43: How experimentation can fuel marketing effectiveness: Insights from General Motors Executive Director of Marketing and Consumer Engagement Laura Thornton

At General Motors, modernizing marketing means more than just adopting new tools—it requires thoughtful experimentation and sound human judgment to apply AI and other innovations while protecting the customer experience. In this episode, Laura Thornton shares how General Motors (GM) approaches this balance through two parallel efforts: marketing technology modernization and Project Leapfrog, a pilot program where teams can test low-risk ideas outside the core operating model.  

She explains how this approach helps her team experiment with new AI tools to quickly solve problems and expedite workflows. Laura encourages marketing leaders to create room for testing, give teams permission to fail, build confidence through hands-on use of new tools while avoiding changing too much too fast.  

Laura also discusses a real leadership challenge for marketing and consumer engagement leaders: not only adopting AI, but helping employees throughout the enterprise adapt while keeping human judgment and customer connection at the center. 

"Taking risks is something that can feel very daunting, and as marketers, we have to be open to trying and testing new things. So that has to be fundamental." - Laura Thornton

In this episode, you'll hear about: 

AI adoption approaches that can bring change without putting core work at risk 

Experimentation insights that can help teams unlock better ideas, accelerate learning and improve adoption 

Leadership tips for fostering AI-driven change with humans-in-the-loop 

 

Key highlights: 

[00:00] Introduction 

[01:20] An auto industry family legacy 

[01:55] Laura's GM path: From account coordinator to executive director 

[03:25] Perspectives from the agency side vs. client side 

[04:15] Taking customer journeys from insights to action 

[05:10] Embracing MarTech transformation 

[06:25] Introducing Project Leapfrog 

[07:25] AI pilot experimentation 

[10:25] Integrating AI with the human workforce 

[11:45] Lessons for future transformations 

[13:00] An experience that defines you: Trusting the process through career pivots 

[14:15] Advice to your younger self: Find your voice early to grow confidence  

[15:10] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Change management 

[17:00] Latest curiosities: Analog, in-person experiences 

[18:45] Largest potential threat: Pressure to change too rapidly without a strategy 

 

Resources mentioned:   

General Motors 

 

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