CMO Confidential Podcast

Episode: Tom Goodwin | Reflections on AI – Questions, Contradictions & Observations
Date: February 18, 2026
Host: Mike Linton
Guest: Tom Goodwin

Episode Overview

This episode dives into Tom Goodwin's provocative perspectives on AI in marketing, exposing the industry’s misconceptions, contradictions, and the often superficial ways organizations approach innovation. Mike Linton and Tom discuss why AI is frequently misapplied, the risk of laziness and conformity in marketing, and how brands might truly harness transformative technologies without losing their craft and strategic edge.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI as a Misunderstood Plug-In

• Superficial Adoption of AI

  • Many organizations treat AI as a shiny feature rather than a transformative tool.
  • Quote [02:32] Tom:

    “People are very enthusiastic about AI… we’re adding it where it’s easy, but not where it makes a difference.”

• Parallel with Electricity’s Early Days

  • Initially, new tech simply modernizes old ways until deeper, paradigm-shifting applications emerge.
  • Quote [06:18] Tom:

    “We took things that we already had and we applied electricity to them… but it didn’t change the world. It was only really when we thought, wait a minute, this means that we can invent a fridge…”

2. The Dangers of Technologist-Led Narratives

• Tech-First vs. Human-First Applications

  • Tech insiders drive narratives without domain context, repeating hype cycles seen with Web3, blockchain, VR.
  • Quote [07:40] Tom:

    “Conversations about the future… are all being led by technologists who have no understanding of what [industry professionals] do.”

• Agentic Commerce Misconceptions

  • Most people enjoy nuanced, varied shopping experiences and aren’t seeking total automation—contrary to many tech predictions.
  • Quote [10:13] Tom:

    “If we really wanted our commerce to be automated, we would have subscribed on Amazon… Shopping for a lot of people is part of life.”

3. Algorithms’ Role in Discovery and Brand Visibility

• Shift to Algorithm-Driven Content

  • Discovery increasingly comes from algorithmic suggestions, not direct brand curation.
  • Quote [12:55] Tom:

    “About 90% of stuff that you will see has been suggested to you by the algorithm.”

• Challenges for Brands

  • Marketers struggle between outdated playbooks and reliance on “black box” digital advertising.
  • Quote [14:25] Tom:

    “It’s actually very hard to be a CMO at the moment... a lot of the discourse is set by direct-to-consumer startups being used as playbooks for everyone else.”

4. AI’s Limits in Fixing Old Companies & Jobs

• Legacy Company Challenges

  • Bureaucracy, poor data infrastructure, and technical debt are deeper issues that AI can’t simply solve.
  • Quote [20:09] Tom:

    “You’ll realize they can’t get their computers to work... 27 databases where different country managers recorded data in different ways... and this sort of feeling that… if you just add a bit of AI, it’s going to fix it.”

• Threat to Entry-Level Roles and the Value of Experimentation

  • AI often replaces “easy” entry-level work, but companies should instead empower teams to experiment using AI.
  • Quote [24:09] Tom:

    “Every company needs fresh blood… The second thing is, we need to not be focused on cost-cutting, but instead be focused on new possibilities.”

• Practical Example

  • Tom shares a client example where a seasoned exec creatively experiments with AI to prototype business ideas weekly.

5. The Waning Value of Social Media Content

• AI Dilutes Social Media Meaningfulness

  • Algorithmic feeds increasingly surface low-quality, AI-generated, vacuous content.

  • Quote [28:00] Tom:

    “Eight years ago you'd… see people watching low-quality influencer films… Now I look at those times almost with a nostalgic glow of how good it was because it was real people crafting films…”

  • Today, content is more manipulative, soulless, and overwhelming, contributing to user malaise.

6. The Enduring Power (and Mystery) of Brand Marketing

• Brand Building vs. Micro-Targeting

  • Brands need to resist the urge to treat digital solely as a performance medium and rediscover brand-building principles.
  • Quote [30:58] Tom:

    “What they know to be right… is still very much the way to do the job. But it’s increasingly hard when there’s a press release every week saying AI will automate your marketing…”

• Advertising’s Intangible Value

  • Advertising’s greatest value is pricing power, not direct, short-term sales. Most effects remain unquantifiable.
  • Quote [19:19] Tom:

    “Advertising makes people behave in ways that don't make sense… most impacts… will never be possible to attribute into a spreadsheet.”

7. The Future of AI-Driven Advertising

• LLMs and Paid Placement

  • LLM recommendations are the new search ads: organic and paid listings will co-exist, and brands must optimize for both.
  • Quote [33:13] Tom:

    “I think of it almost exactly the same as a search… We’ll have organic listings and paid suggestions, which will be based either on the query or our demographics…”

• Predictions for 2026

  • Expect embarrassing, low-quality AI-generated ads alongside massive security breaches as companies rush in without proper guardrails.
  • Quote [34:37] Tom:

    “We’re going to see some really, really expensive media being used to… place ads which are simply not good enough… And I think slowly we’ll come to a recognition that [AI] is to be a partner… opening your mind to new horizons.”

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• ❝ The way to apply [AI] is to take the most obvious and easy places… We’re adding it where it’s easy, but not where it makes a difference. ❞
   — Tom Goodwin [02:32]

• ❝ Tech people are setting the agenda, but they don’t understand the weird logic and empathy of the world. ❞
   — Tom Goodwin [07:40]

• ❝ If we really wanted our commerce to be automated, we would have subscribed to it on Amazon… Shopping … makes [people] feel something. ❞
   — Tom Goodwin [10:13]

• ❝ The power of advertising… is not being able to sell more. It’s being able to charge more for what you sell. ❞
   — Tom Goodwin [16:53]

• ❝ AI by definition does a really average job. And therefore, it’s really powerful when used for things that don't matter that much. But… we all have to be a bit more ambitious. ❞
   — Tom Goodwin [37:13]

• ❝ The world is elevator music. It's our job to struggle and to work hard… to produce the remarkable thing that breaks through. ❞
   — Tom Goodwin [38:40]

Key Timestamps

• 00:35 — Introduction & Tom’s critique of AI as panacea
• 02:32 — AI as superficial add-on, not transformation
• 06:18 — Lessons from electricity and real innovation
• 10:13 — Misunderstanding of “agentic commerce” and consumer behavior
• 12:55 — Discovery shifts and algorithmic dominance
• 14:25 — Brand playbooks: old vs new vs digital performance
• 19:19 — The unexplainable, subtle power of advertising
• 20:09 — Why AI won’t fix legacy company dysfunction
• 24:09 — The double-edged sword for entry-level workers and using AI for new possibilities
• 28:00 — Nostalgic reflection on the decline of social media content quality
• 30:58 — What marketers should do: preserve the craft, embrace experimentation
• 33:13 — Ads in LLMs: the new search
• 34:37 — Predictions: AI blunders, security risks, and recalibration of expectations
• 37:13 — Anecdote: $3m photo shoots vs cheap, soulless AI creative
• 38:40 — “Elevator music” vs “standout hits” in brand creativity

Takeaways for Marketers

• Don’t accept AI as a bandaid. True value comes from reimagining brand experience, not just adding AI features.
• Reinvest in brand craft. High-impact advertising still moves markets in intangible ways; AI can’t replace creativity and nuance.
• Be wary of conformity. AI’s average output can lead to bland brands—demand exceptional work.
• Experiment thoughtfully. Combine AI’s speed and scale with human judgment for strategic innovation.
• Get ahead of security issues. As more proprietary data flows into AI tools, organizations must double down on data governance.

Final Thought:
Tom urges marketers to “struggle and work hard… to produce the remarkable thing that breaks through from [the conformity of elevator music],” reminding us that while technology can enable, it’s human ambition and taste that differentiates brilliant brands.