Product Marketing pivots to Adoption as AI Democratizes, Lessons from Create with AI Launch
PARIS – As artificial intelligence rapidly integrates into everyday workflows, product marketing is undergoing a essential shift, moving beyond initial launch hype to focus on sustained user adoption. dominique Rolink, speaking at SoPo 2025, outlined key strategies for successfully introducing AI-powered products, emphasizing the critical need to demonstrate value concretely and tailor messaging to specific user needs.The lessons, drawn from the launch of Create with AI, are notably relevant as AI tools proliferate and competition intensifies.
The challenge isn’t simply building AI products, but ensuring they are used – and used effectively. With AI’s potential to reshape industries and redefine job roles, accomplished adoption hinges on addressing user anxieties and showcasing tangible benefits. Rolink’s insights offer a roadmap for product marketers navigating this new landscape, where clear communication and user-centric approaches are paramount. failure to prioritize adoption risks relegating innovative AI solutions to the sidelines, despite critically important investment and technical prowess.
Rolink stressed the importance of framing AI not as a replacement for human work, but as a tool to amplify existing capabilities. “always keep in mind who you are designing your product for and place the human at the heart of the AI’s usage,” she advised. This messaging is crucial for alleviating fears surrounding job displacement and fostering a collaborative relationship between humans and AI.
A core tenet of successful AI product marketing, according to Rolink, is prioritizing demonstrations over abstract explanations. “A demo is worth 1000 slides!” she asserted.Concrete examples – before-and-after comparisons, contextualized use cases, and user-generated content – are far more impactful in conveying value then generalized descriptions of functionality. Leveraging content created by users or employees brings the innovation to life and allows potential adopters to envision its submission within their own workflows.
Furthermore, Rolink cautioned against the “one-size-fits-all” approach to product messaging. A feature’s value proposition varies considerably depending on the user’s role – a Product Manager, Designer, or Engineer will each derive different benefits. “If you use a general message supposed to resonate with all your personas, it will most often fail,” she explained. Instead, marketers should structure their offerings around specific personas and use cases, highlighting how the AI solution addresses their unique needs and pain points.
Rolink underscored the need for simplicity in communication. “Simplify what is complex,do not complicate what is simple,” she stated,advocating for continuous testing of messaging to ensure clarity and comprehension. As AI technology evolves, the ability to articulate its value in accessible terms will be a defining factor in driving widespread adoption.
