AI + Humanity: Building Brands That Feel Alive Again

At this year’s ANA Masters of Marketing Conference, the most memorable moments weren’t about technology; they were about people.

Two sessions, in particular, stood out to the Sinecure, Inc. team for how they revealed the human side of AI transformation: Newell Brands’ push toward creative agility and General Motors’ decade-long journey of cultural reinvention.

Newell Brands

Melanie Huet of Newell Brands shared how a partnership with Adobe Firefly has reshaped the company’s creative process. The results are impressive: a 4.5x increase in content output, fewer expensive photo shoots, and a design team that’s gone from task execution to true creative direction. 

Newell’s use of evolving AI “personas,” which listen to culture in real time through APIs, keeps their marketing relevant and saves significant research costs. But perhaps most meaningful is that this transformation isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about employee morale. 

Huet described how AI has helped people rediscover joy in their work. The technology isn’t replacing designers; it’s freeing them to imagine, explore, and create again. 

General Motors

Under CEO Mary Barra and CMO Norm de Greve, General Motors has spent the past decade quietly reinventing itself, not just as a brand but as a culture. De Greve summed up their approach in one simple line: 

“Humility builds better stuff than pride.” 

That mindset has fueled GM’s evolution from “no more crappy cars” to a data-driven marketing organization that now produces four times more top-tier creative without four times the budget. 

AI and data have become accelerators for GM, but the real transformation lies in how teams collaborate. Silos have been replaced with curiosity and shared ownership. Progress now matters more than perfection. 

The Power of Empowered Teams

In both cases, AI isn’t the star; people are. The technology is simply revealing what’s possible when teams are empowered to think and create differently. 

The future of marketing won’t be defined by tools or platforms but by the cultures that shape how we use them. As these brands show, the real advantage lies in humility, creativity, and the courage to reimagine what work can feel like. 

At Sinecure, Inc., we believe this human-centered approach to AI represents the next great evolution in marketing leadership. It’s not just about faster workflows or smarter data, it’s about rediscovering what makes teams and brands come alive and build towards a sustainable future.