I had the opportunity to host a live Voice of Partner Marketing episode in Austin this month that was focused on a topic every marketing organization is navigating right now: How AI is reshaping Partner Marketing GTM.
Rather than recap the conversation as a list of trends, I wanted to share what stood out to me from each leader on stage because each brought a very different, and complementary, perspective.
Anne Marie Woodburn (MontyCloud): AI is an accelerator — but strategy still leads
Anne Marie grounded the conversation in something practical: AI is not replacing marketing planning — it is compressing the cycle.
Instead of building an annual plan and optimizing months later, teams can now pressure-test strategy continuously. She described using AI almost like an additional team member reviewing plans, identifying gaps, and helping iterate faster.
Her biggest message: The value is not automation. The value is faster iteration.
She also highlighted a shift I think many of us are feeling, marketing is extending into new functions. Enablement, reinforcement, internal education… AI allows marketing to touch more parts of the business than before.
And importantly, she reminded us: Consistency matters more in an AI world. If your messaging is inconsistent internally or externally, AI will surface it instantly.
Barbara Rivero (Publicis Sapient): The future skill is not AI — it is prompting
Barbara brought a very honest and relatable perspective — AI only works if we know how to guide it.
Her point that resonated with the room: Generic prompts create generic marketing.
She described how her team is using AI to build scenario-based campaigns not just segmenting by industry or persona, but by pain points, buying stage, and partner combination. The goal is messaging that feels specific, not automated.
Barbara also highlighted something partner marketers understand deeply: attribution is still the hardest problem. AI can help analysis, but it does not fix broken processes or unclear ownership. That still requires relationships and operational rigor.
Her forward-looking recommendation was powerful — partner marketers need to become more product fluent.
Not just campaign builders, but translators of value.
Sharlene Chua (Splunk): Relationships and alignment are still the differentiator
Sharlene brought the ecosystem reality into focus.
Partner marketing is not just marketing — it is coordination across organizations, regions, and teams.
Her perspective was clear: AI helps scale execution, but relationships scale impact.
She talked about tailoring messaging differently for technical, business, and executive audiences using AI to adapt the story while maintaining consistent positioning.
She also shared how AI is helping rethink MDF strategy, moving away from funding activities and toward funding measurable outcomes. Smaller, curated engagements are outperforming generic large-scale programs.
And one important reminder: global consistency matters.
If every region tells a different story, partner trust erodes quickly.
My takeaway
All three perspectives aligned around one theme:
AI is raising the bar, not lowering the effort.
The future partner marketer is not the fastest content creator.
It is the best orchestrator:
- understands outcomes
- aligns stakeholders
- guides AI intentionally
- and builds trust across ecosystems
AI changes execution. It does not replace judgment.
I am curious, what has changed most in your partner marketing workflow in the last 6 months?
Watch the full episode of The Voice of Partner Marketing to hear the complete discussion.
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