MarTech Conference Explores Storytelling with Data and AI

At the May 2026 MarTech Conference, a panel of marketing leaders convened to discuss preserving authentic storytelling amid the rise of AI and data, featuring moderator A. Lee Judge and panelists Dale Bertrand, Melanie Deziel, Lexie Haggerty from Braze, and Jordache Johnson. The session, titled “Marketing’s moment: Reclaiming the power of the story, fueled by data and AI,” highlighted how audiences are increasingly skeptical about whether a human or machine is behind marketing messages, according to MarTech.

Key Insights from the Panel

Deziel argued that trust in marketing will depend on transparency, with brands needing to provide “behind the scenes” insight to show real people are driving messaging. Johnson urged marketers to lean into conviction by taking a position that costs something, emphasizing that tension and vulnerability signal human involvement, which machines cannot replicate. Bertrand shared how his agency used customer intent analysis from sales calls to quantify the impact of inaccurate competitor messaging, identifying an estimated $12 million in at-risk revenue.

Leveraging Data and AI Effectively

Bertrand explained that data should support storytelling rather than replace it, describing sales recordings as a “cheat code” for uncovering what customers genuinely care about. Judge noted that AI can surface patterns that sales teams might overlook, while Johnson stressed that context is more important than AI tools themselves, warning that organizations often rush into plugins without establishing necessary systems. Deziel reinforced this by pointing out that applying AI to disorganized workflows results in “mess and miscommunication at scale,” according to MarTech.

Personalization and Future Directions

Haggerty highlighted that the main hurdle in personalization is data silos, advocating for the use of real-time behavioral data to create useful, non-invasive experiences, noting that personalization extends beyond simply adding a first name to a subject line. The panel warned against over-optimization, with Johnson criticizing the tendency to prioritize “velocity over vividness” and Deziel cautioning that efficient content creation risks producing material that makes audiences feel nothing. The path forward involves using AI to amplify human strategic thinking, ensuring brands combine data-driven insights with authentic storytelling.

As widely known in marketing, AI tools have transformed workflows across industries, but this panel underscores the need to maintain human elements in creative processes. Watch the May MarTech Conference on demand to access these discussions, with free registration available, according to MarTech.