At Shoptalk, Fospha took to the stage alongside Daniel Green from Gymshark and Jia Marquez from Smartly

They explore a critical question: what should brands understand before letting AI shape their marketing budgets?

In a focused ten minute session, three themes emerged.

First, most brands are not measuring the full impact of their marketing. Blind spots remain across key channels such as marketplaces and social commerce, where traditional click based measurement fails to capture the majority of performance.

Second, trust in data remains a major barrier. AI does not replace decision making but depends entirely on the quality and transparency of the data behind it. Without confidence in measurement, automation becomes a risk rather than an advantage.

Finally, the gap between insight and action continues to limit growth. Many teams still rely on manual processes to translate data into budget decisions, slowing down optimisation and leaving value on the table.

Brands that are pulling ahead are closing this gap, connecting accurate, daily measurement directly into execution. 

The results highlight what this looks like in practice. Gymshark reported stronger returns across key paid channels, with significant gains in revenue efficiency and acquisition performance.

The takeaway is clear: effective AI driven growth depends on complete measurement, trusted data, and seamless execution. Remove any one of these, and the system breaks down. Get them right, and the upside is substantial.