Six lessons we learned from Marketing Leaders at Full Circle

Mitch Joel on stage at Full Circle - Photo by Neil Zeller Photography

Over 300 people gathered in Toronto for SocialNext’s inaugural experience for senior marketing leaders, Full Circle: A CMO Experience. The main topic of discussion across an afternoon of fireside chats, curated discussions, and real debate from independent thinkers: the intersection of AI and modern marketing leadership. Attendees were in for a treat from a wide range of speakers across the marketing world: Erin Elofson of Mastercard, Mitch Joel, Jonelle Ricketts of IKEA, Crystal Carter of Wix, Tedde van Gelderen of Akendi and Neil Patel of NP Digital all gave fresh perspectives and insights on how they’re incorporating AI into their marketing practices within their organizations. Here are some of our favourite quotes from the afternoon:

Speed is Dead. Instead, reframe your speed to PACE:

P: palette/taste. Master a broader taste of creative, strategic and tech tools

A: agency- be proactive. Resilient and trusted. What distinguishes you from a machine? Agency over agents.

C: commune the strength of your network outweighs the strength of your product. Belonging is everything

E: elevate/educate. Continually raise the bar. Get everyone educated, even the C-suite.

Mitch Joel, Co-Founder. ThinkersOne on the changing relationship between innovation, marketing and AI

Erin Elofson on stage at Full Circle - Photo by Neil Zeller Photography

“Technology cannot exist for technology’s sake→ trust and security must exist for these systems to be adopted and integrated into everyday life.”

— Erin Elofson, President, Mastercard, on the importance of building secure networks and earning trust from customers to develop agentic AI technology

Jonelle Ricketts on stage at Full Circle - Photo by Neil Zeller Photography

“Brand consistency and how the brand shows up is the most important; it matters in how they show up in their advertising, showrooms, etc– it acts as brand protection. IKEA’s customers often feel connected enough to us that they can comment/affect on how the brand shows up for them, especially if they feel what’s happening doesn’t align with what the brand represents.”

— Jonelle Ricketts, on the importance of brand strength in the age of AI

Tedde van Gelderen on stage at Full Circle - Photo by Neil Zeller Photography

“AI is an execution tool, not a generation tool. Start with human thought, then complement, build, and create prototypes with AI.”

— Tedde van Gelderen, Akendi, on integrating AI into your business processes

Crystal Carter on stage at Full Circle - Photo by Neil Zeller Photography

“Make sure that everything your brand does can interact with customers and AI agents–that’s interoperability. Your website should be “Do-Things-y”.”

— Crystal Carter, Head of SEO Communications, WIX, on why agentic AI is the future of web traffic and SEO.

Neil Patel on stage at Full Circle - Photo by Neil Zeller Photography

“We think the future is H+AI, humans combined with AI capability… you combine both, you’ll see miraculous results.”

— Neil Patel, Co-Founder, NP Digital, on the future of AI in marketing practices

This piece is part of our ongoing coverage of SocialNext Toronto 2026, one of six national conferences produced by SocialNext.

About the writer:
June Findlay is a multifaceted communications professional with 15 years of marketing and advertising experience, specializing in digital and social media marketing, including roles on brand and agency sides. Throughout her career, she's worked with agencies such as Dentsu and WPP and developed campaigns for brands such as The Lincoln Motor Company, The YMCA of Greater Toronto, UNICEF Canada, and MadeGood. A sharp writer, insightful commentator, and founder of Little Kernel Communications (her freelance practice serving B2B and B2C clients), she is also a sought-after speaker empowering audiences to make meaningful changes in their lives and their work. June has spoken for notable organizations and institutions like the University of Toronto, Global News Radio, Toronto Metropolitan University, The National Forum for Voluntary Organizations (Sweden), CBC Newsworld, and more.