AI in Marketing 2026: Adapt or Fall Behind. Marketing Masters - The Art and Science of Modern Marketing

Who wins, who loses, and how to stay relevant as AI reshapes marketing, creativity and business.This episode is not about whether AI matters. It’s about what happens if you don’t adapt now.In this episode of Marketing Masters – The Art and Science of Modern Marketing, Zania brings together three leading minds who are already operating at the cutting edge of AI, while much of the industry is still trying to catch up.This is a practical, honest conversation about AI in marketing, AI in business, and the future of work, looking ahead to what 2026 really means for careers, teams, creativity, and growth.Meet the guests shaping what comes next:Dr Shahper Richter, Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland Business School, researches how emerging technologies reshape human behaviour, workplaces, and the future of marketing itself. She is helping prepare the next generation of marketers for success in a workforce that no longer follows traditional career paths.Adnan Khan, Co-Founder of Stitch and Stitch Predict, is transforming how brands in New Zealand and globally understand what actually drives growth. His work focuses on AI-powered marketing intelligence, agentic workflows, and measuring performance in a privacy-first world, collapsing weeks of insight into days.Heath Waugh, Founder of Matter Studio, has made one of the boldest business pivots in the creative industry. He has stepped away from traditional photography to build one of the world’s first creative studios merging high-end visual craft with advanced AI image creation.This is not theory. These are real decisions, real pivots, and real consequences.In this episode, you’ll learn:- What AI in Marketing 2026 actually means for marketers, creatives and business leaders- Why AI will not replace marketers, but AI-fluent marketers will replace those who do not adapt- The difference between generative AI and agentic AI, explained clearly and practically- How AI is changing marketing performance, creativity, and decision-making- Why “AI-powered” is about to become meaningless as a differentiator- How to avoid low-quality AI output and protect human judgement, taste and trust- What to start doing now to stay relevant as the gap between winners and laggards widensIf you are a marketer, founder, creative, or business leader feeling the ground shift beneath your role, this conversation will give you clarity, context, and a practical way forward.