Avenue9 LLC

How has consumer behavior shifted in the digital age?Consumer behavior didn’t just shift—it split into two timelines. In one, people crave hyper-personalized, emotionally resonant experiences. In the other, they scroll right past anything that smells like automation or a pitch-slap. We’re not marketing to demographics anymore; we’re marketing to moments. People are more skeptical, more distracted, and more empowered. That means marketers have to earn attention—not demand it. At Avenue9, we say AI is fast, but trust is slow. And in the digital age, trust is the currency that converts.

What strategies are you using to create more authentic brand connections?We start by acting less like marketers and more like listeners. We interview customers, subject matter experts, and front-line employees to uncover the real story behind a brand. Then we use AI to scale the human parts of marketing: relevance, timing, and empathy. We don’t spam content calendars. We use smart prompts, contextual data, and tone-matched storytelling to create marketing that feels like a helpful friend—not a megaphone. The strategy? Show up where your buyers are mentally, not just digitally.

Can you share a recent campaign that exceeded expectations?One of our proudest recent wins was the Coach2Scale Live Sales Leader Debate—a bold experiment that turned into a breakout success. Instead of hosting another tips-and-tricks webinar, we created a live, no-filter debate where two seasoned CROs battled it out over whether sales leaders should be friends with their reps. We leaned into tension, personality, and real-world experience—and the results were undeniable. Over 70 ideal-fit revenue leaders registered, and 100% of attendees said they’d come back for the next one. That’s not just engagement; that’s audience loyalty. It worked because we treated our audience like peers, not leads. We gave them substance, conflict, and connection. And the bonus? It created a flood of LinkedIn buzz, podcast clips, follow-up calls, and future content we’re still repurposing. That’s the human-first flywheel in action.

How do you measure the effectiveness of your marketing initiatives?We don’t just look at open rates and impressions. We look at resonance and ripple effects. Are people replying to your emails like they’re talking to a real person? Are sales teams using the marketing content in actual conversations? Did that post lead to a podcast invite, a client intro, or a strategic partner? Our north star metrics are trust built and actions taken. If it doesn’t lead to a real relationship or a business result, it’s just digital noise.

What trends are shaping the future of advertising?Three forces are converging: AI, authenticity, and attention. Generative AI is the production assistant every marketer needed. But the brands that win will use it to enhance humanity, not erase it. Authenticity will become non-negotiable—people can smell ChatGPT slop a mile away. And attention will keep getting more expensive unless you earn it with insight, value, and personality. In short, the future of advertising isn’t more volume—it’s smarter, more human volume, delivered with machine-level precision.

How are you integrating AI or automation into your campaigns?We call it contextual augmentation. We train GPTs on internal documents, interviews, and brand tone so that AI doesn’t guess—it knows. Then we embed that AI into everyday workflows: content creation, sales emails, SEO optimization, and customer onboarding. Our campaigns run on custom GPTs that know your brand like your best copywriter. But we always keep a human editor in the loop. AI is the engine. Humans are the driver. That’s the Avenue9 way.

What advice would you give to aspiring marketers today?Become a student of human behavior, not just algorithms. Learn why people actually buy and what earns their loyalty. Master storytelling, empathy, and curiosity. Use AI not to replace your creativity but to scale it. And remember: marketing is about trust, not tricks. If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t put it in your funnel. The future belongs to marketers who can build real relationships at scale—and do it with a wink, a truth, and a little help from AI.