What Marketers Can Learn from Scott Galloway

Scott Galloway is a commanding voice in business, economics, brand management, and digital marketing. Known for his bold, often provocative insights rooted in social and cultural discussions, Galloway is no stranger to sparking debate. 

Last year, he made waves on the Uncensored CMO podcast with a striking declaration: “The Brand is Dead.” The statement shook the marketing world, but was it a genuine insight or a clever way to grab attention? Recently, Scott returned to the podcast, joining Jon Evans once more to explore the state of branding, the impact of social media on younger generations, and his thoughts on the Jaguar rebrand. 

So, what can we learn from Scott Galloway’s perspective? Is the brand truly dead, or is it evolving into something new? Here are two powerful takeaways to apply to your marketing strategy. 

The Importance of Human Connection  

As generative AI (GenAI) continues to reshape the marketing landscape, enabling smaller brands to advertise, automating creative processes, enhancing customer experiences and powering innovative in-person activations, it’s no surprise that Scott Galloway turned his attention to the topic. What may come as a surprise, however, is his skepticism toward AI’s modern social role, particularly its online presence, its contribution to trolling, its disconnect from genuine human experiences, and its potentially harmful impact on society. 

Galloway put it bluntly: 

“When I’m out in the real world, in the terrestrial, organic world, people couldn’t be more lovely. I mean, they just couldn’t be nicer. Even when they disagree with you, they come up and they say, I disagree on this issue, but you have a civil conversation. People are funny, nice, warm, generous. But the LLMs AI isn’t crawling that world. It’s crawling the online world, where I think there are a lot of bad actors.”  

This raises an important question for marketers: Does our fascination with AI risk disconnecting us from real, human consumers? Are we so focused on innovation that we’re overlooking the importance of genuine human connections? 

In his books Lemon and Look out, Orlando Wood, using data from the IPA, identified key features that unlock engagement and attention in advertising. One of the most crucial features? “Human connection.” Physical touch, implicit communication, and dialogue all capture our broad attention, triggering positive emotional responses and driving long-term brand building. Human connection resonates with consumers both onscreen and offscreen. So why are we so eager to move away from this? 

In the advertising world, AI is becoming more prominent, but it’s also extremely polarizing. Google Gemini’s “Dear Sydney” ad sparked debate last summer over claims that AI detracted from human agency, while Coca-Cola’s AI-inspired “Holidays are Coming” ad, which replaced the classic version running since 1995, dominated industry press during the holidays. Despite the controversy, both of these ads resonated deeply with real-life consumers when tested via System1’s Test Your Ad platform, suggesting that consumers, for now, don’t seem to mind. 

However, this may change over time. As people become more familiar with AI technology, they may start to spot it more easily and experience AI fatigue in the long run. We saw this with fake AI creatives on digital platforms, such as snakes crawling up iconic monuments or brands taking over the skies with AI. While these ads initially hooked audiences with their novelty, consumer feedback soon indicated they were becoming “old news.” 

Some brands are already taking a stand against the growing influence of AI, particularly in areas like beauty standards. Dove, for example, released “The Code” as part of their Real Beauty campaign last year, challenging AI’s distorting impact on the representation of beauty. This ad was highly successful with audiences, earning a strong 4.6 Star Rating and exceptional short-term sales potential. The ad blends modern AI with real human experiences, tying it into the brand’s positioning in a meaningful and relevant way for consumers. 

It directly relates to Scott Galloway’s concerns about AI. Unlike the human experience, AI sources its information from the internet, a “black hole” of false information and performative digital personas. Dove reconnects AI to the real world, reminding audiences that their brand understands what makes human beings human, confronting the destructive influence head-on. 

Morality Doesn’t Compromise Profitable Growth 

In his series of uncomfortable truths, Scott Galloway highlighted a fundamental reality: brands often compromise doing what’s right for society in favor of driving profitable growth. 

Galloway pointed out the moral dilemma with chilling clarity: 

“We can identify when a girl is psychologically really depressed and feeling vulnerable. And that’s the exact right time to serve her a beauty ad.” 

He notes that what’s even scarier is that there are business models specifically designed to capitalize on this, incentivizing the exploitation of mental health for profit. Algorithms are built to gather data, allowing brands to profit from audience behaviors, which unfortunately often perpetuate harmful social norms. But does this have to be the way? Can brands take a stance and still drive commercial impact? 

The answer is yes. In our collaborative research with UK commercial broadcaster ITV, we explored advertising that addresses diversity and inclusion, such as Feeling Seen and Wise Up! We also investigated how brands can encourage positive, sustainable behaviors in our Greenprint research, created in partnership with behavioral science expert Richard Shotton. Our findings revealed that doing the right thing by society does not negatively impact commercial growth. In fact, when done correctly, it can actually enhance profit potential. 

Brands should use moments of consumer vulnerability online as opportunities to uplift and inspire, offering positive messaging that contributes to long-term brand power and sentiment. While many brands currently exploit these moments to drive immediate sales, this approach does little for long-term brand equity. 

Advertising has historically played a key role in driving social change, such as campaigns around smoking legislation, encouraging responsible behavior, anti-gun crime initiatives, inclusivity, body positivity, and disability representation. The most successful of these movements blend creative effectiveness with positive messaging, leaving consumers feeling inspired, happy, and hopeful, rather than deflated. These campaigns prioritize authentic storytelling, giving agency and power to individuals, and often leverage engaging elements like melodic music, a compelling narrative, and humor to forge emotional connections. 

A prime example of this approach in action is the Maltesers “New Boyfriend” campaign, which earned a solid 3.7 Star Rating among consumers and exceptional short-term sales potential. When tested among the represented audience, its long-term brand-building potential shot up to a 5.1 Star Rating, demonstrating the broad and targeted appeal of representative advertising. It’s feel-good, humorous, and incredibly human, creating emotional resonance while driving commercial growth. 

Discover More Uncomfortable, Uncensored Truths in the Latest Podcast 

From disrupting traditionally “boring” categories to addressing the question of whether the brand is truly dead, there’s plenty of gold to be uncovered in the full episode, available here. Scott Galloway and Jon Evans explore the key factors shaping branding, traditional advertising, digital platforms, AI, and brand growth; it’s insightful, relevant, and one of the most exciting listens of the year. Don’t miss it.