In a recent Digiday feature, Anthony Costanzo, Chief Analytics Officer at Mile Marker Agency, weighed in on a growing disconnect in the world of AI marketing: while generative AI tools are powering performance media, they’re still falling short in brand building.
The article explores why AI-driven platforms like Meta Advantage+, Google PMax, and even The Trade Desk’s Kokai excel at lower-funnel tactics—but haven’t yet delivered solutions for brand metrics like awareness, lift, or affinity.
The Problem: AI Optimizes for What It Can Measure
For most platforms, AI tools perform well when they’re given clear signals like clicks, conversions, or sales. But brand marketing relies on fuzzier metrics and longer feedback loops—things that today’s AI tools can’t easily optimize for.
Marketers are seeing results from AI in performance campaigns, but brand budgets remain harder to scale through automation. Many agencies are building proprietary tools and models on top of existing platforms to fill the gap.
The Mile Marker Perspective
Anthony Costanzo offered a balanced view on where things stand:
“It’s still early — but clients are seeing some benefits from leaning into AI tools. But there’s still a lot of work to do.”
At Mile Marker, we believe that AI is a tool, not a turnkey solution. Our approach blends predictive modeling, first-party data, and platform-native automation with human oversight—ensuring both efficiency and strategic nuance
While automation is advancing fast, the need for custom models, brand context, and full-funnel integration is more important than ever.
Read the full article on Digiday: Why generative AI can’t seem to help marketers build their brands
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