Kevin Hein: Surrender to Experimentation
Tue Feb 03 2026
Kevin Hein, Chief Growth Officer at GIPHY, sits down with Sara to discuss how AI, automation, and shifting consumer behaviors are reshaping the marketing landscape—and why brands can’t rely on legacy playbooks to keep up.
Instead, he makes the case for surrendering control strategically through experimentation. The conversation explores the risks of over-automation, creative fatigue, and data paralysis, and why even the most sophisticated AI systems still need human insight to protect brand authenticity and drive long-term growth.
3 Key Takeaways:
You can’t outpace AI. Experiment instead.Automation without insight leads to creative fatigue.More data doesn’t mean better decisions.Kevin:
“The speed at which this moves—how does a brand stay at that pace? I believe the answer is you don’t. You have to surrender to an extent. And it comes down to testing, learning, and experimentation.”
“We have a lot of data that can be paralyzing. I’m interested in insights—not dashboards that just tell you X, Y, and Z.”
“AI can be incredibly effective, but there’s a risk of numbness—creative fatigue that happens when everything is optimized but nothing is truly new.”
Links & Resources:
Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213
Connect with Kevin: linkedin.com/in/kevinahein
Learn more about Progress: www.progress.com
Timestamps:
00:50 – Shift from Feeds to Group Messaging
01:50 – Harnessing Group Messaging for Business
02:35 – Challenges and Opportunities in Experimentation
03:25 – The Role of AI in Brand Authenticity
06:20 – Future Trends in AI and Retail
11:10 – The Evolution of Websites and Digital Experience
13:25 – Balancing Automation and Creativity
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Kevin Hein, Chief Growth Officer at GIPHY, sits down with Sara to discuss how AI, automation, and shifting consumer behaviors are reshaping the marketing landscape—and why brands can’t rely on legacy playbooks to keep up. Instead, he makes the case for surrendering control strategically through experimentation. The conversation explores the risks of over-automation, creative fatigue, and data paralysis, and why even the most sophisticated AI systems still need human insight to protect brand authenticity and drive long-term growth. 3 Key Takeaways: You can’t outpace AI. Experiment instead.Automation without insight leads to creative fatigue.More data doesn’t mean better decisions.Kevin: “The speed at which this moves—how does a brand stay at that pace? I believe the answer is you don’t. You have to surrender to an extent. And it comes down to testing, learning, and experimentation.” “We have a lot of data that can be paralyzing. I’m interested in insights—not dashboards that just tell you X, Y, and Z.” “AI can be incredibly effective, but there’s a risk of numbness—creative fatigue that happens when everything is optimized but nothing is truly new.” Links & Resources: Connect with Sara: linkedin.com/in/sara-faatz-b67213 Connect with Kevin: linkedin.com/in/kevinahein Learn more about Progress: www.progress.com Timestamps: 00:50 – Shift from Feeds to Group Messaging 01:50 – Harnessing Group Messaging for Business 02:35 – Challenges and Opportunities in Experimentation 03:25 – The Role of AI in Brand Authenticity 06:20 – Future Trends in AI and Retail 11:10 – The Evolution of Websites and Digital Experience 13:25 – Balancing Automation and Creativity Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.