The Marketing Vanguard Cannes series continues as host Jenny Rooney sits down with Jonathan Adashek, SVP of marketing and communications at IBM, to unpack how marketers should be treating AI today.
He breaks down how AI is becoming a way to rethink processes and drive measurable growth at IBM, their “client zero” approach, $4.5 billion in savings over three years, and why the company now does half the number of events it did two years ago.
What you’ll learn:
- Why AI should be measured by effectiveness and growth, not just cost reduction
- How IBM uses AI to improve event targeting, personalization and lead generation
- Why training, workflow design and tool discipline matter in AI adoption
- How to avoid runaway AI agents and fragmented tools inside a large organization
- Why unifying marketing and communications can bring brand narrative closer to revenue
- How IBM balances 115 years of brand equity with sharper hybrid cloud and AI positioning
- Why customer segmentation and team structure can change go-to-market effectiveness
This episode is part of a special vidcast series that was recorded at Cannes Lions 2026 and presented in partnership with Edelman.
