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Automation is no longer just a tool — it’s becoming the operating system of marketing. In this episode of Hard Refresh, host Andrés López-Varela is joined by Kirsty O’Connell (Senior Account Director, equ.) and Sophie Winter (National Manager, Content & Communities, Australian Wildlife Conservancy) to debate the promises and pitfalls of automation.
From Meta’s AI gone wrong with a feral cat campaign for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy to the risks of handing brand safety over to machines, the panel dives into where humans should still hold the reins. Together they ask: when everything can be automated, what’s left for marketers to do ?
From Meta’s AI gone wrong with a feral cat campaign for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy to the risks of handing brand safety over to machines, the panel dives into where humans should still hold the reins. Together they ask: when everything can be automated, what’s left for marketers to do ?
In this episode:
- Where humans still matter
Both guests argue that community management, creative concepting, and tone of voice should remain human-led, automation can optimise and scale, but only people can bring context, empathy, and credibility. - When automation backfires
Sophie recalls a feral cat awareness campaign that Meta’s AI targeted to cat lovers, sparking outrage. It’s a cautionary tale about brand safety when platforms make decisions without context. - Losing control of creative
Kirsty explains how automated ad placements distorted campaign assets in ways the team didn’t expect, a trade-off of efficiency for oversight that left clients asking hard questions. - Agencies as orchestrators
Rather than being replaced, agencies may thrive by helping brands navigate orchestration, strategy, and ethics once automation eats the “busy work.” Both panelists argue this will shift agency-client conversations to bigger, more interesting questions. - Future-proofing talent
Skills like prompt engineering, measurement, and critical thinking are becoming the new basics for junior marketers. The panel sees automation forcing marketers to level up, reclaiming marketing as more than “promotion” and returning to its roots in product, pricing, and audience insight.
This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, live at State of Social '25.
Creators and Guests
Host
Guest
Kirsty O’Connell
Kirsty O’Connell is a forward-thinking digital strategist with a proven record of creating digital experiences that put customers first and deliver measurable business growth. She played a key role in transforming Sky — one of Europe’s top media and entertainment brands — by scaling digital and e-commerce capabilities from the ground up. Her work included the launch of Sky Glass, the UK’s best-selling smart TV, and pioneering martech integrations across media buying, data, and creative — helping position Sky as a leader in UK digital advertising. Her experience spans leading organisations like Cancer Research UK and Reach plc, where she honed her ability to align strategy, technology, and operations to meet real customer needs. Now at equ, Kirsty helps brands across Australia unlock the full potential of digital — building customer journeys that go deeper, connect better, and drive sustainable growth.
Guest
Sophie Winter
Sophie is a strategic marketing and communications leader who believes in the power of storytelling to drive positive change. With a knack for building strong brand connections both inside and outside organisations, she is all about finding creative, data-driven ways to make a meaningful impact. Sophie’s passion for innovation and sustainable thinking has shaped her purpose-driven career, leading her from agency life to the non-profit sector.
What is Hard Refresh?
Discover what’s in store for us in the next 25 years of digital marketing and how the first 25 years of this century shaped our industry (and the world), in Hard Refresh.
This limited 10-episode series from Australia’s best marketing conference, State of Social, looks ahead at what trends, technologies, cultural shifts, and maybe even controversies, will define digital marketing over the next 25 years. Andrés López-Varela (a.k.a. ALV), one of Australia's most experienced marketing educators, is joined by a cast of industry leaders picked from the ranks of this year's State of Social speakers to unearth what's next for digital marketing.
Join them as they press F5 to discover a refreshed perspective on everything from the next evolution in social media to the role of marketing in culture, from the future of digital audio to the changing role of online video, from the era-defining impacts of AI and automation to the brave new world for marketing agencies, and much more.
Hard Refresh is recorded and produced on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, the Awabakal people and the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.