Forget about formal think pieces. We asked real DTC marketers to give us gut reactions on AI, retail and how the two are blending at Longaxis and in real time. We threw out words. They shot back unfiltered, no-time-to-think responses.

The results? A gloriously chaotic glimpse into how today’s top marketers actually feel about AI, email automation, and the future of ecommerce.

So how DO people feel about AI? Especially in regards to email and marketing automation? Here’s your chance to find out.

The Prompt Was “Dumpster Fire.” The Responses Covered Corporate America, Tariffs & an AI Takeover.

How do people feel about AI? Skeptical. Hopeful. Terrified of an AI takeover. Inspired. And apparently, slightly triggered by the phrase “dumpster fire.”

Rather than an actual AI takeover, the real fear is this: Getting left behind by competitors who embrace AI in sales and marketing while they’re still stuck A/B testing button colors manually.

So what’s the real takeaway? AI isn’t a threat. It’s an accelerant. 

Workers using AI are up to 5X more productive than those who forgo it. In fact, generative AI tools can boost employee productivity by up to 40%. The benefits of marketing automation and AI lie in giving marketers more time for what actually matters: ideas, strategy, and creativity.

The Prompt Was “Black Friday.” The Responses Covered Sales, Intensity, Terror & Chaos.

Black Friday panic isn’t a vibe. It’s a lifestyle.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Marketers described BFCM feelings as “intense,” “terror,” and “chaos.” This is exactly why so many brands are turning to email and marketing automation, which on average sends AI messages that lead to 52% higher open rates, 332% higher click rates, and up to 2,361% better conversion rates compared to regular emails. 

Pro Tip for BFCM 2025: Work with a marketing automation agency to scale customer journeys without melting down every November.

By integrating marketing automation tools, today’s DTC teams can:

• Personalize messages at scale
• Trigger smart flows based on behaviors, trends, current events, etc.
• Handle spikes in traffic and sales like pros (And not overwhelmed caffeine-fueled zombies. No shade. We’ve been there too.)

The Prompt Was “AI Copywriting.” People Called It a Game-Changing Resource, Though Some Were Still Wary.

What is AI copywriting? Better yet, what makes AI copywriting a worthy resource? According to marketers, that’s complicated.

Some called AI message writing tools a “resource” and a “game-changer.” Others said it’s “usually bad” (ouch). But everyone agreed: it’s here to stay. Interestingly, this goes hand-in-hand with our data that shows that consumers have mixed feelings about AI email content, though most can’t tell what really is or isn’t AI.

What matters at the end of the day is that content is effective, tapping into consumers’ interests and desires. Yes, we’re biased, but using AI to dig into data-backed subscriber psychographics makes that easier than ever, in regards to both creative and strategic work.

So the copywriter vs AI debate? It’s over. 

Smart brands aren’t choosing between humans and AI. They’re combining them to unlock faster testing, better personalization, and wildly unique creative marketing ideas that actually scale.

AI tools for ecommerce and marketing help marketers:

• Build brand-specific, predicted-to-perform emails in seconds
• Personalize product recommendations, AI messages and email subject lines
• Optimize copy across email, SMS, social media and beyond

A future like this is exactly what the Backstroke team dreamt up alongside 100 DTC masterminds at Longaxis. With the help of the right AI tools for ecommercde, they’ll evolve to be 10x marketers who are faster, bolder, and best suited for the glitchy, gritty, glorious next era of DTC.

Everyone else? Let’s just say they might be figuring out what the next evolution of “dumpster fire” truly means.