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Key takeaways from the Marketing Summit 2026

Friday, June 19, 2026
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Earlier this month, the Companial marketing team came together for a Marketing Bootcamp to reflect on the innovations reshaping our profession and the opportunities ahead. The conversations reinforced a clear message: in a world increasingly influenced by AI, marketing success will depend not only on how well we use new technologies, but also on how strongly we collaborate, challenge assumptions, and stay grounded in human insight.

In this article, our team shares the key takeaways that stood out most, from changing buyer behavior and AI-driven visibility to the growing importance of trust, brand consistency, and judgment in modern marketing.

In the age of AI, diverse thinking powers better outcomes

“One of the most important takeaways from this year’s summit is that high-performing marketing teams do not start with tools or tactics, but with trust and the ability to challenge each other.

As we explored Lencioni’s model and practiced real feedback, it became clear that diversity of thought only creates impact when teams deliberately create space for it and are willing to lean into uncomfortable conversations.

In a world where AI is accelerating execution, this human foundation is what ultimately determines whether marketing drives real business outcomes or just more activity.”

Clarinda Dobbelaar, VP Marketing & Portfolio

The role of a technology vendor is changing

“Traditionally, technology vendors, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 VARs or ISVs, helped customers define their problems and then proposed the right solutions.

Today, this role is increasingly being performed partly or even entirely by large language models (LLMs).
So, what is the vendor’s role now? It has shifted toward understanding where the customer is in their decision-making journey and actively supporting that process with highly personalized, relevant input.

The focus is no longer on managing a sales process, but on enabling a buying process, guiding customers, simplifying complexity, and helping them make confident, informed decisions.”

Agnė Balekvičiūtė-Lajienė, Business Development Strategist

Visibility is no longer about ranking on Google

“My biggest takeaway from the Companial Marketing Summit was a simple but uncomfortable truth: by the time a potential client visits your company website, they might have already made up their mind to buy or not to buy.

This is because AI tools like Claude and Copilot are now shortlisting potential vendors, often weeks before any big conversation starts. Your buyer asks an AI, ‘who can help me with this?’ and gets a confident, specific answer. If your company is not in that answer, you are not in the running.

For us as a marketing team, this changes everything about how we think about digital visibility. It is no longer just about ranking on Google or having a nice website. It is about whether the AI knows we exist, trusts us, and recommends us. That is the shift I keep thinking about, and honestly, it is both the most exciting and the most urgent thing on my table right now.”

Adnan Yaman, Marketing Automation Manager

The new reality of marketing

“Modern marketing has shifted. Audiences use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini to find information, and search behavior has fundamentally changed.
Our Marketing Summit covered exactly that. Here are my three top conclusions:

  • ‘Old’ SEO applies to GEO
    Google’s AI search, GEO, does not rely on tricks or hacks. It pulls from the same high-quality sources as traditional search. Good SEO remains essential. Focus on quality over shortcuts. AI easily reproduces generic text, so stand out with unique content based on real expertise and original data.
  • The ‘zero-click’ world is here
    People rarely click through to websites anymore. They consume content directly on social media, in Slack, or through AI summaries. Customers form opinions about our brand long before they visit our site. Organize content around key partner topics and consistently publish across selected channels.
  • Gated content is losing relevance
    Putting content behind a form limits reach and can discourage engagement. Instead, build trust by making knowledge openly accessible and being present where your audience already spends time.”

Sander van Leeuwen, Regional Marketing Manager, Mid Europe

The human side of marketing

“My reflections from the Marketing Summit highlight how rapidly our industry is evolving in the age of AI. While many insights focus on technology, visibility, and new ways of working, I would like to reinforce an equally important theme: the human side of marketing.

Human interaction is becoming more critical than ever. AI can enhance productivity, improve copywriting, and support data-driven marketing at scale. However, it cannot replace human judgment, nuanced feedback, or critical discussion.

AI does not challenge assumptions, understand team dynamics, or build trust across disciplines. The real competitive advantage lies in multidisciplinary collaboration, where marketing, product, sales, and operations align and challenge each other to improve outcomes.

In a world supported by AI, it is human connection and shared thinking that truly differentiate successful teams.”

Ieva Miškinytė-Kavaliauskė, Product Marketing Manager for Scalable Businesses

Agents execute. Human judgment sets the standard

“What stood out most at the summit was how quickly the conversation around AI has evolved. One year ago, it was a side topic. Now, it is the foundation of how marketing operates.

The focus has shifted from prompting to building with AI systems. Agents are already handling execution, answering emails, following up on leads, and running campaigns.

The marketers who will stand out are those who move beyond using AI tools and instead build systems guided by experience and judgment. Knowing what works, understanding audiences, and recognizing when something feels off remain essential human strengths.

As AI handles execution, judgment becomes the differentiator. Experience shapes the system, and taste ensures quality. If one year brought this level of change, the next will move even faster.”

Augusta Stave, Senior Regional Marketing Manager, Central and Eastern Europe

From SEO to LLM visibility: why brand consistency matters more than ever

“One of my key reflections is that AI is changing how brands are discovered and experienced. Visibility is no longer defined only by SEO or channel presence. It is shaped by how AI systems interpret and present your brand.

This makes consistency in messaging, structure, and positioning critical. If all brands rely on similar tools and approaches, differentiation becomes harder.

The challenge is to use AI thoughtfully. It should enhance visibility and personalization without diluting brand identity.

The future of brand differentiation depends on balancing AI capabilities with human relevance. For Companial, this means strengthening visibility while staying true to who we are and the value we offer our partners.”

Muge Durak, Sr. Brand and Communication Manager

From buying signals to lived experiences

“Today’s B2B buyers rely on a broader range of information sources, including peer feedback and real-world experiences.

With LLMs, buyers can explore insights beyond traditional vendor-controlled channels, shaping perceptions earlier in the journey.

This creates a shift toward experience-driven evaluation. Marketing, product, sales, and support all contribute to how a company is perceived. Every interaction matters, and trust is built collectively.”

Mohammad Farahani, Product Marketing for Road to AI

Final reflection

The reflections from this year’s summit show that marketing is entering a new phase. AI will shape discovery, decision-making, and execution, but human judgment, trust, and collaboration remain the true differentiators.

For Companial, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity: to stay visible in an AI-driven world, build a strong and consistent brand, and strengthen the human connections that turn marketing into meaningful business impact.

This content is delivered by Companial’s GoToMarket Hub, developed in partnership with Microsoft. The hub supports customer acquisition through GTM consulting, campaign execution support, access to Microsoft benefits, a partner community, and e-learning resources.

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