^{This 3-minute read brought to you by the team at Rogue Pine}

The Data Tells One Story. Your Brand Tells Another.

Every marketing leader is asking the same question: What do we do with AI?

In the most recent episode of the Grow Rogue Podcast, host Reade Milner talks with Mick Essex, Head of Marketing at POWR.io, about how small teams can make the most of AI and still protect their brand identity in an age when automation is everywhere.

POWR serves over 5 million users with a small team, and Mick’s insights hit home for every marketer trying to do more with less.

AI Is a Tool, Not a Replacement

Mick describes himself as a “content purist.” His team uses AI for structure and scale but never at the expense of voice.

“I believe in AI assistance, but not AI oversight,” he says.

AI can help teams move faster, but it can’t replace the human creativity that builds connection and trust.

The challenge of AI is about learning how to use it without losing yourself.

Data Without Context Is Dangerous

When POWR noticed a recurring 30% revenue drop every August, the easy move was to blame the month. Instead, Mick’s team dug deeper.

They discovered that the real issue was that they weren’t supporting their back-to-school customers early enough in the year.

“If you see things that are bad in August,” Mick says, “something happened in May or June that led to it.”

Data tells a story, but you have to zoom in far enough to find the human truth behind the numbers.

Baseball, Nostalgia, and the Promise of a Brand

Mick tells a story about baseball that perfectly captures why brand still matters.

His grandfather pitched for the Chicago Cubs in the 1940s—a man Mick never met, but whose legacy shaped him.

Years later, sitting three rows off the field at Fenway Park, he felt the same emotion fans have felt there for a century: awe, connection, belonging.

That’s the power of brand.

Fenway isn’t just a field—it’s a promise. A feeling. A living symbol of something that outlasts players, owners, and logos.

You can’t fake that feeling that brands ignite inside of you. And that’s exactly what great brands protect.

When Cracker Barrel tried to modernize its logo and stripped out the nostalgia, customers revolted.

Because people aren’t loyal to fonts or slogans—they’re loyal to how a brand makes them feel.

Loyalty to brands often has very little to do with metrics, and that’s what good leaders and great marketers understand. 

The Takeaway for Growth Leaders

AI can scale your output.
Data can sharpen your insights.

But emotion—your brand’s why—is what builds trust that lasts decades.

Find it. Protect it. Repeat it until it becomes part of your legacy.

Listen & Learn

Discover how data, AI, and brand loyalty intersect—and how to make smarter decisions without losing your human edge.

Listen to the full episode
Connect with Mick on LinkedIn
Learn more about POWR at powr.io