AI-powered marketing tools saw major updates this week. Google Cloud’s Next ’25 event in Las Vegas introduced Lyria, a music-generating AI now in Vertex AI. This helps brands create soundtracks for ads quickly, like L’Oréal’s global video campaigns. Kraft Heinz reported using Google’s Veo video tool to shrink creative work from 8 weeks to 8 hours.

Microsoft Advertising shared that Copilot, its AI assistant, increased click-through rates by 1.7x in Performance Max campaigns. The tool lets marketers test funny or professional ad tones instantly. However, a global study revealed marketing lags in AI adoption, with tasks like writing blog posts ranked #97.

For local businesses, AI-driven personalization became key. Tools like ChatGPT-5 now help bakeries promote vegan options to specific groups while suggesting seasonal treats to others. Automated SEO tools also gained traction, fixing business listings and analyzing reviews without human input.

New martech releases aimed to save time. Canva’s Visual Suite 2.0 added “conversational design” features, while Tealium connected real-time data to AI models for smarter customer chats.

Global conferences highlighted trends. The Experiential Marketing Summit in Las Vegas (April 14-16) showed how AI enhances live events, while Chicago’s AI & Content Strategy Conference (April 16-17) taught practical uses for small teams.

Experts urged marketers to learn from top AI uses like therapy chatbots (#1) by making tools more empathetic. Tips included studying prompt examples and blending work/personal AI helpers.

Challenges remain, like balancing AI speed with brand soul. As one report noted, “Scale without losing authenticity” will define winners. Brands like Papa Johns now use AI for pizza orders and personalized ads, showing how diverse applications can be.