Blind spot: 5 AI marketing questions the boardroom isn’t asking, but should be

Julia Vander Ploeg, an experienced board member and former digital and marketing executive for major brands including McDonald’s and Volvo, outlines the board’s crucial role in AI and why pressing the right questions to marketing leadership is the key to winning.

As an experienced board member and former digital and marketing executive for household names like McDonald’s, Volvo, and Hyatt Hotels, I’ve had a front-row seat to the seismic shifts technology brings. Today, the ground is shaking again with AI, and I believe many boardrooms are missing a critical piece of the puzzle. We’re asking questions but not always the right ones, especially when it comes to marketing. And that’s a knowledge gap we can no longer afford.

Board members have a fundamental oversight responsibility, especially when it comes to AI. We must understand how AI shapes strategy, unearths new opportunities, and, critically, we need to manage its inherent risks, from privacy concerns to cybersecurity threats. To do this effectively, the board itself needs a foundational understanding of AI. Without it, we’re stumbling in the dark.

But here’s the kicker: Many boards aren’t adequately engaging their marketing leadership on AI. This is a profound mistake. Marketers, especially when armed with AI, are driving revenue instead of simply “spending money.” They hold the keys to understanding market dynamics, customer behavior, and brand strategy. By asking the right questions of our marketing teams, we can unlock immense value and propel our companies forward.

Here are the most critical AI questions I believe every board needs to be asking their marketing and C-suite teams — right now.

Question 1: Does our use of AI actually help us win?

Are we using AI to tinker or to triumph? Let’s be blunt: AI initiatives shouldn’t be science experiments. They must be laser focused on specific, high impact use cases that directly align with our core business goals. This isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about speed and differentiation in a hypercompetitive landscape. AI is new territory, so we need to test, learn, and iterate. Our marketing teams sit on a gold mine of customer data, and AI can help us unearth the true problems we can solve for by utilizing that data in powerful new ways.

Question 2: Is AI redefining our customer’s path to purchase?

The customer journey isn’t just evolving; it’s being fundamentally reshaped by AI, often in ways we can’t yet fully grasp. Yet one thing is clear: When customers arrive at your company through a search, they are more informed, focused, and ready to buy, because they’ve used AI for discovery and research.

This means the traditional funnels are a thing of the past. Are we merely reacting to these seismic shifts, or are we actively using AI to map, anticipate, and even engineer the new paths to purchase? If we’re not aggressively analyzing how AI impacts customer behavior — where they find us and how they decide — we are missing key conversations that should be happening in the boardroom. This isn’t just about optimizing search; it’s about owning the future customer relationship.

Question 3: In the AI era, is marketing a cost or our engine for growth?

Many companies still treat marketing as a fixed cost, focused on maximizing return on ad spend. This is a relic of the past. The smarter, more aggressive approach is to view marketing investment through the lens of net contribution margin. Simply put: if we can invest a dollar and get two dollars back in profit, why on earth would we stop? We need to aggressively find that sweet spot where continued investment yields accelerating, net incremental profitability. With the new AI tools at our disposal for rapid testing and precise targeting, we can leapfrog competitors stuck in outdated budget models.

Question 4. Is our AI risk plan rock solid?

This is where our fiduciary duty comes into sharp focus. The board’s role in AI ethics and governance is nonnegotiable. We must establish crystal-clear policies for responsible and secure AI use, especially safeguarding the vast amounts of customer data, often managed by marketing. These aren’t just guidelines; they are mandates that must be understood and rigorously followed by everyone, from frontline employees to the executive suite.

Question 5. Are we fully tapping into Google’s AI to supercharge our customer pipeline?

Google Search and, increasingly, YouTube are some of the most effective ways to find customers, even with the AI hype of newcomers. Our marketing departments and CMOs must maintain ironclad relationships with Google and YouTube, engaging in regular quarterly business reviews and actively participating in beta programs. This isn’t optional; it’s how we stay at the cutting edge and keep our strategy sharp across both vital platforms. The board needs to fully grasp the depth and breadth of this partnership to ensure they’re directly driving the company’s most critical goals, from brand building to direct conversions.

In summary, as a board director, make sure you have a strategic relationship with the C-suite and the CMO. Since changes in customer search and acquisition are changing rapidly, be ready to advocate for making bold moves where the changes in technology can open up new opportunities for growth. And make sure the entire board is engaged in the conversation, not just the board members with the “expertise.” There are enterprise-level impacts coming from the way companies choose to use AI in marketing at a strategic level. As a board director, you can help encourage how these impacts drive value creation for your company.