Adam Brotman isn’t just your average tech executive; he’s the guy who put Starbucks on the digital map. From pioneering mobile ordering to scaling loyalty programs, Brotman turned Starbucks into a tech giant disguised as a coffee shop, cementing his role as a visionary in digital transformation. After a brief stint at J.Crew, Brotman has found himself at the helm of Forum3, a company he co-founded with long-time collaborator Andy Sack. Together, they’re building an AI laboratory that brings the firepower of artificial intelligence directly into marketers’ hands. Their latest creation, Spok, promises to be a game-changer in the world of AI-powered marketing. Brotman describes Spok as “the kind of marketing research and insight-driven planning process that used to take a week, [which] can now be served up in minutes.”
Spok isn’t just another shiny object in the already crowded martech landscape; it’s a carefully crafted solution designed to do the heavy lifting for marketers without requiring a degree in machine learning. Brotman insists, “Spok allows marketers to take full advantage of generative AI, without the marketer having to be an AI prompting expert themselves.” This means that Spok doesn’t just spit out keywords; it synthesizes data and serves up comprehensive strategies, giving marketers time back to focus on creative strategy. Brotman is clear on this: Spok is here to “give marketers insights, content strategies, and marketing plans nearly instantly,” allowing them to work at the speed of AI.
From Starbucks to Forum3: A Journey Through Digital Transformation
Brotman’s career trajectory reads like a masterclass in digital innovation. His role at Starbucks wasn’t just about tech for tech’s sake; he was laser-focused on making technology work for both customers and employees. As the former Chief Digital Officer and EVP of Global Retail Operations, he spearheaded initiatives that redefined Starbucks’ customer experience, from mobile payments to loyalty rewards. His work “included leading all global digital product management and design for the company’s employee-facing digital platforms… and customer-facing digital platforms” and was focused on “omni-channel digital integration, mobile apps, websites, e-commerce platforms and operations, social media, loyalty and data-driven CRM marketing.”
When he moved on to J.Crew, Brotman continued to push boundaries in the retail sector, but his real calling became clear when he co-founded Forum3. In partnership with Andy Sack, Brotman saw an opportunity to leverage AI in a way that would genuinely transform marketing. “We have created an ‘AI Lab’ combining content, software, and services,” Brotman says, explaining Forum3’s core mission. This isn’t just talk; the AI Lab is where they’ve developed Spok and Hive3, two tools that are reshaping how brands think about creativity, strategy, and community in the digital age.
Why Spok? Why Now?
Brotman’s vision for Spok isn’t rooted in the novelty of AI but in the practical benefits it brings to marketers who are under constant pressure to deliver results faster. “Marketing is one of the first areas that will get majorly disrupted and enhanced via AI,” Brotman says, pointing to the fact that marketing is fundamentally about messaging, timing, and audience targeting—all areas where AI excels. By blending leading AI models with third-party keyword data and trend research, Spok offers a holistic marketing assistant that delivers insights in real-time.
In practical terms, Spok is built to handle the nitty-gritty of marketing research so that marketers can focus on strategy and creativity. Brotman explains, “We combine two different leading AI models with 3rd party keyword data and trend research, wrapped together with just the right ‘marketing intelligence’… in an easy-to-use [interface].” The result? Marketers get actionable insights that used to take days or even weeks to compile, all with a few clicks. For Brotman, the ease-of-use aspect is crucial: “Marketers shouldn’t need a PhD in machine learning to use AI effectively,” he says. Spok is designed to democratize access to AI-driven insights, bringing top-tier analytics to marketers of all skill levels.
A Word of Caution: AI Isn’t a Cure-All
Brotman is as cautious as he is optimistic. While he believes that AI holds immense potential for transforming marketing, he warns against jumping on every AI trend. “Marketers should be wary of spending big sums of money and effort on expensive custom AI apps that may be quickly obsoleted,” he says, highlighting the breakneck pace at which AI is advancing. For Brotman, the smarter play is investing in AI education and training so that marketers can leverage existing systems like Spok effectively.
He believes the real value lies not in bespoke AI tools but in mastering how to work with the rapid advancements in the technology itself. “In reality, most of the frontier AI systems are likely going to be so capable over the next year on their own,” he notes, urging marketers to focus on building their AI proficiency. The message is clear: AI is a powerful tool, but marketers need to be strategic in how they deploy it, lest they end up with expensive, quickly outdated tech.
Brotman’s Bold Predictions for AI in Marketing
When it comes to AI’s future, Brotman isn’t shy about sharing his bold predictions. He envisions a landscape where AI doesn’t just advise marketers but actively takes on tasks in a way that almost resembles human agency. Here’s a breakdown of what Brotman sees on the horizon:
- AI Agents That Take Action – Brotman predicts that AI agents capable of executing marketing tasks autonomously are just around the corner. “This will lead to totally autonomous (self-driving, so to speak) marketing implementation down the road,” he says. Imagine an AI that doesn’t just tell you what needs to be done but goes ahead and does it, reporting back with results and optimizations.
- Text-to-Video Breakthroughs – By the end of the year, Brotman expects AI-driven text-to-video capabilities to improve drastically, making it easy for marketers to generate high-quality video content on the fly. The potential savings in production costs alone could make this one of the most transformative shifts in content marketing.
- Conversational Ads That Engage – Brotman envisions a world where ads aren’t just static images or videos but interactive, conversational experiences. “Ads will ‘come to life’ in 2025,” he says, describing a future where consumers can engage directly with brands in real-time through voice, video, and text.
- Personalization at Scale – For Brotman, personalization isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a key advantage that AI can bring to marketers. He believes AI will finally make “personalization at scale” affordable and effective, allowing brands to reach audiences with tailored messages that resonate on an individual level.
- AI as a Martech Integrator – In an industry cluttered with siloed systems, Brotman sees AI acting as a connective tissue, bridging gaps between disparate martech platforms and data sources. “Because the AI is general-purpose and intelligent, it can unlock a brand’s ability to bring together these systems and data sources without expensive and time-consuming efforts,” he explains.
The Forum3 Vision: A Glimpse Into the Future
Forum3 isn’t just a collection of tools; it’s a blueprint for how AI can elevate marketing from guesswork to data-driven strategy. Brotman is unapologetic about the impact he wants Forum3 to make. “We’re empowering innovation through AI, transforming the way businesses engage with technology and consumers,” he says. Forum3’s AI Lab isn’t just about creating one-off solutions; it’s about building a foundation for the future of marketing.
With Spok, Brotman is once again redefining the rules, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in marketing. His ultimate goal? To make AI accessible, powerful, and practical for marketers who want to get ahead. For Brotman, AI isn’t a trend; it’s the next frontier. As he puts it, “Our world is going to look completely different in two years because of AI.” If Spok and Forum3 are any indication, Brotman’s not just predicting the future—he’s building it.
