Freeman+Leonard

A recent survey by the American Marketing Association revealed fascinating insights into how marketers perceive the importance of soft skills to their roles as AI adoption becomes more widespread. We’re curious to hear from our own community of marketing, advertising and creative professionals. Tell us:

AI promised more efficient hiring. In practice, it often creates more screening work while your unicorn candidate gets buried under resumes optimized for keywords, not actual fit. Freeman+Leonard's human-first approach surfaces your needle in a haystack faster while keeping the work off your plate. Ready for hiring to feel this easy? Get in touch with our talent experts for a free consultation: Lisa Foster, Julie Peterson, Carolina Gastley.

Congratulations to all of the 2026 DallasCMO #ORBIE winners and finalists. The event was a powerful reminder of the exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact happening across North Texas. Honored to celebrate alongside so many accomplished leaders. Congratulations again to everyone recognized for their contributions and achievements. Leadership Kellyn Smith Kenny, AT&T Global Wanda Gierhart, Cinemark Large Enterprise Famous Rhodes, Apex Service Partners Enterprise Patricia Harris, Blue Yonder Large Corporate Katy Hanson, Eyemart Express Corporate Kristen Lollar, Whitley Penn Media Partner Dallas Business Journal National Partner Year Up United Inspire Leadership Network

AI fluency is a baseline expectation for marketing teams. New data says that's only half of what CMOs should be hiring for. The 2026 AMA State of Marketing Careers Report found that even while marketers rated AI as the skill that would become MORE important in five years, they also rated distinctly human, “soft” skills high on that list, like innovation at 88%, adaptability at 87%, and critical thinking at 83%. This makes sense: More output helps only if judgment scales with it. Otherwise, you're producing more of something that isn't working. But finding AI-fluent candidates with highly developed soft skills isn’t easy. Even the most polished, perfect-fit resume can’t tell you how a candidate thinks. Or whether they’ll be able to adapt as the job description changes. This part of hiring is still human. It requires genuine conversations. Behavioral assessment. Judgment and expertise. That’s why Freeman+Leonard's vetting process is still human-first, and always will be, no matter what tools are in the mix. I’m curious: Does your experience align with the AMA’s survey? Do you believe soft skills will become more or less valued as teams scale with AI? Source: American Marketing Association

We are proud to partner with Inspire Leadership Network Dallas and the 2026 Dallas CMO #Orbies! Dallas marketing leadership is well represented. So many incredible finalists - wishing you all the best of luck tomorrow: Judd Anstey, Mona Kiblawi Charif, Wanda Gierhart, Bridget Hall, Derek Thomas, Daniel Briones, Fernand Fernandez, Abby McNeil, Kerry Perez, Famous Rhodes, Kristal Amador, Maria Cintron Magennis, Angela Frieling, Patricia Harris, Chris Kobus, Katy Hanson, Shannah Hayley, CPM, Heath Montgomery, Howard Terry, Jay Warren, Katy Frazier, Michelle Holmes, Erik Jensen, Kristen Lollar, Aaron Mason, and Tess Trahern

As a non-designer, how do you judge the quality of a candidate’s creative work? Before AI, that question was already tough to answer. Creative work can be SO subjective. Now everyone's fixated on spotting AI “tells,” but that’s not the same as evaluating talent and abilities. Having reviewed hundreds of candidates this year (and MANY thousands more in my 19 years as a marketing recruiter at Freeman+Leonard), I have a pretty well-trained eye… but the portfolio is only half the story. A conversation reveals the rest: How did you come up with this concept? What ideas did you try but choose not to use? Why? How does this fit into the larger brand story? Only by talking to the candidates can you reveal the THINKING behind the work. This is why you need talent advisors in your corner with the instincts, expertise, and connections to uncover top talent, quickly. If I can help you in your next search, reach out. I’d love to chat.

Looking to expand your network and enhance your communications skills? Public Relations Society of America, Dallas (PRSA) has an outstanding lineup of upcoming events for PR and marketing professionals. Be sure to check out the August 28th panel, "Inside the Minds of Hiring Managers."

Can your audience tell when marketing copy was written by AI? More often than most brands assume — but not because of em dashes or overused words. Diluted, synthetic writing has a particular texture and rhythm that people tend to notice, even if they can’t name what tipped them off: • It repeats the same idea in slightly different words instead of making one sharp point. (The “It’s not x, it’s y” construction is its crutch ‘du jour.’) • It hedges. Every claim is softened until nothing is actually being said.  • It could run under any competitor’s logo without anyone noticing the swap. The result is so slick, the reader’s eyes slide right off the page — there’s nothing sticky for the brain to grab onto. There’s a real cost to this: AI copy often underperforms. It fades into the sea of sameness, one ignored post or skipped ad at a time. Whatever time or budget was saved on the front end won’t mean much if it doesn’t achieve its goal. The solution is not to eschew all AI. It’s to hire writers with talent, judgment and taste — the instincts that can only come from human experience, of empathizing with the audience, of wrestling with the blank page. So, let’s celebrate human creativity. Have you seen anything in the wild recently that made you perk up and go, “Oh, THAT was definitely made by a human”? Share it below. — P.S. Discernment and instinct, honed by decades in marketing and advertising, play a key role in how we vet writers at Freeman+Leonard, too. Because AI can scan for keywords on a resume, but real judgment can’t be automated. If you need a great writer for your team, our talent consultants are ready to hand-pick the perfect candidate. Get in touch.

When reaching out to hiring managers or recruiters, don't lead with: "Hi, I'm looking for a job. Tell me about any relevant openings you have. I do ______ and ______. I can also do ________. I would love to tell you more about my skills and qualifications." Instead try this: "I see (your company) is looking for a (role) and I'd love to share how I can solve (this) problem for you. Do you have 5 minutes to hear about some ideas?" It's essential in today's market, to shift the focus from yourself to the VALUE you can bring to their organization. And this way, you are not just listing your achievements; you are highlighting how you can address their needs. Focus on the pain points you can eliminate and the problems you can solve for the company.

We had a wonderful time attending and sponsoring the 2026 Dallas CMO ORBIE Awards CMO Finalist Reception hosted by Inspire Leadership Network. It was an incredible evening of connection, conversation, and recognition among some of the region's most accomplished marketing leaders. Congratulations to all of this year's finalists. We look forward to celebrating with everyone at the ORBIE Awards on August 27. #DallasCMO #ORBIEAwards #MarketingLeadership #CMO #FreemanLeonard #Leadership Reserve your seat for the awards event: https://lnkd.in/gvU_Fbr6