Events & Programming Archives

AI in Action: What Marketers Are Actually Doing

by AMA Pittsburgh | Aug 1, 2026 | Events & Programming, Uncategorized

AI is changing how marketers work, but not why they matter. This panel event explored practical AI applications, lessons learned, and why curiosity, creativity, and human judgment remain the skills that will define the future of marketing.

Artificial intelligence has moved well beyond the experimentation stage. For many marketing teams, it’s becoming another part of the daily workflow. The question is no longer whether to use AI, but how to use it in ways that improve the quality of work while preserving the human thinking that makes marketing effective.

That was the focus of AI in Action: What Marketers Are Actually Doing, presented by AMA Pittsburgh and Media Association of Pittsburgh with support from StackAdapt.

Hosted at the Energy Innovation Center, the event brought together marketers from across the Pittsburgh region for an evening of networking, professional headshots, and a panel discussion featuring leaders who are applying AI every day across media, analytics, product management, design, and strategy.

Moderated by Scott Hershberger of UPMC, the panel included Jason Dille of Chemistry Agency, Taylor LaRiviere of StackAdapt, Jenn Miller of Gatesman, and Zevy Blokh of Arcjet Design.

AI is changing workflows, not replacing marketers

One of the strongest themes throughout the evening was that AI should be viewed as a workflow accelerator rather than simply another software tool.

Several panelists described how they now integrate AI across entire projects instead of using it for isolated tasks. Research, summarizing information, generating first drafts, organizing ideas, building presentations, documenting meetings, and creating creative briefs can all happen faster when AI supports the process from beginning to end.

Organizations are also shifting from asking employees whether they use AI to expecting thoughtful use of it. The competitive advantage is no longer access to AI. It’s knowing where it adds value and where human judgment still makes the difference.

Curiosity is becoming one of marketing’s most valuable skills

Another recurring message was that technical expertise alone is no longer enough.

As AI capabilities continue to expand, marketers who stay curious, experiment with new tools, and adapt their thinking will be better positioned than those who resist change. Several panelists noted that everyone feels like they’re struggling to keep up because the technology evolves so quickly.

Instead of trying to master every new platform, they encouraged marketers to develop a habit of continuous learning. Experiment with new tools. Ask better questions. Learn what works in your own environment. Stay open to changing how you work.

That mindset may prove more valuable than becoming an expert in any single AI platform.

Human judgment remains the competitive advantage

While AI is becoming increasingly capable, every panelist emphasized that it still struggles with the qualities that make marketing meaningful.

Brand strategy. Storytelling. Empathy. Relationship building. Prioritization. Understanding culture. Creating emotional connections.

These remain deeply human responsibilities.

The panel discussed how AI often produces technically correct outputs that still lack authenticity or emotional resonance. Creative concepts may be well written yet fail to connect with real people. Analytics may surface patterns, but marketers still need to determine which insights actually matter and how they should influence business decisions.

Rather than replacing creativity, AI gives marketers more time to focus on higher-value thinking.

Better data creates better AI

For organizations investing more heavily in AI, data quality is becoming increasingly important.

Jenn Miller shared how analytics teams are moving beyond traditional dashboards toward conversational analytics, allowing marketers to ask questions in natural language and receive immediate answers. But those experiences only work when the underlying data is organized, accurate, and properly structured.

The conversation highlighted an important shift for marketing teams. Preparing clean, reliable data is quickly becoming just as important as learning new AI tools.

Without trusted data, even the most advanced AI systems struggle to provide meaningful recommendations.

The future belongs to marketers who amplify their strengths

The evening concluded with one of the most memorable pieces of advice shared by the panel.

Instead of spending your career trying to strengthen every weakness, focus on making your strengths even stronger.

AI can increasingly help fill knowledge gaps, automate repetitive work, and support areas where you may not naturally excel. What it cannot easily replicate is your perspective, creativity, judgment, communication style, and ability to build trust with others.

For marketers, that means continuing to invest in the uniquely human skills that technology complements rather than replaces.

A practical conversation for a changing profession

What made this discussion especially valuable was its realism.

There were no dramatic predictions that AI will replace marketing overnight. There were no promises that one new tool will solve every challenge.

Instead, attendees heard honest conversations from practitioners who are navigating many of the same questions facing organizations everywhere: Which tools should we adopt? How do we protect client trust? How do we help teams learn? What work still requires human expertise?

Those are the conversations that matter right now.

As AI continues to reshape marketing, events like this help our community learn from one another, exchange practical ideas, and build confidence together.

Brand With Purpose: Turning Mission Into Market Momentum

by AMA Pittsburgh | Apr 20, 2026 | Events & Programming

Whether you’re a seasoned marketing executive or a student just starting to find your footing in the industry, you likely walked away from the AMA Pittsburgh Momentum Conference feeling a bit more charged than when you arrived.

There’s something about being in a room full of people who are all obsessed with the “why” behind the “what.” If you missed the fireside chat titled “Brand With Purpose: Turning Mission Into Market Momentum,” you missed a masterclass in how to lead with heart without losing your edge.

The session brought together two of the region’s most influential voices: Sabrina Saunders Mosby, President & CEO of Vibrant Pittsburgh, and John Cardone, Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Government Relations at Carlow University. They didn’t just talk about branding; they talked about the soul of Pittsburgh, the future of AI, and the “superpower” of small team.

Here’s the breakdown of what you need to know to turn your own mission into momentum.

Find Your Truth in the Noise

As a marketer in Pittsburgh, you know our city is often a “test piece” for pedagogy and branding alike. Sabrina opened by addressing a challenge you’ve probably faced: the negativity that can swirl around a region or a brand online. You might see people commenting that we aren’t “ready” for big changes or that things are going to be a “disaster,” but Sabrina’s advice to you is simple: Find that truth and use it.

She noted that while Pittsburgh has successfully transformed from a steel town to a tech hub, there is still “truth” in the criticisms people lob at our infrastructure or our past. Instead of ignoring the “script” or trying to paper over it, your job is to create a narrative that communicates for real and connects to the people who need to engage. Authenticity isn’t an accident; it’s a choice to be intentional about what you put into the world.

AI: Your New Marketing “Forklift”

If you’ve been feeling a little anxious about AI taking your job, John Cardone has some perspective for you. He shared that at Carlow, he manages a team of just three people. For a team that small to compete with massive universities, AI is less like a replacement and more like a forklift.

“Remember, it was manual labor—one thing at a time,” John explained, referring to the days before digital tools. “And now the forklift came along and allowed us to move pallets of things”. For you, AI can be that forklift. Whether it’s heavy-lifting research, decision-making, or managing content across big channels like CTV and social media, technology allows a small, nimble team to act like a much larger one. John calls this agility his “superpower”—the ability to reinvent and pivot without the drag of a massive bureaucratic process.

The Power of the “Inner Voice”

One of the coolest takeaways for you as a student or professional was John’s concept of the “Inner Voice.” While his team is extremely data-driven—living in dashboards and monitoring performance minute-by-minute—they don’t just follow the numbers blindly.

John shared a story about a major world speech that was about to happen. Instead of sticking to a pre-planned script, they used real-time data to pivot to their “inner voice” at the exact moment someone stood on stage. This move allowed them to disrupt the space and break through the noise.

The result? Their YouTube views spiked to 350,000, and they saw a 58% increase in website traffic in just 30 days.

The lesson for you: Trust your gut. Data is the foundation, but your “inner voice” is what makes you stand out in a crowded space like Fifth Avenue, where you’re competing with brands that have 75,000 alumni and massive athletic programs.

Preserving History, Not Just Creating Content

Sabrina raised a fascinating point about the “gap” in how organizations use AI. In her research, she found that while many are playing with the tools, there is often a lack of a “baseline formula” or clear policy for employees. More importantly, she reminded us that while AI can generate content, it often lacks humanity.

However, John offered a beautiful vision for how AI can actually enhance that humanity by preserving history. He spoke about the “7 sisters” who founded Carlow 100 years ago, arriving from Ireland and feeding orphans at Mercy Hospital. As those founding sisters pass away, AI gives you the tool to preserve their stories. Imagine future generations being able to have a “conversation” with those sisters or see AI-generated footage of them getting on the boat from Ireland. As long as there is authenticity around it, AI becomes a tool for storytellers to impact future generations.

Your Action Plan for Momentum

So, what does this mean for your career?

Be a solution: Don’t just chase trends. Look for the problems your community or region is facing and position your brand as the solution.

Consistency is key: Trends come and go, but a consistent, reliable brand voice is what builds long-term loyalty.

Differentiate or disappear: You don’t need everyone to “marry” your brand immediately. You just need to be in the conversation. Differentiation is what gets you a seat at the table with CEOs.

Embrace the human element: AI will raise the bar for clarity and content, but your sophisticated human interaction is what will ultimately set you apart.

Marketing isn’t as complicated as we often make it. At the end of the day, it’s about trusting who you are and being intentional with the story you tell.

As you head back to your desks or your classrooms, take a page from Sabrina and John’s book. Find your truth, use your “forklift,” listen to your inner voice, and remember—your purpose is your greatest market momentum.

For more insights from the AMA Pittsburgh Momentum Conference, visit the official event page.

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Nonprofit Marketing Strategy in 2026: Lessons From Childrens Museum Pittsburgh

by AMA Pittsburgh | Mar 22, 2026 | Events & Programming

AMA Pittsburgh’s Coffee Connections is a monthly roundtable discussion designed to bring together marketers, business leaders, and creative minds from across the Pittsburgh region. This casual yet insightful gathering is where big ideas meet real-world strategies, giving attendees the opportunity to learn from experts, exchange perspectives, and build valuable professional relationships.

Each Coffee Connections session focuses on a timely and relevant marketing topic, featuring industry leaders, guest speakers, and thought-provoking discussions. Whether you’re a CMO shaping strategy, a startup founder looking to grow, or a marketing professional eager to stay ahead of industry trends, Coffee Connections is your chance to gain actionable insights and network with the region’s top marketers.

Nonprofit marketing looks different when the mission is public, the budgets are tight, and the market keeps shifting under your feet.

That was the theme of AMA Pittsburgh’s March Coffee Connections roundtable with Max Pipman, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and MuseumLab.

The session was framed around nonprofit marketing and a mini case study in launching and growing a newer brand within an established institution. What made it especially useful was how grounded it was. This was not a talk full of theory, trend jargon, or inflated success language. It was a candid look at what it takes to market a mission-driven organization when funding changes fast, competition keeps growing, and you still have to get families through the door every day.

If you work in nonprofit marketing, cultural marketing, education marketing, or any lean organization trying to do more with less, a lot of this will feel familiar.

Market realities for nonprofit marketing

Pipman opened with the funding reality. In his view, nonprofit organizations across Pittsburgh are dealing with major disruption in federal funding, grant funding, and foundation priorities. What used to be more stable now feels far more fluid. Grants are uncertain. Foundations are evolving. Local organizations are under more pressure to chase funding from more angles at once.

That kind of pressure does not stay in the development department. It changes marketing. It changes how teams think about budget, staffing, priorities, partnerships, and even audience strategy.

That’s one of the more useful reminders from the session. In nonprofit organizations, marketing does not sit off to the side as the team that makes things look good. It sits right in the middle of the business model. When funding shifts, marketing has to shift with it.

For the Children’s Museum, that pressure is real. Pipman shared that the organization writes roughly 50 grants a year against an overall budget of about $11 million. That alone gives you a sense of the operating environment. This is not a set-it-and-forget-it institution. It is a constantly moving mix of earned revenue, fundraising, programming, partnerships, public visibility, and daily admissions.

Museum marketing is performance marketing

For all the language nonprofits often use around mission, education, and community impact, there is still a daily question hanging over the team: did people show up?

That pressure shapes how the museum thinks about marketing performance. Admissions matter. Membership matters. Repeat visits matter. You are not trying to create vague brand warmth and hope it turns into support someday. You are trying to motivate a real visit, from a real person, in a real week.

That mindset is worth paying attention to because it forces clarity. It also keeps marketing honest.

The Children’s Museum sees around 300,000 visitors a year, which puts it among the most visited museums in Pittsburgh. Awareness is not the problem. Pipman said the organization has tested at 99 percent awareness. People know who they are. The challenge is behavior. In a crowded entertainment and cultural market, families are spreading their visits around. Instead of going to the same place several times a year, they may now go to several places once.

The competition is not who you think it is

One of the more interesting parts of the discussion was how broadly Pipman thinks about competition.

Yes, the museum competes with other museums. It competes with the Science Center, Heinz History Center, Moonshot Museum, Museum of Illusions, and a growing range of family attractions around the region. But the competition does not stop there. It includes trampoline parks, suburban play spaces, local farms with weekend programming, sports, video games, YouTube, TikTok, and the general friction of family life.

That wider view matters because it changes the standard nonprofit marketing question from “How do we promote our event?” to “Why should a family choose this over everything else they could do?”

That is a much tougher question, and a much more useful one.

Pipman was also candid about the regional challenge. The museum’s audience has shifted more toward Allegheny County, while attracting suburban visitors has gotten harder. The reasons will sound familiar to any Pittsburgh marketer. Families cite traffic, construction, parking, crime concerns, the hassle of driving into the city, and the simple fact that there are now more local options closer to home.

If your audience is more aware than ever, but less willing to travel, marketing cannot rely on awareness alone. It has to fight for convenience, relevance, and urgency.

Lean marketing with big expectations

If you have ever worked on a lean marketing team, this part likely hit home.

Pipman runs the work with a small internal group and a network of agency partners. The museum outsources media buying, media relations, graphic design, and other specialized support. That is less a nice option than an operating necessity. The team is small. The workload is not.

And the content needs are relentless. Social content alone is a constant machine. Email still matters. PR still matters. Advertising still matters. New exhibits need campaigns. Community programs need promotion. Partnerships need visibility. On top of that, hiring is hard, turnover is real, and nonprofit salary ranges make retention even harder.

Nonprofit marketing leaders are often doing much more orchestration than many people realize. They are not just writing copy or approving creative. They are running a practical, day-by-day system with limited margin for error.

The museum’s marketing operation is very hands-on. It is a good reminder that good marketing is not reserved for teams with the most resources. Plenty of effective marketing still comes down to discipline, consistency, and knowing what actually drives response.

Partnerships matter in nonprofit marketing

For the museum, partnerships are built into the model. That includes agency relationships, artist collaborations, exhibit partnerships, school relationships, media outreach, and community organizations. Some partnerships help extend reach. Some build credibility. Some create new revenue streams. Some make better programming possible.

Pipman says partners who understand the mission, can work within budget, and can function as true collaborators are very important to his team’s success.

He also shared that the museum is intentional about who it works with, including local Pittsburgh organizations and diverse agency partners. This approach to partnerships is part of how the organization wants its values to show up in the work.

MuseumLab, a brand extension

MuseumLab is the museum’s adjacent brand and physical space aimed at older kids. While the Children’s Museum serves younger audiences extremely well, MuseumLab extends that relationship into the next age bracket.

The audience is older, which means the behavior is different. Kids ages 8, 9, 10 and up want more independence. Their interests are changing. They are less easily grouped with younger siblings. Parents engage differently. The use case is different. The value proposition has to be clearer.

That is the real challenge of brand extension. You cannot just create a new name, a new visual identity, and a new building and assume the market will instantly understand what it is for. You have to keep shaping the offer. You have to define success. You have to decide what counts as traction. You have to market the thing while you are still refining the thing.

That is not a weakness. It is often how smart organizations grow. They test, they learn, and they keep adjusting.

The integration of programming and marketing strategy

Another strong theme from the session was the role of programming and exhibits as a marketing lever.

The Children’s Museum keeps a rotating stream of traveling exhibits moving through the space, often with new installations every 90 days. That gives the team something many brands would love to have: a built-in reason to come back.

That matters because repeat visitation is one of the hardest things to drive in any experience-based organization. You can only squeeze so much out of the same core message. Eventually, the product itself needs to create a fresh reason to engage.

In that sense, the museum’s exhibit pipeline is not separate from the marketing strategy. It is the marketing strategy. The next exhibit creates the next story. The next story creates the next campaign. The next campaign creates the next visit.

That is a useful lesson well beyond nonprofits. If you want more marketing momentum, give your audience something new to care about.

Lessons for non-profit marketers

A few practical lessons came through clearly.

First, awareness is not the same as demand. You can be widely known and still have to work hard for every visit, every ticket, every registration, or every lead.

Second, in a crowded market, your real competition is broader than your direct category. You are always competing with convenience, habit, entertainment, and inertia.

Third, small teams need tighter focus, not more channels. The museum is not trying to chase every shiny tactic. It is leaning into the channels and partnerships that actually help move people.

Fourth, if you want repeat engagement, product freshness matters. New programming, new formats, new offers, and new experiences give marketing something stronger to work with.

Finally, the strongest nonprofit marketing is often the least romanticized. It is practical. It is disciplined. It is deeply connected to the organization’s operating reality. And when it is done well, it proves something important: mission-driven marketing still has to perform.

About the Speaker
Max Pipman is Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and MuseumLab, the #1 ranked children’s museum in the U.S. by USA Today readers. With over 20 years of agency experience at firms including Burson and Weber Shandwick, he brings a sharp, practical perspective to nonprofit marketing. Over the past six years, he has led branding, advertising, PR, and partnerships for the museum, working closely with leadership, board members, and external agencies to grow audience engagement and visibility across Pittsburgh and beyond.

Level Up Your LinkedIn Personal Brand

by AMA Pittsburgh | Mar 1, 2026 | Events & Programming

There’s a quiet moment that happens before almost every meaningful professional interaction today.

Someone opens your LinkedIn profile. They scan your headline. They glance at your photo. They scroll your About section. Maybe they skim your last few posts. And in less than a minute, they form a working hypothesis about who you are, how you think, and whether you’re relevant to them.

That reality framed AMA Pittsburgh’s Level Up Your LinkedIn Personal Brand event at the National Aviary. The panel wasn’t about “growth hacks” or chasing the algorithm. It was about something far more durable: clarity of positioning, intentional visibility, and making deliberate decisions about how you show up professionally in public.

In a market where attention is scarce and competition is global, your LinkedIn presence is no longer “nice to have.” It’s a working asset.

At AMA Pittsburgh’s Level Up Your LinkedIn Personal Brand event (Feb. 25 at the National Aviary), panelists and hosts got practical about what moves the needle now: how your profile needs to function, what makes content resonate, how to choose the right level of personal sharing, and how to show up consistently without turning LinkedIn into a second full-time job.

Co-Hosts & Panelists

Piper Martin – Social Media & Marketing Strategist | Digital Storyteller | Brand Voice Architect
Jamie Orlando – Vice President of Market Development at Life Science Connect

Panelists

Nicole Ramirez – Director of Growth Solutions at Unlock Health
Sam Hindman – Ghostwriter & Content Strategist
Colleen Paulson – Founder of Ageless Careers

The panelists tackled the real questions marketers are wrestling with right now:

How do you stand out without looking self-promotional?
How personal is too personal?
Do you need to post to compete?
What actually makes someone find you?
And how do you do all this without turning LinkedIn into a second job?

Below is a practical playbook drawn directly from what the panel discussed — including how to sharpen your headline and About section, align your profile with search behavior, decide how personal is appropriate for your goals, structure content around authority and perspective, and build daily engagement habits that compound into visibility and opportunity.

If you want the condensed version, download the LinkedIn Level Up Your Personal Brand Playbook and use it as your weekly working guide.

Download the LinkedIn Level Up Your Personal Brand Playbook

How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile a Landing Page

The best placee to start for LinkedIn success is building a great profile.

Your profile less like a resume database and more like a first-impression environment. In practice, that means your page needs to communicate the basics fast—because people decide quickly whether you’re relevant, credible, and worth talking to. As it was put in the discussion, your profile should feel like “your landing page,” and if someone lands there, “within the first couple seconds, they know who you are, who you’re talking to, and what you do.

That “landing page” approach changes how you make decisions:

You stop optimizing for completeness and start optimizing for clarity. You stop trying to cram in everything you’ve ever done and instead shape the narrative toward where you’re going.

The panel also emphasized that the basics matter more than people want to admit—photo, banner, Featured section, and an About section that sounds like you. And yes, they called out the all-too-common bad headshot problem with a line you can’t un-hear: someone’s profile photo looked like it “was taken in the microwave.” Funny, but true. If your photo and header feel careless, people subconsciously downgrade everything else.

How to Craft a Magnetic Headline

Great headlines signal where you’re headed, not only where you’ve been. Your headline doesn’t have to be trapped in your current job title. It can represent the direction you’re moving—especially if you’re pivoting, leveling up, or re-positioning into a new lane.

The panel gave an example of someone in teaching who wanted to move into corporate marketing, and the positioning advice was blunt: “you represent where you want to go, not where you are.”

This isn’t about pretending. It’s about aligning your visible identity with your intent so the right people can find you and understand you.

LinkedIn Is a Search Engine. Optimize Your Profile Accordingly

A consistent theme was discoverability. The panel encouraged thinking about LinkedIn the way you think about search: people type in terms, and LinkedIn surfaces profiles that match. If your profile doesn’t contain the terms people search for, you don’t appear—no matter how qualified you are.

“Think of it like an SEO search. You are trying to use those words to attract attention,” said one of the panelists.

This is especially useful for marketers, strategists, and operators whose work can be described ten different ways. Your job is to choose the language your target audience uses, then place it naturally throughout your headline, About, experience descriptions, and skills.

One of the fun side examples was that people really do search for weird things—there was even a reference to “grant writing unicorns” as a marketed identity, and the point was clear: if people search for it, you can position for it.

The Skills Section: Be Strategic, Not Exhaustive

A tactical moment in the conversation was about skills and whether you should max them out everywhere. The advice was reassuring: don’t make yourself nuts trying to perfectly match every job to every skill.

The core guidance was: make sure the skills exist across your profile so you can be found, then choose the top ones to feature where it counts. “Don’t drive yourself crazy,” and “pick the top 5 or 7, but just make sure all of the skills are there.”

This lines up with how most hiring managers and recruiters actually behave. They search broadly, scan quickly, and follow signals.

Change Your Posting Game

Posting is optional—but personality and narrative are not.

The panel shared that they’ve seen people succeed on LinkedIn without posting at all, simply by building a profile that attracts the right attention. At the same time, posting becomes a differentiator in competitive moments because it shows more than competence. It shows judgment, perspective, and communication style.

In the discussion about job seekers, the “why post” argument was framed around competition and likability. In a tight market, if two applicants look similar on paper, the human factor breaks ties: “they’re probably going to pick the person they like more.”

That doesn’t mean you need to chase virality. It means you need to show enough of yourself that someone can picture working with you.

The Cringe Factor is Real. But Don’t Let It Hold You Back

Starting to post can feel awkward. The panel called it the “cringe factor,” and acknowledged that “putting yourself out there for the first time feels weird. This isn’t a character flaw. It’s exposure therapy.

The practical workaround is to build a profile you’re proud of first, then establish what you’ll talk about and who you’re talking to, then begin showing up. When your profile and positioning feel solid, posting stops feeling like shouting into the void.

How to Choose Content

If you’ve ever stared at the “Start a post” box and thought, I have nothing to say, the event had a useful way to structure content without turning it into an exhausting machine.

One approach shared was to build content around three lanes: authority, credibility, and perspective—your expertise, what you’ve had to overcome or learn, and the unique angle you bring.

They also reinforced that audience response teaches you what to lean into over time. You learn what resonates by paying attention to what people engage with, what they DM you about, and what they thank you for saying out loud.

Content that performs carries real specificity—especially success stories with numbers and a clear “how.” If your content could have been written by anyone, it probably won’t travel far. If it could only have come from you, it has a chance.

How Personal is too Personal on LinkedIn?

Many people share the same question about LinkedIn: if you post about job search stress, burnout, debt, or personal challenges, do hiring managers see you as risky?

First, accept the permanence factor. Be careful what you post online… will follow you forever. Then recognize that permanence cuts both ways. The panel framed it as having “a positive connotation as much as a negative one.”

One panelist summted it up well: “to be magnetic… means repelling as much as you attract.”

It’s a reminder that trying to be universally acceptable leads to blandness—and blandness doesn’t convert into opportunity.

Be honest about the environment you’re aiming for. The panel acknowledged that certain corporate contexts—Fortune 500, highly regulated industries—discourage some types of posting, so you should “think about what your goals are” and adjust how you show up accordingly.

They also made an important distinction that a lot of people miss: your LinkedIn presence is still you, but it’s a work-context version of you. The point landed with an everyday example: the person you are in a board meeting isn’t the same person you are with friends at a bar. LinkedIn is one of those spaces where you choose how you show up.

So how do you apply this without spiraling?

You decide what you want to be known for, what kinds of roles you’re pursuing, and what kinds of environments you thrive in. Then you choose a level of personal sharing that supports that narrative. In the panel’s framing, you can still be authentically yourself while being “a little more conservatively” expressed, and that can look like sharing insights, expertise, and “things that are a little more soft” than what you’d share with close friends.

Momentum Takes Time, Be Patient

You may post something and get modest engagement. A handful of likes. A few comments. Nothing dramatic. It can feel like you’re talking into a small room.

And then weeks later, someone reaches out.

They’ve been watching. Reading. Paying attention. They didn’t comment publicly, but your name became familiar. Your thinking became recognizable. Your presence created trust long before a direct message appeared.

The panel emphasized that this is how much of LinkedIn actually works. Not through viral spikes, but through accumulated exposure. Quiet credibility. That only happens if your network has something to react to.

If your profile is vague and you never engage, people can’t connect dots for you. They can’t refer you. They can’t think of you when an opportunity surfaces. They don’t have language to describe what you do or how you think.

When you share perspective — even occasionally — you give your network material. You make it easier for someone to say, “You should talk to her — she’s strong in healthcare growth,” or “He’s been posting smart takes on AI in marketing lately.”

The same principle applies to engagement. Thoughtful comments expand your visibility beyond your immediate connections. Personalized connection requests cut through noise. Each interaction increases the surface area where opportunity can land.

You don’t need to dominate the feed. But you do need to be visible enough that people can form an impression. Your network can absolutely surprise you. Just make sure you’re giving it something meaningful to work with.

Download The LinkedIn Level Up Your Personal Brand Playbook

If you want to translate everything from this discussion into action, we’ve condensed the core insights into a structured working guide.

The AMA Pittsburgh LinkedIn Personal Brand Playbook includes:

A positioning framework to sharpen your headline and About section
A keyword alignment checklist to improve search visibility
Guidance on how to decide your level of professional disclosure
A content structure built around authority, credibility, and perspective
An engagement strategy to build visibility without overwhelm
A practical 7-day upgrade plan you can implement immediately

Use it as a diagnostic tool. Use it as a reset. Or use it as a 30-day momentum builder.

Download the LinkedIn Level Up Your Personal Brand Playbook

About the Event Venue

This Special Event was Hosted at National Aviary

Feathers and flight: a national delight! Located in Pittsburgh, P.A., the National Aviary is the ONLY independent, non-profit zoo in America dedicated to birds. The Aviary is home to more than 500 animals of 150 species ranging from mighty Steller’s Sea Eagles to colorful starlings; though sloths, bats, and skunks all call the Aviary home, too!

250,000 guests walk through the Aviary each year. Large walk-through habitats allow for up-close, immersive interactions between guests and free-flying or waddling species. Caring staff members work to highlight positive animal relationships as well as important conservation work conducted both at home and abroad. Add-on experiences offer opportunities to meet and even hand-feed species rarely found in zoos. Together with dynamic education and community programming, the Aviary is able to present the highest quality experiences for all ages while inspiring respect for nature through an appreciation of birds in every guest.

The Aviary’s premier event space, The Garden Room, opened in the fall of 2020 with LEED Gold Certified status, emphasizing the Aviary’s focus on accessibility and sustainability features to make for a welcoming venue for all. From wedding celebrations and graduation parties to corporate events and community programming, all rentals further support the Aviary’s mission.
Learn more about their mission and programming at aviary.org.

AMA Pittsburgh Celebrates Marketing Excellence at 2025 Marquee Awards

by AMA Pittsburgh | Dec 6, 2025 | Events & Programming, Marquee Awards

The Marquee Awards

The Marquee Awards from the American Marketing Association is Pittsburgh’s premier marketing event showcasing the bright talent of Pittsburgh’s marketing elite. This exclusive event gives top agencies and marketing teams the opportunity to be recognized as the best Marketeers in the Steel City.

A full house gathered at OPYA Studios on Pittsburgh’s South Side as the American Marketing Association Pittsburgh Chapter (AMA Pittsburgh) announced the winners and finalists of the 2025 Marquee Awards.

The annual event recognizes outstanding marketing across the region, honoring work that is not only creative but also strategic and results-driven. Campaigns from agencies, in-house teams, and nonprofits were celebrated for their innovation, storytelling, and measurable impact.

This year brought a record number of nominations, showcasing the depth and diversity of talent within Pittsburgh’s marketing community. Each submission was carefully evaluated by a panel of industry leaders in marketing, advertising, public relations, digital strategy, and design.

From rebrands and integrated campaigns to data-driven strategies and bold creative executions, the Marquee Awards continue to spotlight the people and projects pushing the marketing industry forward in Western Pennsylvania.

Presented By

RedTree Web Design

The Winners

Top Honors

Best in Show – Brand Strategies Group
Up and Coming Marketer to Watch – Courtney Ackleson

Nonprofits

Best Fully Integrated Campaign – Kamin Science Center
Best Digital Marketing – Jewish Federation Greater Pittsburgh

B2C

Best Social Media Campaign – Pipitone
Best Digital Marketing Campaign – Level Agency
Best Fully Integrated Campaign – Brand Strategies Group
Best B2C – Brand Strategies Group
Best Print Campaign – B2C – Grandpa Joes Candy Shop

B2B

Best Fully Integrated Campaign – ODATO
Best Digital Marketing – ODATO
Best B2B – ODATO

Finalists

Best Nonprofit Fully Integrated Campaign – Jewish Federation Greater Pittsburgh
Best B2C Digital Marketing – Level Agency
Best B2C Social Media Campaign – untitled
Best B2C Fully Integrated Campaign – Rebel Fox
Best B2B Social Media – Krakoff Communications
Best B2B Digital Marketing – Pipitone
Best B2B Fully Integrated Campaign – BLD Marketing
Up and Coming Marketer to Watch – Mairead Clements

“Pittsburgh has always been a city of transformation and our marketing community is right at the center of it. The awesome turnout for the Marquee Awards was proof of that. Your work and support fuel everything we do. Here’s to the winners, the nominees, and the entire creative community pushing Pittsburgh forward,” said Chris Bevel, AMA Pittsburgh President.

A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated volunteers and generous sponsors who made this year’s Marquee Awards possible. Your time, energy, and support help power AMA Pittsburgh and elevate the region’s marketing community. We are grateful for your commitment to celebrating and advancing the region’s marketing community.

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Brunner On AMA’s Marquee Awards

Results speak loudest—and Pittsburgh’s top agencies have plenty to say. Listen as Katie Collins, Associate Director, Integrated Planning, shares why Brunner teams will enter AMA Pittsburgh’s Marquee Awards. The Marquee celebration event is December 4, 2025.

Pipitone On AMA’s Marquee Awards

Pittsburgh’s best don’t just create bold campaigns. They prove it—with results. That’s why Pipitone teams are Marquee-bound. Listen as Scott Pipitone has fun sharing key Marquee dates with his agency. The Marquee celebration submission deadline is November 10, 2025.

Playbook for Lean Marketing from HBT Digital and Geena Greguric Consulting

by AMA Pittsburgh | Nov 22, 2025 | Events & Programming, Professional Development

AMA Pittsburgh’s Coffee Connections is a monthly roundtable discussion designed to bring together marketers, business leaders, and creative minds from across the Pittsburgh region. This casual yet insightful gathering is where big ideas meet real-world strategies, giving attendees the opportunity to learn from experts, exchange perspectives, and build valuable professional relationships.

Each Coffee Connections session focuses on a timely and relevant marketing topic, featuring industry leaders, guest speakers, and thought-provoking discussions. Whether you’re a CMO shaping strategy, a startup founder looking to grow, or a marketing professional eager to stay ahead of industry trends, Coffee Connections is your chance to gain actionable insights and network with the region’s top marketers.

Maximize Impact, Minimize Spend: The Playbook for Lean Budget Marketing

At a time when marketing budgets are under pressure, the November AMA Pittsburgh Coffee Connections brought together two experts who know what it means to make every dollar work harder. Hosted at COhatch Shadyside, Playbook for Lean Marketing was led by Geena Greguric, founder of Geena Greguric Consulting, and RJ Huebert, founder of HBT Digital Consulting. Their session delivered a practical blueprint for marketers and business owners to maximize results without overspending—focusing on clarity, smart prioritization, and measurable efficiency.

The Reality of Lean Marketing

Budgets are tightening everywhere. Between rising ad costs, shifting consumer behavior, and constant economic uncertainty, small businesses and lean marketing teams face a perfect storm of challenges. Many are being asked to produce more results with fewer resources—a trend Huebert summed up simply: “This is about efficiency, not big budgets”.

The problem, as Greguric emphasized, often starts with weak positioning. Most businesses focus on product features instead of outcomes, using language that sounds like every competitor. “When your message doesn’t differentiate, you get treated like a commodity,” she noted. And in a market defined by cost cutting, commodity brands are the first to be cut from budgets.

Common Frustrations for Business Owners and Marketing Pros

Huebert shared a familiar list of pain points he hears daily from clients:

Not enough qualified leads
Poor tracking and attribution
Campaigns that don’t convert
High spend with low return
Lack of in-house marketing talent or strategy
Frustration with agency performance

These are symptoms, not causes. The real issue? Most companies are reacting rather than strategizing. “If you’re not measuring ROI, you’re just spending,” Huebert reminded the group.

Reframing Marketing: From Expense to Investment

Greguric walked through one of the session’s most memorable slides—titled “Reframing from Expense to Investment.” The idea is simple but transformative: stop talking about your product as a tool and start positioning it as a profit lever.

Her framework breaks down like this:

Problem: What pain does your audience feel daily?
Stakes: What’s the cost of doing nothing?
Solution: How do you fix it uniquely and effectively?
Payoff: What tangible success will they see?

This shift—from cost to ROI—is the difference between sounding like a vendor and sounding like a business partner. When your messaging makes a CFO nod, Greguric said, “you’re doing it right.”

Start with Strategy, Not Spend

The temptation in a lean environment is to jump straight to tactics—more ads, more posts, more hustle. But Huebert cautioned that this approach often wastes money. “Every dollar matters,” he said, quoting Peter Drucker’s classic line: What gets measured gets managed.

His advice: define what success means before spending a single dollar. Are you after website traffic? Booked meetings? Sales? Conversions? Only then can you decide which metrics—and which channels—truly matter.

Prioritize Smartly Across Channels

Once you know what success looks like, the next step is choosing where to focus. Huebert shared that for most small businesses, the smartest advertising mix typically includes:

Google Ads for active intent and lead generation
LinkedIn for B2B awareness and authority building
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) for retargeting and storytelling

The key is not being everywhere—it’s being in the right place, with the right message, at the right stage of the funnel.

Know Your Audiences

Targeting drives efficiency. Huebert walked through how to segment audiences into:

Owned or custom lists
Interest-based and behavioral audiences
Remarketing and lookalike audiences
In-market segments on Google

He shared how HBT Digital uses a three-tier ad strategy across Meta—starting with awareness ads for broad reach, then remarketing at the consideration stage, and finally conversion-focused ads for the most engaged prospects.

Simplify to Build Lean Funnels

One of the strongest takeaways: complex funnels kill conversion.

Huebert showed examples of campaigns that outperformed by doing less—one clear offer, one landing page, one call to action. “You don’t need a 20-step nurture journey,” he said. “You need clarity and simplicity.”

When every step in your funnel has a single job—awareness, consideration, or conversion—you can more easily test, measure, and improve performance.

Leverage Automation Without Losing Control

Automation isn’t about replacing humans—it’s about giving marketers back their time. Huebert demonstrated how AI chat tools and CRM automation can book meetings, manage reviews, and follow up with leads 24/7.

He shared HBT’s own setup using HighLevel CRM, which combines chat, SMS, and email automation with a built-in scheduler and review request workflows. “You can literally book sales calls while you sleep,” he said.

The trick, both speakers agreed, is to use automation to enhance personalization, not erase it. AI should handle repetitive tasks, freeing humans to focus on strategy and storytelling.

The Paid Campaigns Checklist

Before launching any paid campaign, the speakers advised, marketers should walk through this simple checklist:

Define your goal (leads, awareness, traffic)
Know your audience—and test new ones
Test ad placements
Test your offer
Test your creative
Track performance carefully
Scale only the winners

Huebert emphasized that testing and iteration are where efficiency happens. “Small tests prevent big waste,” he said.

Smart, Budget-Friendly Marketing Tactics

Beyond paid media, Greguric shared a series of low-cost growth channels that often outperform expensive campaigns when done right:

Partnerships and collaborations: “Borrow trust instead of buying it.”
Community-led growth: Participate in niche communities and earn credibility through consistency.
Content repurposing: Turn one blog into multiple pieces of content across formats and platforms.
Guerrilla marketing: Handwritten notes, pop-up events, or “surprise and delight” activations that build loyalty.

As she put it, “Lean doesn’t mean limited—it means focused.”

Get Started: Download the Lean Marketing Playbook

To help attendees apply what they learned, Greguric offered her Lean Marketing Playbook—a structured, step-by-step guide for planning and optimizing marketing on a small budget. The playbook includes a growth strategy outline, quick-win checklists, and practical tools to audit your marketing plan.

It’s available for download at geenagreguric.com/lean-marketing-playbook .

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