Read the summary of the most important points from the webinar and find out: Why is AI becoming a key partner in creativity? How is Connected TV rewriting the rules of television advertising? And why is authenticity more valuable than the number of followers in influencer marketing?
AI as a strategic partner: Build trust in the digital environment
"Clients are not primarily interested in AI itself, but in the growth and tangible impact they can achieve thanks to it," says Josef Martinkovič, Director of AI and Innovation. He then presented three mega trends closely related to AI.
The first is the"Slop & Slide"phenomenon, which refers to the mass generation of poor-quality content using AI. "Although AI significantly reduces costs and speeds up content creation, brands can slip into mediocrity due to its uncritical use," said Josef Martinkovič. That is why it is essential to work with AI strategically and use unique data.
The second trend is "Signal & Silence". This reflects the paradox of decreasing amounts of available data due to privacy protection on the one hand, and growing expectations for personalisation on the other. "The challenge is to gain deeper insights from more limited signals without undermining customer trust," added Josef Martinkovič.
The third and key trend is "Trust is the Product". "Trust is a core value and a product in itself," says Martinkovič. And every interaction with the brand either builds or weakens it.
AI in the creative process: A partner that holds and monitors the direction
Martinkovič went on to describe what effective use of AI and the shift from helper to strategist entails. "We are moving from Prompt Engineering to Flow Engineering, i.e. integrated management of the entire marketing process. In practice, we are connecting individual AI tools into a single functional ecosystem where context is preserved throughout the entire process. From planning to implementation to measurement."
Lucie Hrdinová demonstrated how this might look in practice. In 15 minutes, she designed a campaign for a fictional hotel resort called Vlnka in an AI environment. She divided the entire process into three phases and commented on the role of AI in each of them.
"When collecting data and searching for insights, AI can find and extract the exact psychological trigger of the customer from thousands of reviews," says Hrdinová. "And that then becomes a mandatory task for all other steps."
In the creative phase, when the overarching concept is created, AI acts as a filter of feasibility and a counterbalance to the author's ego. "Every concept must pass through the filter 'Does it correspond to the insights from phase 1?'. This allows us to eliminate creative dead ends right from the start."
When preparing visuals, AI is no longer in the role of a junior graphic designer. "But if you work in an AI environment where context is preserved, then the visual is not just about aesthetics, but in fact a visual response to data," says Hrdinová. "If the data says that the customer is looking for peace and security, AI will not suggest aggressive colours."
AI thus helps to maintain a strategic line from target audience analysis to the colour of the button on the banner.
Connected TV (CTV): An alternative to traditional TV advertising
Connected TV (CTV) is becoming one of the most important and dynamically growing channels. Jan Kuděj demonstrated this with figures: 67% of Czech households already have a smart TV with an internet connection. People aged 15 to 29 spend 36% of their time watching TV on other types of viewing than linear broadcasting.
For advertisers, CTV offers key advantages: reaching younger and more affluent segments, greater flexibility thanks to programmatic buying, advanced targeting options and, above all, accurate measurement of effectiveness.
"Compared to traditional television, where we rely on modelled data, CTV offers deterministic data and more accurate reach," says Jan Kuděj. "In addition, thanks to geographic targeting, CTV opens the door to smaller and locally focused clients for whom traditional television advertising is unavailable or ineffective."
Modern technology and immersive experiences: How to overcome information fatigue
The digital environment causes cognitive fatigue. However, marketers can combat this with interactive and immersive marketing. In other words, by actively engaging users. Václav Hruška described how this works in a webinar.
One option is "human-like" AI avatars that customers can interact with. "Thanks to AI, we can now create outputs that evoke emotions and that people enjoy interacting with," says Václav Hruška. "However, we must be careful with AI slop, which can ultimately backfire on the brand."
Another strategy is data-driven storytelling, where original personalised content is created based on data.
"And the third pillar is immersive experiences," says Hruška. "Create physical adventures, gamify and work with pop culture context. An example is our local activation for Chupa Chups and Netflix (Stranger Things). We used shared bikes as one of the main symbols of the series and incorporated them into the campaign. We created a unique experience that people remembered."
Influencer marketing 2026: It's impossible without influencers
Influencer marketing is becoming a key part of strategies, especially for younger generations. This is confirmed by growing investments. In 2025, these exceeded CZK 6 billion in Czechia alone. Linda Patočková summarised the pillars on which influencer marketing will stand in 2026.
The first is data, demonstrable effectiveness and the related involvement of AI in the analysis and selection of creators.
Another key element remains authenticity, which prevails over perfection. "This is linked to the need to give influencers creative freedom. They know their audience best," says Linda Patočková. We should also focus on ambassadors, micro and nano influencers. "They may have a smaller reach, but they have a deeper and more trustworthy relationship with their audience."
The entire ecosystem is then built on video-first platforms, where native and authentic content dominates.
Conclusion? It won't work without technology and trust building
The year 2026 brings a number of challenges and opportunities for marketers. The key will be the ability to integrate technology while understanding human psychology and building trust. Those who embrace these principles will not only remain relevant, but will continue to grow in a rapidly changing market environment.
Source: mediaguru.cz