Podcast Summary: Episode #29 – AI as a Collaborative Teammate with Shannon Duffy, Asana

Podcast Information:

• Title: B2B Agility™ with Greg Kihlström
• Host/Author: The Agile Brand
• Description: A podcast dedicated to exploring how B2B marketers and their brands achieve category leadership and drive optimal business and customer results through the intersection of sales, marketing, and technology.
• Episode: #29: AI as a Collaborative Teammate with Shannon Duffy, Asana
• Release Date: November 12, 2024

Introduction

In Episode #29 of B2B Agility™, host Greg Kihlstrom engages with Shannon Duffy, Chief Marketing Officer at Asana, to discuss the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in B2B marketing. The conversation delves into how AI can act as a collaborative teammate, enhancing marketing velocity, streamlining workflows, and fostering creativity within marketing teams.

The Role of AI as a Collaborative Teammate

Greg opens the discussion by exploring the concept of AI as a collaborative teammate rather than just a tool. He posits, “What if AI could be your invaluable sidekick? Imagine freeing up hours of your day by letting AI handle the repetitive tasks so you can focus on the big picture” (00:36).

Shannon Duffy concurs, emphasizing the disruptive yet positive impact of AI on knowledge work:
"AI is going to disrupt all knowledge workers. And when I say disrupt, I actually think that's a positive, positive thing." (02:14)
She highlights AI’s role in transforming busy work into automated processes, allowing marketers to focus on creativity and collaboration.

Incorporating AI into Daily Marketing Tasks

Shannon elaborates on how Asana integrates AI into its workflows across four major areas: intake, planning, execution, and reporting.

1. Intake Process:
   AI gathers and prioritizes requests, ensuring focus on high-impact tasks.
   "AI can alert the website team and update the website automatically." (04:14)

2. Planning:
   AI assists in resource allocation, mapping the right people to the right tasks with appropriate deadlines.

3. Execution:
   AI handles repetitive tasks, such as routing contracts and automating follow-ups, significantly reducing manual workload.
   "AI can do that automatically. Contracts close, AI can alert the website team can update the website." (06:39)

4. Reporting:
   AI extracts insights from campaign data, making reporting efficient and freeing up human resources for strategic analysis.
   "AI teases out the insights... without having to spend the human calories of finding that information and reporting back." (06:39)

Leading AI Adoption and Encouraging Teams

Greg underscores the importance of leadership in driving AI adoption. He mentions research indicating that 57% of marketers are eager to adopt AI but lack the knowledge to do so effectively.

Shannon Duffy responds by emphasizing the necessity of leaders leading by example:
"If you are not making yourself open to using new things and being willing to learn and also to fail, how do you expect your team to do it too?" (07:48)
She shares her personal approach, such as using AI to write in her unique voice and creating AI-powered project briefs, to inspire her team to embrace AI collaboratively.

Use Cases and Impact of AI in Marketing

Shannon provides compelling examples of AI’s impact:

• Clear Channel Case Study:
  Clear Channel utilizes AI with Asana to manage thousands of creative work requests monthly, reducing manual work by 60% due to AI-enabled smart workflows.
  "They're saving hours and hours a week per person just being able to route requests to the correct places." (13:43)

• Personalization at Scale:
  AI enables personalized marketing campaigns previously limited by human capacity, allowing bespoke experiences for thousands of customers simultaneously.
  "AI is going to enable us to do, create this amazing personalized, bespoke experience... almost to infinite level, infinity levels of personalization." (22:19)

AI Training and Support for Teams

Addressing the need for comprehensive AI training, Shannon discusses Asana’s initiatives to democratize AI knowledge:

• Badging Program:
  Asana launched a free badging program that educates users on integrating AI into workflows, project management, and marketing strategies.
  "How do you build workflows? How do you use AI for project management? How do you embed AI into each stage of that workflow?" (18:51)

• Encouraging Continuous Learning:
  Shannon advocates for ongoing education to empower teams, stating:
  "Offering them access to training on AI. It's going to make them better at their jobs... transform the way people get into marketing going forward." (18:51)

Future of AI in Marketing

Shannon envisions a future where AI significantly amplifies marketing capabilities:

• Enhanced Creativity:
  AI will turn ambitious marketing ideas into reality by automating personalization and creative processes at scale.
  "AI is going to make all my wildest, craziest marketing ideas come closer to reality." (22:19)

• Deep Personalization:
  AI will enable unprecedented levels of personalization, making customer interactions more meaningful and effective.
  "Create content that resonates with your customers in a way that can truly transform the way they feel about your brand." (22:19)

Staying Agile as a Leader

In the final segment, Greg asks Shannon how she remains agile in her role. Shannon emphasizes the importance of open communication and empowering team members:

• Deep Organizational Insights:
  She ensures she hears from all levels within the organization by holding regular office hours, fostering a culture of psychological safety.
  "I have office hours every week where anyone can come and show me, tell me." (25:22)

• Encouraging Diverse Perspectives:
  Shannon believes that listening to a variety of voices prevents echo chambers and promotes true agility in leadership.

Conclusion

Greg wraps up the episode by thanking Shannon Duffy for her invaluable insights into the integration of AI in B2B marketing. He encourages listeners to explore more about Shannon and Asana through the show notes and highlights the importance of staying focused and agile in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.

Notable Quotes:

• Shannon Duffy on AI's Positive Disruption:
  "AI is going to disrupt all knowledge workers. And when I say disrupt, I actually think that's a positive, positive thing." (02:14)

• Shannon Duffy on Leading by Example:
  "If you are not making yourself open to using new things and being willing to learn and also to fail, how do you expect your team to do it too?" (07:48)

• Shannon Duffy on Personalization at Scale:
  "AI is going to enable us to do, create this amazing personalized, bespoke experience... almost to infinite level, infinity levels of personalization." (22:19)

Learn More: For additional insights and resources mentioned in this episode, visit www.b2bagility.com.