Mod Op’s Tessa Burg spent time with David Berkowitz, and wow – this guy gets it. He’s not just another AI guru spouting buzzwords. David’s been in the trenches since before ChatGPT was even a thing, and he’s here to tell you what actually works – even for first-timers.

You know those Coke holiday ads everyone’s talking about? David calls them “soulless” – and he’s not wrong. It was a big groaner over Thanksgiving in our house, and Austin said the exact same thing.  But then he shares the Pedigree campaign that resulted in MANY shelter dogs being adopted using AI in ways customers never even noticed. That’s the magic right there.

Here’s what hit home: David’s been watching AI unfold for a decade. Back when he was at Sysimos, they were already dreaming about what we’re just now making happen. Fast forward to today, and he couldn’t find a place where marketers could actually talk about this stuff without vendor BS, so he built one himself.

The real gold? When David says we need to stop asking “How can AI do what we’re already doing?” and start asking “What couldn’t we even dream of doing before?” That’s where the breakthroughs live. Ask my team, I’ve been able to fully unleash the “And then…!” approach. We have to reel ourselves in to focus on one at a time. That’s a beautiful downfall of AI for us – we have this overly-eager creative partner/intern who can help us with drafts and outlines faster than I have time to review and revise.

His biggest point was that you can start playing with this stuff right now. No budget needed. David drops truth bombs about synthetic research panels and vibe coding (both new to me). The bottom line? Stop overthinking it and just try something.

Listen to the episode here:

 

Key Points

1. Best AI = Invisible AI

Your customers shouldn’t even know it’s there. Pedigree matched shelter dogs to perfect homes, and nobody noticed the tech. That’s winning.

2. Start With Your Why

Don’t ask “What can AI automate?” Ask “What does my brand stand for that I couldn’t do before?” Game changer.

3. Find Your People

David built his own community because the vendor pitches were exhausting. You need real marketers sharing real experiences.

4. Just Try Something

Free tools everywhere. Pick one. Play with it. You’ll learn more in an hour than by reading 10 articles. Promise.

5. Humans Still Matter

The Pedigree campaign? Still had creative teams. AI didn’t replace them – it gave them superpowers. Remember that.

6. Speed Wins

Vibe coding gets you answers fast. Build it quick, see their faces, fix what’s broken. No more guessing.

Key Timestamps

  • 00:00:03 – Introduction and David’s background
  • 00:01:13 – David’s AI journey started 10 years ago
  • 00:02:41 – The meaning of “non-obvious” in AI marketing
  • 00:05:01 – Pedigree’s Adoptable campaign deep dive
  • 00:08:07 – What’s different now in the AI era
  • 00:11:12 – Building AI Marketers Guild community
  • 00:13:13 – Agent-driven marketing and consumer choice
  • 00:17:14 – Marketing operating systems evolution
  • 00:21:16 – Synthetic research and validation testing
  • 00:26:25 – Real-time personalization at scale
  • 00:31:16 – Human perception and AI transparency
  • 00:35:37 – Vibe coding and rapid application development
  • 00:38:38 – Creative teams and AI collaboration
  • 00:43:31 – Emerging truths and getting started
  • 00:45:24 – Contact information and book details

Takeaways

  • The AI that wins is the AI nobody sees – focus on results, not the tech
  • Your brand values should drive your AI strategy, not the other way around
  • Real learning happens in communities, not vendor demos
  • You can start experimenting right now with zero budget – no excuses
  • Stop asking what AI can replace – ask what it makes possible
  • Your creative team isn’t going anywhere – AI just gives them new tools
  • Build fast, test with real humans, iterate – that’s how you win
  • November 2022 changed everything – if your vendors can’t tell you what’s different now, find new vendors