer, Intersection: “It was truly fascinating hearing everyone’s take on AI and where it takes us within the media landscape and personally. Mark Cuban summarized it best during his Brand Innovator talk. He said that we’d go from millennials to GenZ to Gen AI, a place where our kids grow up with a version of AI as their best friend (in lieu of just handing them an iPad, their version of AI will learn and stay with them!). AI will create space in our worlds and open doors we have yet to realize exist.”

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