Show notes
In this episode, Mark Abraham, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG, joins Elke Karskens, Head of International Marketing at OpenAI to explore how AI is already transforming marketing and what's coming next. We discuss OpenAI's remarkable growth, the launch of its first advertising campaign, and how marketers can prepare for a future where AI is embedded across every function.The conversation covers how brands can increase their visibility in ChatGPT, the opportunities created by tools like Codex, the skills tomorrow's CMOs will need, and why the real value of AI isn't just efficiency, it's effectiveness.This episode has been produced in partnership with BCG. Browse their CMO Report here:https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/making-the-agentic-marketing-transformation-a-realityTimestamps00:00 - Start01:16 - Open AI’s meteoric rise02:07 - Breakthrough moments for OpenAI03:04 - How have Open AI scaled so quickly04:49 - What will be led by humans and what will be led by AI in 5 years06:09 - Open AI’s impressive first ad campaign08:32 - Launch of the Open AI advertising platform13:01 - How brands can rank in ChatGPT14:44 - How brands can use Codex17:44 - How do CMOs feel about AI19:34 - How do you deliver transformation with AI20:55 - What skillsets are going to be in demand for the future CMO23:29 - Which brands are using AI well today24:52 - What can we do with AI in a year from now we can’t do today?29:45 - Why BCG and Open AI work together30:53 - What don’t people understand about AI?35:11 - Efficiency and cost savings vs effectiveness in AI38:15 - Best advice you’ve ever been given