Hi Reader,

I’m Justin and I write Brand Credential—a platform where I share insights on personal branding and marketing from my 12+ years in the industry, including leading marketing teams at startups and now a 5,000+ person tech company.

This week, I’m digging into something I’ve been seeing across the marketing industry: a renaissance of human connection that's counterbalancing the rise of AI.

🔍 This week’s insight: Marketing's human renaissance

Marketers are adopting AI faster than ever. We're outsourcing busywork, scaling content, and streamlining workflows.

And that’s a good thing. But the more we automate, the more we start to crave what’s missing.

In a world of AI-generated everything, we're being drawn back to innately human experiences:

• In-person events.
• Online communities.
• Authentic creator-style content.
• 1:1 conversations AI can’t get in the middle of.

Our need for authentic human connection is driving marketing trends that are counterbalancing AI adoption:

• In-person events are making a comeback—not for lead scans, but as forums for spending time together.
• Creator-style content is rising as information gets commoditized, and we look for point-of-view, personality, and lived experience to learn from.
• Digital communities are thriving because they offer depth that social feeds can’t.

In this week’s article, I break down:

• Why AI’s rise is triggering a human marketing renaissance.
• Examples of people and platforms leaning into connection, community, and craft.
• What these trends mean for your brand and how to respond—whether you're a content creator or corporate marketer.

If you’ve felt burned out by digital noise or overwhelmed by AI hype, you’re not alone.

While AI opens new doors, it’s also creating space for a pull back toward presence, craft, and connection. Trends that creators and marketers should tap into and account for in their strategies.

👉 Read the full article on my website and Substack.

That’s it for this week! As always, thank you so much for reading.

Talk soon,

Justin

More ways I can help

If you’d like more personal branding and marketing tips in the meantime, here are more ways I can help:

• Explore more articles on my website Brand Credential​
• Check out my latest Medium writing​
• Get my free LinkedIn Personal Branding Checklist​
• My book: The Personal Brand Blueprint