The annual Marketeers Tech for Business (TFB) 2026 event was held once again at CGV Grand Indonesia, Jakarta, with a primary focus on the transformation of digital marketing strategies amid the dominance of artificial intelligence. Under the theme "Digital Marketing in the Age of AI," this fifth edition served as a discussion forum for industry players to formulate strategic steps to remain competitive in an ever-changing business landscape.
MCorp COO Iwan Setiawan emphasized that consumer behavior patterns have shifted fundamentally. While the marketing era was previously dominated by search engines and social media, consumers are now shifting to Generative AI as the primary gateway for seeking information and product recommendations. This phenomenon demands a tactical shift from SEO and SMO to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
To remain relevant, Iwan stated that every brand must now become "AI-Friendly" by fulfilling three main pillars: Available, meaning easily discovered by AI systems; Authoritative, meaning possessing high credibility; and Articulate, meaning capable of conveying information clearly and comprehensibly. This strategy is considered crucial for brands to remain the top choice amid increasingly complex AI algorithms.
On the other hand, PT Pertamina (Persero) VP of Shared Services Human Capital, Puput Widha Ardhana, provided a different perspective by highlighting human resource readiness. According to her, the main barrier to technology adoption is not the devices themselves, but the readiness of the people behind them. Crucial challenges such as the AI literacy gap, resistance to change, and competence mismatches represent major homework for companies today.
As part of its implementation, the event also featured parallel discussion sessions that thoroughly explored customer experience optimization through omnichannel strategies and data-driven sales effectiveness. Through cross-industry collaboration, experts agreed that technological mastery must be balanced with adaptive leadership so that digital transformation can run optimally for future business sustainability.
