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Here are the recommended reads for this week and why they matter:
This week’s stories highlight the paradoxes shaping AI’s role in marketing and retail. On one hand, adoption among professionals is high, yet confidence in AI’s ability to drive revenue and improve customer experience lags without proper training. On the other, consumers are embracing AI in their shopping journeys even as they continue to prefer in-store experiences, signaling that physical and digital retail are no longer at odds but increasingly intertwined.
1- AI helps marketing and sales pros work smarter, but does it drive revenue?
Mike Pastore, Martech, 8/19/2025
A new survey conducted by General Assembly shows that while AI adoption among sales and marketing professionals is widespread, doubts remain about its real business impact. More than 60% of respondents are unconvinced AI increases revenue, and nearly half doubt it improves customer experience, pointing to a lack of training as a key barrier.
This contrasts with Optimove’s 2025 Opportunity Snapshot, which found that leading marketers who embed AI into agile workflows see the opposite effect: stronger ROI, faster execution, and improved personalization at scale. In fact, 88% of marketers in the study said AI enables more personalized customer experiences, a critical driver of both engagement and revenue.
Together, the findings suggest that the gap is not about AI’s potential, but about how well organizations prepare their teams to harness it.
2 – Consumers Love AI Search and In-Store Shopping & Retailers Need to Deliver Both
Nicole Silberstein, Retail Touchpoints, 8/19/2025
The latest EY Future Consumer Index shows that while 77% of retail spending still happens in stores, consumers are increasingly embracing AI in their shopping journeys. Eighty-two percent (82%) trust AI-powered product recommendations and 75% are comfortable with auto-refills and automated ordering, signaling that in-store and AI-enabled online experiences are no longer competing but complementary.
As EY’s Jon Copestake notes, the shift is less “either/or” and more “yes/and,” with discovery, trust, and convenience driving engagement across both channels. For retailers, this means doubling down on physical experience while also preparing for AI-powered search and agentic commerce that will soon shape the digital path to purchase.
In Summary
AI is everywhere, but its impact depends on who you ask. Marketers are still questioning whether it really drives revenue, while consumers are already trusting it to recommend products and even fill their carts. The takeaway? Success hinges on execution: teams that train and adapt will unlock ROI, and retailers that balance in-store experience with AI-powered convenience will win in the future.
Check back next week for another roundup of Media That Matters.
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