Why AI Alone Won’t Replace Marketers – Andrina Diedericks

In this episode of South African Tech Marketers, Andrina Diedericks, Marketing Manager at CloudSmiths and former enterprise marketing leader at Google Cloud, shares her journey from building brands in biometrics and SaaS to driving adoption for hyperscalers and startups. Now helping launch Fabe DX, an AI platform designed to give small businesses affordable tech consulting power, Andrina reflects on the lessons she’s learned in B2B marketing, the discipline needed to balance AI with creativity, and why empathy remains the marketer’s ultimate tool.

 

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Topics Discussed

• From electrical engineering to marketing: an unexpected career pivot

• 11 years scaling Idemia’s biometric brand across Africa

• Lessons from Mimecast and Google Cloud on enterprise marketing

• Behind the scenes of launching Google Cloud’s first Africa region

• The vision behind Fabe DX and its mission to empower small businesses with AI

• Why startups need to “scrap the playbook” and market differently

• Using AI daily in marketing—without losing creativity or originality

• How empathy and partnerships are still the most irreplaceable marketing tools

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Key Takeaways

• Stay flexible. Career shifts can open doors—sometimes a holiday job becomes a lifelong path.

• Startups require creativity. Without big budgets, marketers must find fresh, scrappy ways to reach audiences.

• AI is a superpower, not a crutch. Use it for efficiency but protect your creative “muscle” by practicing original work.

• Empathy is irreplaceable. Technology can’t replicate the emotional intelligence marketers bring to customers and partners.

• Scrap the corporate playbook. Startups win when they rethink B2B tactics and experiment with new channels.

• Partnerships multiply impact. Leaning into ecosystems and shared communities drives growth beyond ad spend