Machine is cool, but human is warm
In Marketing 7.0, Hermawan Kartajaya, co-authored with Philip Kotler and Iwan Setiawan, explores the impact of artificial intelligence on modern marketing. The book emphasizes that technology must remain guided by human understanding to create meaningful impact.
Hello Hermawan Kartajaya, why did you write this book… now?
Hermawan Kartajaya: I wrote Marketing 7.0 now because AI is changing marketing very fast, and many marketers rely too much on technology. They risk forgetting the importance of human insight. This book reminds marketers that AI must be guided by understanding how the human mind works. In short, marketing must combine Human + Tech = Impact.
An extract from your book that best represents yourself?
H.K.: Machine is cool, but human is warm. Technology will continue to evolve, but human insight remains the foundation of marketing. That is why I developed cognitive mapping and the strategic quadrants to help marketers translate human understanding into meaningful action.
The trends that are just emerging and that you believe in the most?
H.K.: The most important trend is the rise of agentic AI, which can automate many marketing tasks and decisions. At the same time, China is becoming a major driver of operational excellence and competitive disruption. These changes will make marketing more efficient but also more complex. Because of this, human insight becomes even more important.
If you had to give one piece of advice to a reader of this article, what would it be?
H.K.: Do not rely only on technology. Always start from understanding people, because marketing is about influencing the human mind. Use AI to improve productivity, but keep human judgment in decision making. Remember that the goal is impact, guided by the 5Ps: People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnership.
In a nutshell, what are the next topics that you will be passionate about?
H.K.: My next focus is Marketing 8.0 for Impact, which encourages companies to create value not only for business but also for society. I am also developing the OMNI-House Canvas, which integrates marketing as the top line, operations as the center line, and finance as the bottom line as a new balanced scorecard.
Merci Hermawan Kartajaya
Merci Bertrand Jouvenot