Marketing Vanguard at Cannes: How IBM Became Its Own AI Case Study ft. Jonathan Adashek of IBM

Are marketers making a fatal mistake by treating AI as just a cost-cutting tool? 

The Marketing Vanguard Cannes series continues as host Jenny Rooney sits down with Jonathan Adashek, SVP, Marketing and Communications at IBM, to unpack how marketers should be treating AI, today. He breaks down how at IBM, it is becoming a way to rethink processes and drive measurable growth, their “client zero” approach, $4.5 billion in savings over three years and why the company now does half the number of events it did two years ago.

Jonathan Adashek is SVP, Marketing and Communications at IBM, where he leads marketing, communications, and CSR. He joined IBM in January 2020 as Chief Communications Officer and took on the marketing portfolio in January 2022. In his role, Jonathan helps shape IBM’s global narrative as the company sharpens its focus around hybrid cloud, AI and open technology. His background in communications and politics gives him a distinct view of marketing: build a clear story, bring people on the journey and connect brand work more closely to business outcomes. At IBM, he has helped drive AI adoption across processes, event strategy, customer segmentation and internal operations through the company’s “client zero” approach.

What You'll Learn:

• Why AI should be measured by effectiveness and growth, not just cost reduction
• How IBM uses AI to improve event targeting, personalization and lead generation
• Why training, workflow design and tool discipline matter in AI adoption
• How to avoid runaway AI agents and fragmented tools inside a large organization
• Why unifying marketing and communications can bring brand narrative closer to revenue
• How IBM balances 115 years of brand equity with sharper hybrid cloud and AI positioning
• Why customer segmentation and team structure can change go-to-market effectiveness

This episode is part of a special vidcast series that was recorded live during Cannes 2026 and presented in partnership with Edelman 

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