Lunch & Learn: Consumers, AI and the Power of Connection

There's plenty of talk about AI's impact on internal marketing processes, but we're overlooking a significant shift in external marketing dynamics: Consumer behavior is rapidly changing, and AI-powered platforms are rapidly altering how people access and process information.

In this inspiring and data-driven talk, Debra will share:

• AI's current influence on external marketing strategies
• How platforms like SearchGPT and Perplexity are changing information-seeking habits
• Lessons from previous technological shifts such as social media and mobile devices
• Insights on evolving consumer-brand interactions
  

Speaker info:

About Debra Aho Williamson:
Debra Aho Williamson is a dynamic analyst and market influencer, recognized for her visionary contributions to the digital marketing landscape. As founder and chief analyst with Sonata Insights, Debra provides hype-free research and advisory services to businesses operating at the intersection of social media and AI.

Debra was one of the first analysts in the world to pinpoint the social media trend. She published her inaugural research on the topic in 2006, and she developed one of the earliest forecasts for social network advertising revenues. Her landmark research—amounting to more than 120 reports over 17 years as an EMARKETER analyst—enabled the advertising industry to see the power and potential of social media and helped make platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok integral to the marketing mix. Between 2008 and 2023, US social media ad revenues experienced more than 55x growth—a key result of her research.

Debra’s opinions and research have been featured in thousands of news articles, and she has made more than 40 TV appearances, including on NBC, BBC, Bloomberg Television and CNBC. Debra’s influence also extends into academia and government; her work has been cited in academic research papers and regulatory filings.

Earlier in her career, she served as the founding executive editor of The Industry Standard, a weekly publication known as the “bible” of the internet economy. She co-wrote the business plan, leading to funding from publishing company IDG, and played a crucial role in the magazine's success during the dot-com boom by recruiting noteworthy writers and editors and representing the magazine at industry events. As the editor of Interactive Media & Marketing at Ad Age, she oversaw one of the first regularly published news reports on internet business and received prestigious awards for her journalistic excellence.

Debra holds a Bachelor of Arts in English (with distinction) and a Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance from Northwestern University, and she resides in the Seattle area. When she’s not writing or researching, she loves cheering for the Seahawks, trying new restaurants and hiking in the Cascades. Although she no longer plays the oboe, she has a profound (some might say weird) obsession with learning to play the bagpipes and hopes to one day become good enough to join a piping band.

Lunch includes:

APPETIZERS
ROASTED BEETS
Roasted beets, red onion, pistachio, goat cheese, red wine
vinaigrette
or
BRUSCHETTA
Macerated cherry tomatoes with basil and garlic, toasted
house-made bread

SALADS
CAESAR
Romaine ribbons, ciabatta croutons, shaved parmigiano, classic
dressing (dressing contains anchovy)
or
SALERNO
Romaine ribbons, buffalo mozzarella, fennel, tomato, english
cucumber, basil, dijon vinaigrette

PASTA COURSE
RIGATONI BOLOGNESE
Traditional meat & tomato ragù, rigatoni, grana
padano
or
RIGATONI W/ ROASTED GARLIC CREAM
Rigatoni, roasted garlic, cream,
grana padano, fresh chives

Host or Publisher AMA Puget Sound