AI isn’t coming for your job… it’s coming for your complacency.
In the past five years, technology has flipped marketing on its head. Decades ago, marketing and PR success were dependent on relationships with newspapers, and relied on complicated high-budget campaigns. Today, you can campaign on Meta and TikTok and Google ads with a few clicks and build your own website with WordPress or Wix.
“The barrier to entry in doing this job has never been lower,” says Josh Webber, our CEO and a digital marketing veteran with over 12 years of experience. “So what does that mean on the flip side? It means that in order to differentiate yourself and be considered world-class in that field, the bar has never been set higher.”
Josh has watched the rise of AI first hand. As an agency owner of Big Red Jelly, he has personally faced the challenges and opportunities of embracing new tech.
He recently broke down the four core skill areas marketers must develop to not only stay relevant, but to become irreplaceable in the age of AI. Here’s what you to focus on now:
#1: Technical Skills — Can You Do the Thing?
New marketers often bound into the workplace with creativity, drive, and… a huge lack of hard skills. Employers everywhere are noticing that many young professionals boast impressive leadership skills, but can’t “do the thing”–copywriting, graphic design, SEO, and so on.
Everyone in the workplace should know the basics of what is going on. Leaders should be familiar with the tools and processes their employees use, and employees should be well-versed with the processes of the different teams they work with.
Josh explained this concept in a real world scenario:
“If you’re on a client call, and a client says, ‘show me how to put something in this meta-title and meta description.’ And you don’t know how to answer that, it’s gonna leave your co-workers and clients with a lack of confidence. That’s really problematic.”
#2: Account Management — Can You Build Trust and Sell the Vision?
Designing something great is only half the battle. Selling it, explaining it, and guiding the client to believe in it—that’s what separates good creatives from great professionals.
Account management isn’t just for salespeople. Whether you’re a designer, copywriter, or strategist; your ability to communicate and build rapport is critical.
Josh expanded on this sentiment: “If you want to be a world-class strategist, learn. Learn public speaking 101, learn how to sell, learn how to pitch, learn how to communicate and actively listen.
Account management is all about the soft skills, it’s about the presentation, it’s about building confidence with your clients.”
Many marketers forget that they themselves are an extension of the brand. Their dress, their mannerisms, their conversation skills all reflect the values and quality of the organization they represent. This kind of subtle communication is often unspoken, and nearly impossible for AI to replicate. Unsurprisingly, soft skills like communication, empathy, and storytelling are cited as more difficult to outsource to AI than technical skills (Source: World Economic Forum, 2024 Future of Jobs Report).
Josh continues: “I bump into a lot of super talented technical people, right? And when I say technical, I don’t mean technology per se— I mean a world-class copywriter, a world-class PR expert, a world-class web developer, a world-class salesperson… but they don’t have the soft skills and that’s a problem.
“The resume looks great, they’ve got great technical skills, but then I hop on an interview and it’s a really tough conversation, they’re not very good at pitching themselves.”
The brand can be flawless, the web redesign can be phenomenal. But if you can’t present the project in a way that gives the client confidence, you’re going to lose the battle.
#3: Project Management — Can You Actually Run the Play?
“This is the least sexy of the four,” Josh says. “This is often forgotten and it’s one that I see as being the most problematic with young professionals is project management.
“So, you might be a great web designer, you’re very good at pitching things, but in between the draft reviews you are missing deadlines, you’re not taking good notes, you’re allowing too much scope creep, your calendar is chaotic… it just doesn’t work.”
The nitty-gritty aspects of marketing can seem tedious and unimportant to many creatives. But the little things like updating monday.com or your Google Calendar can send a clear message to
employers that you are serious about your deadlines and the quality of your work. This display of responsibility is critical to upkeep.
Mastering the mundane (staying on scope, showing up prepared, following up, etc.) sets apart a world class marketer from a replaceable one. Only 23% of marketers rate themselves as “excellent” at managing scope, timelines, and client expectations (Source: CMI (Content Marketing Institute), 2023 Survey).
Josh sums this up succinctly. “The last thing you want is someone who’s, again, a great technical wizard, great soft skills, but they’re just dropping the ball when it comes to project management.”
If you want to set yourself apart, polish up on the things that require zero talent.
#4: Strategy — Do You Understand the Why?
It’s not just about what looks good or sounds clever—it’s about what drives results.
Josh is big on the why of marketing tactics. “I design a logo, I design a brand guide. And I ask, ‘‘How does this now help the company increase their revenue and grow?’ Because that’s ultimately what all businesses want. Great deliverables or execution without good strategy will never work.”
Josh isn’t the only professional emphasizing the importance of strategic focus. Ann Handley with MarketingProfs reminded professionals; ““In today’s world, strategy is your filter. Without it, you’ll say yes to everything and achieve nothing.”
As a marketer, there are no less than a million ways to waste precious hours on projects that will make little difference it a brand’s success. So, ask why. Why are we optimizing a site’s SEO? Why are we launching this ad campaign? Why is this rebrand necessary? The answer should always be measurable revenue.
Conclusion: The Human Advantage
AI is powerful. It’s fast, smart, and surprisingly creative. But it’s also just a tool.
The real value still lies in the human behind the screen—the one who thinks critically, manages people well, communicates clearly, executes consistently, and stays obsessed with the craft.
That’s what makes you irreplaceable.
That’s what makes you world-class.
Big Red Jelly is committed to world-class work by human people, utilizing AI as an accelerant instead of an author.
Take the quiz below to see how your marketing efforts can be boosted 3X with the help of our professionals and the strategic use of AI:
Want to learn more about these 4 irreplaceable marketing skills? Check out this episode of The Branding Bros Podcast where Josh and Zach Webber talk about them more in depth.
Written by Kay Myers.
