Jakarta. The annual WOW Brand 2026 seminar returned this year as a platform for industry leaders to discuss the future of branding amid rapid technological transformation, with speakers emphasizing the need to balance artificial intelligence with human values.

Carrying the theme “Branding in the Age of AI,” the forum focused on how companies can harness AI while preserving emotional connection and authenticity in consumer engagement.

The event also featured key insights from the newly released book Marketing 7.0: A Guide for Thinking Marketeers in the Age of AI, launched globally on April 7, 2026, in the United States. The latest installment in the Marketing X.0 series examines how marketers must adapt as AI becomes increasingly dominant.

Opening the forum, Iwan Setiawan, Chief Operating Officer of MCorp and one of the book’s authors, said brands risk losing relevance if they rely solely on technology without maintaining a human touch.

“The modern human brain has developed aggressive filtering. The moment we see something that feels like advertising or appears overly polished, we automatically ignore it. Brands that show themselves honestly -- including flaws and weaknesses -- are often the most successful on social media,” Iwan said at the Djakarta Theater Ballroom on Thursday.

He added that while AI is highly effective at processing data, it remains limited in its ability to create a distinctive brand identity.

“AI is a generalist -- it knows many things, but it cannot be a specialist because it has no bias. Branding needs bias; it requires the courage to take a unique position. If branding strategy is left entirely to AI, the result will only be safe, and we end up becoming an average brand,” he said.

The event featured two panel discussions examining the complementary roles of technology and humanity in modern marketing.

The first session, “Being More Human in the Age of AI,” explored how human values can become a brand’s strongest differentiator in an era of automation. Speakers highlighted creativity, authenticity, and long-term relevance as essential to maintaining emotional resonance with consumers.

The second session, “Being More Advanced in the Age of AI,” focused on data-driven branding strategies, strengthening brand experience, and technology-enabled storytelling to win market share.

Industry executives participating in the discussions included Irsan Yapto, CEO & Founder of Link Group; Yudi Sadono, Senior Vice President Marketing of Pegadaian; Norisa Saifuddin, EVP Transaction Banking Business Development of BCA; Nur Hidayat Dwi Santoso, GM Brand Strategy Management of Telkomsel; Febri Satria Hutama, Marketing Director of Le Minerale; and Edward Tirtanata, Founder & CEO of Kopi Kenangan. 

Closing the event, Hermawan Kartajaya, founder and chair of MCorp, said the role of people becomes even more critical as AI adoption accelerates.

“Everyone says companies that do not use AI will lose to competitors, but we must not hand everything over to AI. Decisions must still be made by humans,” Hermawan said.

He added that the core principles of marketing remain unchanged: positioning, differentiation, and branding.

“In marketing, we do not have to be the best -- we have to be different. AI can help accelerate processes, but positioning and differentiation must still come from human thinking. That is where the augmented human becomes essential,” he said.

WOW Brand 2026 positioned itself as a strategic platform for companies seeking to navigate evolving branding dynamics, encouraging strategies that are not only technologically adaptive but also rooted in values and closer relationships with consumers.

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