[08:18] AI as the Most Disruptive Shift Yet — Having worked through the internet boom, the mobile revolution, and the rise of social commerce, Laura calls AI the most transformative shift of her career. Unlike past changes, AI accelerates everything: how consumers consume culture, how brands engage, and how creativity is delivered. She notes that consumers will increasingly operate at “algorithm speed,” demanding content that entertains, sells, and delights instantly. Brands that fail to embrace this pace, she warns, will be left behind.
[12:10] From Volume to Intelligent Creative — Laura makes it clear: The industry doesn’t need more ads, it needs smarter ones. Smartly’s approach to “intelligent creative” is about building always-on campaigns that adapt to consumer signals in real time. She describes features like background refresh and dynamic pricing, along with video assembly tools that can reformat a TikTok into multiple ad types instantly. This frees marketers from manual, repetitive tasks and allows them to focus on strategic creativity while giving consumers the personalization they expect.
[17:55] Responsible Data, Responsible AI — Smartly processes 92 billion creative signals every day across platforms from Meta to Amazon. Laura emphasizes that with such scale comes responsibility: Smartly is privacy-first, avoids scraping, and only uses publicly sourced models to protect creators. She explains that the company operates with “AI-first and AI-everyday” principles, embedding AI in product design and employee development. From aggregating performance reviews to automating video production, these practices ensure AI is ethical, practical, and transformative.
[21:38] CMOs Must Shift From Cost to Growth Drivers — Laura cites a recent BCG study predicting that marketing will be the most transformed function in the enterprise. She agrees, stressing that CMOs must move beyond efficiency to growth. At Smartly, she works with brands like Uber, Spotify, and Disney to scale campaigns from 50 to 100 markets without additional resources by using AI to expand personalization and agility. She argues marketing dollars are no longer just a cost or investment—with AI, they are a growth engine.
[24:22] Advance: The Industry’s New Forum for Big Ideas — Laura describes Advance, Smartly’s annual event, as a response to an industry at an inflection point. She explains how the forum convenes leaders from platforms like Google and TikTok, global CMOs, and storytellers to discuss responsible AI, brand safety, and the cultural shifts reshaping marketing. Branded by some as the “Davos of advertising,” Advance challenges outdated models and sparks conversations that push the industry to embrace technology, creativity, and culture at speed.
[30:54] The Mantra: Get Sh*t Done — Asked to distill her career into a mantra, Laura chooses “get sh*t done.” For her, leadership is about fearless execution, taking a step forward every day, trying and making things happen. The leaders who embrace action, even in uncertainty, are the ones who will shape the future of advertising.
