Marketing has never been louder. Every week, there’s a new platform, a new tool, or an “AI hack” that promises to change the game. Miss a few months, and you feel like you’ve been left behind for years.

But here’s the truth. In chasing every shiny new thing, many marketers have lost sight of what matters most—people.

Marcela Saloo, who calls herself an “advertising nomad,” has worked with commercial brands, political campaigns, and global markets. Her view is simple: the future of marketing isn’t about hacks. It’s about human connection.

In a recent talk, she shared why real segmentation still matters, why testing beats guessing, and why empathy might be the strongest marketing skill in an age full of algorithms and AI.

Why Segmentation Still Matters (And Why Most Brands Get It Wrong)

Ask most marketers about segmentation and you’ll hear the same thing: demographics. Women 25–35. Men 40–55. Suburban homeowners.

Marcela doesn’t sugarcoat it. That isn’t segmentation—that’s lazy.

Real segmentation means grouping people by what they want to achieve, not just who they are on paper.

Picture this: a 25-year-old in New York and a 55-year-old in Cyprus. Totally different, right? But if both are first-time entrepreneurs, they probably share the same fears—funding, competition, and proving themselves.

If you only look at age or location, you’ll miss what really drives them. That’s why Marcela says marketers need to dig deeper into goals, behaviors, and needs.

👉 Key takeaway: Don’t sell me who I am. Sell me what I need.

Testing Beats Assumptions

Every marketer has fallen for an idea that flopped. A clever slogan nobody remembered. A flashy video no one watched.

Marcela puts it bluntly: assumptions are expensive.

“You can waste months and thousands of dollars on something you think will work, only to find out your audience doesn’t care,” she says.

The smarter approach? Test fast and cheap. Try two headlines. Swap out an image. Compare a bold one-liner with a detailed paragraph.

Most of the time, the version you think is brilliant won’t win. Often, the simplest one does.

Real-world proof? Dropbox didn’t start with a full product. They used a short explainer video to test the idea. That quick test confirmed demand and saved years of wasted effort.

👉 Key takeaway: Don’t argue over opinions. Test, measure, and let the data decide.

The Seven Touches Rule—Reframed

There’s a saying in marketing: people need seven touches before they act. Marcela agrees—but with a twist.

Most brands repeat the same message seven times. That doesn’t work. It just becomes noise.

Instead, she says, each touch should show a new angle of your value. An ad sparks curiosity. A testimonial builds trust. A case study proves results. A how-to video teaches something useful.

Together, those touches create a story that builds credibility.

Marcela compares it to dating: “You can’t just say, ‘Go out with me’ seven times. You need to show different sides of yourself.”

👉 Key takeaway: It’s not about the number of touches. It’s about the variety and quality of them.

Lessons from Politics: Clarity, Emotion, and Speed

Marcela has also worked in political campaigns, where timelines are brutal. In business, you might have months to test a message. In politics, you might have hours.

That pressure taught her three lessons every marketer should copy:

• Clarity wins. If people don’t understand you right away, you’ve lost.
• Emotion moves people. Facts inform, but feelings inspire. Pride, hope, fear—tap into the heart.
• Speed is survival. Test fast. Adapt fast. Pivot faster than your competition.

👉 Key takeaway: In high-stakes marketing, simplicity and speed beat cleverness.

Cracking the Algorithm Myth

Algorithms aren’t magic. They’re math. They reward content that keeps people engaged.

Marketers who obsess over posting times or “secret hashtags” are missing the point.

The real trick? Make content people actually want to engage with. That’s what the algorithm pushes forward.

No silver bullet at 3:17 on a Tuesday. Just consistent, relevant, and authentic content.

👉 Key takeaway: Serve humans first. The algorithm will follow.

AI: The Intern, Not the Boss

AI sparks fear and excitement in equal measure. Will it replace marketers?

Marcela says no. AI is a tool, not a threat. She compares it to an intern.

AI can draft copy, generate images, and crunch data. But it can’t understand cultural nuance. It can’t feel. It can’t judge which message really hits home.

That’s the human role.

“Use AI to speed things up,” she says. “But don’t give it the wheel.”

👉 Key takeaway: The winners won’t be those with AI. They’ll be those who use AI and empathy together.

The Human Advantage: Why Empathy Wins

As automation floods the market with more content, Marcela believes empathy will be the ultimate edge.

People want authenticity. They want to feel a person behind the message. That’s something machines can’t fake.

Great marketing is about empathy—understanding your audience’s fears, hopes, and desires. AI can predict clicks. But only humans can build trust.

👉 Key takeaway: The future of marketing isn’t more robotic. It’s more human.

Conclusion: Back to People, Beyond Algorithms

Marcela Saloo’s career across brands, campaigns, and countries shows one clear truth. Marketing isn’t about chasing hacks or beating algorithms. It’s about people.

The marketers who win won’t be the ones with the flashiest AI tools. They’ll be the ones who listen, test, adapt, and connect.

As AI rises, empathy and authenticity will be the difference makers.

So if you want to thrive in the future of marketing, don’t chase the algorithm. Build trust. Tell stories. And never forget: marketing starts and ends with people.