Why Duluth trusts AI agents with bidding, but not brand storytelling

"There seems to be two schools of thought when it comes to agentic media buying. There are those who want to be at the so-called cutting edge, embedding AI agents in things like the process of buying ads and optimizing creative. Then, there are those who have drawn a line in the sand, allowing AI agents to brainstorm but leaving the decision making to humans. Duluth Trading Company finds itself square in the middle."

"For Duluth, that means handing over tasks like bidding and creative iteration management to AI agents. Meanwhile, brand voice, sense of humor and Duluth's overall brand ethos are held closer to the chest with more human oversight, per Uberto. In regards to the agentic ad buying process, Duluth's agency partner manages agentic bidding on behalf of the brand."

""We're comfortable with it because we know that our agency knows us very well," Uberto told Digiday. "They understand what our goals and objectives are. They understand all the different pieces that our marketing needs to hit." It's a matter of trust. Per Uberto, Duluth is less interested in the exact prompts its agency partner is giving the AI agent or picking the exact AI models the agency is using."

"Instead, Uberto is more interested in how agentic systems are helping the brand be more efficient, spending more time on strategy instead of building decks."

Two approaches to agentic media buying exist: using AI agents throughout ad buying and optimization, or limiting agents to brainstorming while humans decide. Duluth Trading Company takes a middle path by delegating bidding and creative iteration management to AI agents. Brand voice, sense of humor, and overall brand ethos remain under closer human oversight. An agency partner manages agentic bidding for the brand, with comfort based on the agency’s understanding of goals, objectives, and marketing needs. Trust matters more than the specific prompts or AI models used. The focus is on efficiency gains that free time for strategy rather than building decks.

Read at Digiday