Swanson Russell Leads the AI Conversation at On Brand 2025

The 2025 On Brand Conference brought together marketers, communicators and creatives for a full day of inspiration, education and networking. Organized in partnership by AAF Nebraska, AMA Lincoln, AMA Omaha and PRSA Nebraska, the event invited attendees to break boundaries and unlock potential through bold ideas and practical strategies. Among the featured speakers were Casey Mills (VP, Director of Social Media) and Dan Cooper (Creative Director) of Swanson Russell, who presented AI with Intention.

Their session addressed one of the most important conversations in marketing today — how to integrate AI without losing sight of human creativity and judgment. Mills and Cooper reframed the common narrative of human replacement, focusing instead on how people can remain firmly in the driver’s seat.

Through a series of case studies, they demonstrated how they are implementing that principle in practice. In one example, AI was used to analyze conversations by role-playing as critics, uncovering communication gaps and helping strengthen positioning. Another example demonstrates how AI-assisted personas can test campaign ideas in real-time, offering marketers a way to explore audience reactions before launch. Each example underscored the same point: AI can accelerate research and spark new thinking, but it’s human creativity and strategy that transform those insights into meaningful ideas.

Mills and Cooper also challenged attendees to think beyond current applications and prepare for what comes next. Technology will keep evolving, they said, and the most successful marketers will be those who experiment, adapt and use AI with curiosity. The key is to leverage AI to work smarter — validating insights, refining content and testing ideas — while always applying human critical thinking and oversight.

Their message was clear: intention matters. When used thoughtfully, AI doesn’t replace the human element — it elevates it. And for Swanson Russell, that perspective aligns with the agency’s broader mission to Make Belief.™ By helping brands move past surface-level engagement and build lasting connections with audiences, Swanson Russell reinforces the idea that belief is what drives loyalty beyond trends and transactions. Pairing human creativity with AI, when done with intention, is another way to help brands earn that belief — and build trust over time.