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How B2B businesses should structure communications and marketing in the era of AI

AI alone won’t fix your marketing — the case for smarter team structures

Marketing team
Image generated by Gemini Advanced
Image generated by Gemini Advanced

Karrie is a thought leader in Digital Journal’s Insight Forum (become a member).


Imagine a mid-sized B2B healthcare company, proud of its shiny new AI tools designed to transform its communications and marketing efforts, and leadership is convinced that the investment will “revolutionize efficiency.”

They’ve spent months onboarding the tech, crafting the perfect prompts, but six months in, chaos reigns.

Campaigns are a jumble of mixed messages. The AI spits out tone-deaf or undifferentiated taglines like “Your Health Matters!” Their social media posts sound like they’re written by a bot pretending to be a human (which, technically, they are) or can belong to any healthcare company. And the marketing team’s latest email campaign landed in more spam folders than inboxes.

Frustrated, the head of marketing scrolls through endless dashboards, trying to make sense of analytics that seem designed to obscure rather than illuminate. 

The sales team, meanwhile, is demanding yet another brochure, convinced that’s what will finally drive conversions. 

In a tense meeting, someone blurts out, “Didn’t we get AI to solve all of this?” 

And then the room falls silent. 

The problem isn’t the AI itself. It’s that no one thought to rethink how the team was structured before adding it to the mix.

This fictional case highlights a real-world issue — AI is a tool, not a strategy. Without a well-structured approach to comms and marketing, even the most advanced technologies fall flat.

To succeed in the era of AI, companies must rethink how they organize these essential functions. Communications and marketing should no longer be seen as interchangeable or merely tactical. Instead, they must be treated as distinct yet complementary disciplines that drive business growth.

Why structure matters in a fast-changing world

While AI should deliver efficiencies when used effectively, poorly structured teams around it will continue to create inefficiencies, misaligned messaging, and lost opportunities. Communications, focused on thought leadership and brand credibility, requires clarity and consistency and often different prompts and needs from the tools.

Marketing, on the other hand, operates as a promotional, data-driven distribution and customer engagement engine. When these roles blur, the results often fail to meet business objectives.

AI complicates this dynamic further. It promises to automate repetitive tasks and generate actionable insights, but these benefits only materialize in teams with clear roles and strategic leadership. 

Without structure, AI tools become underutilized or misapplied, creating more confusion than clarity. And, maybe even more importantly, teams without appropriate training or talent upskilling, may find the tools more threatening than beneficial.  

Building the right team for AI-driven success

Organizations need to design teams that balance execution and strategy while integrating AI effectively. 

Here’s what an AI-ready communications and marketing team looks like:

Strategic leadership 

A senior strategic marketing and communications leader, like a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) or fractional CMO, who participates in firm leadership planning discussions ensures alignment with broader business goals. This leader provides the vision and oversight necessary to connect marketing and communications efforts to measurable outcomes.

Specialized roles

There are a few roles that I think are needed. Depending on your firm and team size, some of these roles could be shared provided the appropriate talent was in place:

  • Data and MarTech experts manage analytics and reporting to ensure campaigns are optimized and measurable.
  • Channel marketers focus on understanding client needs, designing strategies that reach the right audiences through the right channels.
  • Communications specialists craft compelling narratives that maintain brand integrity and resonate with stakeholders – both internal and external.
  • Product marketers work closely with channel teams and product developers to highlight offerings in ways that address specific customer pain points.

Digital fluency across the board

Every team member (whether in marketing or comms) must understand and leverage digital tools and strategies.

Digital is not a standalone function — it’s embedded in every aspect of modern business.

The sooner team members embrace the benefits of technology the sooner teams will adopt or incorporate them versus hiding from or fearing 

Collaborative agency models

Creative and branding support can and should be outsourced to agencies until there is enough demand or an internal need for it, meaning it would fill the day of a full-time employee. Even then, you will likely want to maintain some level of outsourcing.

For these relationships to work effectively, operating as an extension of your team, internal strategic oversight is critical to maintain alignment and cohesion.

A great example of a firm operating as that extension of a team is Digital Journal Group (DJG) who I have partnered with for content creation. They understand that businesses need storytelling, not just content, that drives impact and aligns to your company’s voice or respective thought leader voices. 

Teams should know when, and how, to leverage external partners like DJG and how to integrate their work seamlessly into the overall marketing strategy which I believe can only be done when you form true partnerships with your agencies. 

The role of AI in redefining workflows

AI doesn’t replace teams — it enhances them.

In communications, AI tools can draft initial versions of press releases or reports, allowing writers to focus on refining and tailoring the message. 

In marketing, AI accelerates audience segmentation and campaign analysis, enabling faster pivots and smarter spending.

However, as mentioned previously, successful integration requires training. 

Teams must understand how to prompt AI tools effectively, interpret their outputs critically, and adjust strategies based on insights. Leaders should prioritize upskilling employees with internal resources, or look for an external agency expert to ensure that AI becomes a driver of efficiency rather than a source of frustration.

Measuring success in the AI era

Success in the AI era is about more than just adopting technology. It’s about creating a structure where technology can thrive alongside human talent. 

Organizations that excel have leaders who view marketing and communications as core business drivers, not as secondary functions. They invest in the right mix of people, processes, and tools to make AI an accelerator rather than a bandaid.

This structure also reinforces the importance of measurement. By aligning all marketing and communications efforts to data-driven goals, teams can identify what’s working and course-correct when needed. AI amplifies this capability, turning real-time insights into action plans that keep businesses agile, efficient, and competitive.

Once you’ve implemented this structure and want to determine if changes are working, look for these indicators:

  • Increased efficiency: Teams deliver more with fewer resources, focusing on strategic initiatives rather than repetitive tasks.
  • Stronger ROI: Marketing and comms investments yield measurable results, from lead generation to brand awareness.
  • Aligned messaging: Consistency across channels ensures that both internal and external stakeholders understand and trust the brand.

Ultimately, companies that embrace these principles are not just setting themselves up for short-term wins. They’re building resilient, adaptive teams that can navigate the complexities of an AI-driven future, and drive long-term growth that others will struggle to replicate.

This article was created with the assistance of AI. Learn more about our AI ethics policy here.

Karrie Van Belle
Written By

Karrie Van Belle currently operates as a consultant in her field of marketing and communications with a focus on fractional CMO support and strategic advisory work on brand, marketing, corporate communications and digital transformation best practices. Karrie most recently held the role of Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer at AGF Investments Inc. With over 25 years experience in marketing and communications, Karrie promotes innovation in marketing, with expertise across multiple disciplines from traditional advertising to social media and public relations to market research and analytics as well as product strategy. Karrie is a member of Digital Journal's Insight Forum.

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