Emirates Reporter speaks Exclusively with Abdul Aziz Aslam Qureshi, Founder & CEO of Cyber Cultr Media, a UAE-based digital marketing and creative agency working with leading regional and international brands. Drawing on over 12 years of hands-on industry experience, Qureshi addresses key concerns shaping the marketing landscape—from AI’s impact on entry-level roles to the future of strategy-led growth, performance discipline, and long-term brand building. He shares exclusive insights on how businesses can adapt, upskill, and stay competitive in an increasingly AI-driven era.
E.R– There’s growing concern that AI will replace entry-level marketing roles. Is that fear justified?
Aziz– The fear is understandable, but it’s incomplete. AI is very good at removing repetitive, production-heavy tasks that once defined entry-level work. But that doesn’t mean entry-level roles are disappearing. It means they’re evolving. The job is shifting away from manual execution and toward thinking, coordination, and oversight much earlier in a marketer’s career. AI is changing how people start, not whether they start at all.
E.R– Which parts of entry-level marketing are most at risk?
Aziz– Anything that follows a predictable pattern—basic copy variations, resizing creatives, routine reporting, simple keyword research, or data compilation. These tasks were historically used to train junior marketers, but they were never the end goal. What AI is doing is compressing the learning curve. Instead of spending years doing repetitive work, juniors are now expected to understand why something is being done, not just how.
E.R– So what replaces those traditional entry-level roles?
Aziz– They’re being replaced by hybrid roles that sit between execution and strategy. Many people refer to this shift as vibe coding. In marketing terms, it means guiding AI tools, setting the right inputs, and critically evaluating outputs rather than producing everything manually. Junior marketers are increasingly expected to act like supervisors—defining direction, refining output, and ensuring alignment with brand, audience, and business goals.
E.R– What does ‘vibe coding’ actually mean in a marketing context?
Aziz– It’s not about coding in the technical sense. It’s about having a strong sense of brand voice, audience intent, and context. Someone with good ‘vibe’ knows when content feels off, when a message lacks clarity, or when an idea doesn’t align with the brand. AI can generate options quickly; humans decide which option makes sense. That judgment is becoming the most valuable entry-level skill.
E.R– Does this make marketing easier to enter or harder?
Aziz– It makes marketing easier to access but harder to master. Anyone can now generate ads, posts, or campaigns with AI, and that abundance increases competition. What separates professionals is the ability to think critically, ask the right questions, and connect marketing activity to business outcomes. The barrier has shifted from execution to understanding.
E.R– What skills will entry-level marketers need to succeed going forward?
Aziz– Context, judgment, and taste. Context means understanding the business and the customer. Judgment means knowing what to keep, what to change, and what to discard. Taste means recognising quality, relevance, and restraint. These skills develop through exposure and feedback, not tutorials.
E.R– Should students and early-career professionals be worried about job security?
Aziz– They shouldn’t be worried, but they should be intentional. This shift rewards curiosity and adaptability. Those who rely purely on tools will struggle. Those who understand how businesses grow, how customers decide, and how trust is built will move faster than previous generations did.
E.R– What advice would you give someone starting a marketing career today?
Aziz– Don’t try to compete with AI on speed or volume. Focus on learning how decisions are made inside businesses and why customers behave the way they do. Use AI as a learning accelerator, not a replacement for thinking. Marketing has always rewarded people who understand people—that hasn’t changed.
E.R– Final thought. Will AI shrink or expand marketing teams overall?
Aziz– AI will rebalance teams rather than eliminate them. There will be fewer people doing purely mechanical work and more people focused on direction, integration, and accountability. Teams will likely become smaller but sharper, with greater responsibility placed on each role. In many ways, AI is forcing marketing to grow up.
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