Agentic AI in marketing: From cautious conservatism to bold innovation

The rise of agentic AI, a class of AI systems capable of autonomous decision-making, goal-setting, and sustained action, has sent ripples across industries. In sectors like finance, logistics and software engineering, it's already redefining workflows, slashing inefficiencies and introducing entirely new business models. But in the marketing world, the disruption has been quieter. Subtler. Almost hesitant.

Why? Marketing, a field traditionally fueled by creativity and customer intuition, is also deeply grounded in trust, brand equity and the long-term consequences of a promise made. While marketers are intrigued, even enamored, by the potential of agentic AI, adoption remains slow and innovation is often absent. What’s behind this tension? And more importantly, how can marketing teams overcome it to drive better business outcomes?

A culture of caution: Understanding the hesitance

Unlike some industries that thrive on rapid experimentation, marketing tends to tread more carefully. There are good reasons for this:

• Brand integrity is at stake. Marketers are the custodians of trust. Every ad, campaign and interaction contributes to a brand’s promise. Agentic AI’s autonomy, while powerful, introduces a level of unpredictability that could compromise this trust if misused.
  
• Renewalism is real. Marketers are increasingly focused on customer lifetime value and renewal rates, not just top-of-funnel acquisition. This long-term lens means they’re especially sensitive to the downstream impacts of poor messaging, tone-deaf campaigns or inconsistent branding–risks that arise when delegating tasks to autonomous systems.
  
• There’s fear of exposure. Perhaps the most under-discussed barrier is psychological. Marketers, particularly those in senior or visible roles, may fear being “exposed” by agentic AI. If an autonomous system can optimize media buying, A/B test at scale, generate high-performing creative or run full-funnel experiments, where does that leave the human strategist? What happens to the value of gut instinct?

In conversation with Alan Macdonald, co-founder of Bold AI, one of the leading agentic AI boutique agencies in Toronto, it was said that, “Agentic AI doesn’t threaten the marketer’s role – it transforms it into something more strategic, more scalable and more valuable.” Additionally, with many AI experts globally, Alan Macdonald co-wrote the following book: “The AI Revolution: Thriving Within Civilization’s Next Big Disruption.” The book is a great resource to learn and adopt agentic AI into your business models.

The CMA’s recently published AI playbook,Marketing in the Age of Agentic AI, is a great resource to learn more, in addition to the CMA Guide on AI for Marketers.

Why this conservatism is costly

The reluctance to embrace agentic AI has real consequences. As competitors in other industries leverage these tools to boost productivity, create real-time personalization and drive more precise decision-making, marketing teams that hesitate risk being left behind.

Even within marketing, companies that do adopt agentic systems are seeing benefits. These include automated customer journeys that evolve based on live data, intelligent content engines that scale storytelling without burning out teams, and media strategies that constantly adapt to real-world performance without waiting for quarterly reviews.

Industry consensus is emerging

While marketers have been cautious, global research and consulting leaders are now clearly signaling that the shift to agentic AI is underway and accelerating.

1. Deloitte forecasts that by the end of 2025, one in four companies using generative AI will pilot agentic AI systems capable of end-to-end workflow execution in functions like marketing and customer support.
   
2. McKinsey underscores that the primary barrier to AI maturity is not lack of talent, but the absence of strategic leadership. McKinsey’s 2025 reports highlight agentic AI as a core enabler of marketing automation and customer intelligence at scale.
   
3. Accenture is actively equipping more than 600 marketers with autonomous agents to enhance campaign performance, personalize messaging and reduce manual overhead.
   
4. BCG describes how AI agents are powering a “golden era of customer experience,” enabling brands to personalize at speed while lowering cost-to-serve.
   
5. IDC reports that agentic systems are optimizing real-time segmentation, automating A/B testing, and improving lead conversion outcomes through continuous AI-driven iteration.
   

Agentic AI is no longer hypothetical. It is operational. The question is not “if,” but “how fast” teams can adopt it.

Bold AI’s maturity curve model for strategic agentic AI adoption in marketing

Rather than offering abstract advice, Bold AI maps a clear five-stage maturity curve for how organizations move from AI interest to agentic transformation. This model helps marketers understand where they are today and what the next leap looks like.

Stage 1: Early AI interest and learning
Basic education, exposure and curiosity. Minimal application.

Stage 2: Experimentation and connecting dark data
Pilot projects and lightweight AI tools begin to surface hidden insights.

Stage 3: AI in production creating value
AI becomes embedded in functions like segmentation, lead scoring or content personalization.

Stage 4: Agentic systems drive outcomes
Agents launch, iterate and optimize campaigns autonomously. Marketers shift from execution to oversight.

Stage 5: AI as business DNA
Agentic systems are embedded in how the organization operates. They are always on and always optimizing.

The opportunity ahead

Agentic AI can become marketing’s greatest asset. Not just a tool for productivity, but a partner in innovation. But it requires a mindset shift – from protectionism to exploration, and from control to collaboration.

In a world where customer expectations evolve by the minute and competitors move faster than ever, marketers cannot afford to move slowly.

Alan Macdonald and Barry Glinski, co-founders of Bold AI, put it simply: “The agentic AI revolution isn’t a threat. It’s an invitation to drive success. One that, if embraced, can unlock smarter campaigns, stronger relationships, and ultimately, better business outcomes.”

The time for cautious conservatism is over. The time for agentic AI ambition and innovation has arrived.

Sources:

• Deloitte, Autonomous Generative AI Agents Still Under Development. Tech Trends, 2025.
• McKinsey & Company, Superagency in the Workplace. 2025 Report.
• Accenture, Accenture Launches AI Refinery for Industry. Jan 2025.
• Boston Consulting Group, AI Agents and the New Era of Customer Experience. 2025.
• IDC, Unlocking AI-Powered Marketing Workflows. 2025 eBook.
• “The AI Revolution: Thriving Within Civilization’s Next Big Disruption.” Serversen Erik, Abon Jonathan, Agarwal Anupam, Mawhinney Tom, Loomis Glenn, O’Flaherty Peggy, Bannerman Tay, Langlotz Georg, Blandin Arnaud, Macdonald Alan. 2025.

More resources to check out:

• The CMA, AI Playbook 7: Marketing in the Age of Agentic AI, 2025.
• The CMA and Twenty44, Generative AI Readiness Survey, 2024.
• The CMA, CMA Guide on AI for Marketers, 2025.