Kellyn Coetzee joined Zenith Sydney earlier this year as head of digital, after three years with KINESSO where her last role was as National Head of AI & Insights.
Mediaweek caught up with Coetzee on joining the Publicis Groupe agency and her priorities in the role, emerging cultural trends and integrating and demystifying AI for marketers.
Mediaweek: What are your main priorities right now as Head of Digital at Zenith Sydney?
Kellyn Coetzee: My north star is smarter work that moves the numbers for clients. So, I am focused on elevating digital craft through a unified quality framework; accelerating new business growth; and democratising AI at scale by equipping every corner of the business with the skills, tools and governance to apply it day-to-day.
None of this happens in a vacuum and I’m surrounded by some of the smartest people in media. With the support of Zenith Australia’s leadership team, I have a lot of room to experiment and play with AI solutions that are going to transform not just the way we work as an agency but as an industry.
MW: How is Zenith integrating AI into its digital planning and buying processes and what innovations are you most excited to bring to Zenith Sydney in the next year?
KC: There’s a two-pronged approach here. Firstly, the operationalisation en masse under our global CoreAI framework. We are integrating automation and AI into our martech flow with generative AI planning tools and machine learning (ML) based optimisation. AI-driven programmatic and audience enrichment are already powering campaigns.
The second approach is focused on teaching our workforce how AI works, democratising tools and skills, and showcasing how to apply it in their everyday roles. Our focus is on using AI responsibility and effectively and preparing our people for an AI future.
MW: In your view, what’s the biggest misconception marketers have about using AI?
KC: I firmly believe the key to staying relevant in the changing times is in learning how to use AI tools. It’s not just about knowing when to build, buy or integrate, or industrialising one use case.
Democratising tools, skill and knowledge to everyone is the best way to extract value from AI.
MW: Are there any recent cultural trends that brands should pay closer attention to?
KC: AI touches every corner of marketing, and each department can make an argument for their own discipline. The biggest behaviour shift I’ve seen is how the generative search experience is collapsing the discovery funnel and reshaping consumer search behaviour, information access and experience expectation.
We’ve been talking a lot about the impact of AI on the search journey, but the industry now needs to get into the weeds and start designing practical solutions and playbooks to change along with the tech and behaviour. On our end, our SEO and content strategists are already piloting generative ready playbooks for clients.
The brands that are not already prototyping AI optimised content journeys and zero click experiences will lose visibility fast.
MW: Do you see fandom data as a new layer of audience segmentation and what has been the most surprising insight you’ve uncovered about consumers through fandom analysis?
KC: Fandom data offers a powerful behavioural layer that, when combined with AI, unlocks far more enhanced segmentation.
Our strategy and insights team, steered by Zoe Cocker in Sydney, combine decades of cultural know how with AI powered discovery tools to isolate the fandom signals that really count. Once those passion patterns emerge, we partner with Lotame, where AI-powered predictive modelling and lookalike expansion transform them into scaled, richly addressable audiences.
MW: As co-chair of the IAB AI Working Group, what key discussions are shaping the industry now?
KC: At this point, there is a lot of groundwork and discussion happening on the definition of AI, the surrounding terminology and universal tools. We’ve had a few debates on sustainability and the future of work and divided the working group into a focus pillars, but ultimately the goal is to democratise information and content to help everyone elevate to a consistent baseline.
MW: What can the industry expect from you and Zenith’s digital team in the year ahead?
KC: I have had the privilege of immersing myself in a highly AI-focused role, gaining a deep understanding of the technology, its capabilities, and its limitations.
Now, I am excited to put this knowledge into practice, working alongside Chief Digital & Solutions Officer Joshua Lee and the team to productise our AI capabilities. Expect fewer slide decks and more tangible tools, artefacts in action and showcasing how marketing can be transformed when AI is thoughtfully applied to enhance the work we do for our clients and our own professional growth.
Top image: Kellyn Coetzee