Wayne Liu is the Chief Growth Officer and President of Perfect Corp America.
I recently attended Kevin Hart’s sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall. Three nights and 6,000 people per night—the energy was electric. Laughter roared. But what struck me most wasn’t just the comedy. It was the strategy behind the performance. Hart delivered more than a show; he delivered a masterclass in audience engagement. And in many ways, it mirrors what effective marketers must do in the age of AI.
After spending more than a decade leading AI-powered innovation and marketing strategies, and in a time when attention spans are fleeting and consumer expectations are rising, I believe his approach on stage offers an unexpected blueprint for building brand loyalty, emotional connection and real-time personalization—the same pillars that should guide marketing transformation today.
1. Eliminate distractions.
Before the show started, something unusual happened: Our phones were sealed in secure pouches. Hart’s team wanted the audience to be fully present. No selfies, no notifications—just raw, undivided attention.
This made me think. In marketing, we often flood channels hoping to capture attention, but true engagement happens when we design for focus. It’s about creating moments that pull the audience in, not scatter them. In the AI era, we need systems that prioritize clarity over chaos and intention over intrusion.
2. Make it relatable.
Throughout the night, Hart joked about universal experiences, like awkward family vacations, dinner with grandma and racing old friends. Everyone in the room laughed, not because the stories were extraordinary, but because they were familiar. We laughed at ourselves.
Great marketing does the same. It resonates by tapping into shared human truths. Today’s AI tools allow us to uncover customer emotions and expectations at scale, but it’s up to marketers to use that data to craft stories people feel. Emotionally connected customers are significantly more valuable and loyal, which means emotional resonance is one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal.
3. Turn stories into experiences.
Hart didn’t just tell stories; he built a night around them. Three opening acts riffed on shared themes from different angles and layered the narrative like a classic arc: reality, struggle, climax, resolution.
Modern brands must do the same. Instead of relying on fragmented one-off messages, they can design multi-touch journeys that reinforce memory and deepen emotional connection through cohesive storytelling. Today, generative AI tools make this possible at scale; brands can use it to create adaptive campaign variations, tailored visuals and even cross-platform narratives using multimodal models. But as with the performances, the magic lies not in the automation; it’s in the intentional design behind it.
4. Know your audience, and adapt in real time.
What impressed me most was how attuned Hart and his team were to the audience, even before the punchlines. The opening acts ran quick, informal “surveys” by asking the crowd about relationships, age groups and hometowns. These weren’t throwaway moments; they were real-time feedback.
With those insights, they fine-tuned content on the spot. That’s agile marketing: listening, learning and adjusting in real time. Brands can use AI to help them do the same with speed, precision and scalability.
5. Stay thematically consistent.
Every part of the show, from the warm-up acts to Hart’s final bit, felt unified. Although different voices took the stage, they all reinforced the same emotional theme. But it wasn’t just the performers. The background music, the lighting, the stage design—all of it was intentionally aligned.
This is what always-on marketing is about: continuity across channels, not just campaigns. Consumers expect consistency, whether through social media, email or in-store experiences. Today’s most advanced tools, including agentic AI models, can grasp a brand’s message and autonomously generate consistent, context-aware assets from tone to visuals across touchpoints. However, as with the show, it all starts with a strong narrative. Without that foundation, even the smartest tech will fall flat.
From Stagecraft To Strategy: What Marketers Can Learn
Hart’s approach aligns nicely with modern marketing strategy. To begin implementing it in your own organization:
• Map the audience journey and create focused experiences, just like customer journey mapping.
• Follow a structured storytelling model to turn everyday reality into a captivating arc.
• Iterate in real time, and leverage live feedback like an agile marketer.
• Stay on message throughout your marketing materials, which is the essence of an always-on strategy.
What’s more? This approach is what today’s customers expect from brands. Modern marketing teams can deliver all of that with the right blend of tools and human insight.
Choosing The Right AI Tools
When evaluating AI tools, I always recommend starting with the problem, not the technology. Instead of chasing the latest platforms, marketers should first ask:
• What time-consuming, repetitive tasks can AI automate?
• Where do bottlenecks exist in business operations?
• What customer pain points could AI help resolve?
• Where does the business struggle with decision-making and data analysis?
Only after answering these questions should brands explore tools that fit the actual need.
Additionally, prioritize solutions that allow human oversight and creativity. AI should assist decision-making, not replace it. In my company, for example, we seek platforms that offer explainability, adaptability and scalability, which allows teams to maintain a strong emotional connection with their audience. In other words, technology should support storytelling, not overtake it.
Final Takeaway
In a world overflowing with content, Kevin Hart reminded me that connection still wins. AI gives marketers unprecedented power to analyze, predict and personalize, but it’s the human touch that makes people care.
To truly resonate, brands must do what great performers do: Focus the audience, speak their language, dramatize real life, adapt in real time, and stay consistent. That’s not just a marketing strategy; that’s a standing ovation waiting to happen.
And my favorite part of the show? Kevin didn’t mention AI even once, which, in the age of AI, felt oddly refreshing. Sometimes, the smartest move is just being real.
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