Indianapolis, Indiana – September 17, 2025 – Asher Agency, a full-service marketing, advertising, and public relations firm, successfully hosted an exclusive executive program that explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping business strategy, marketing, and customer experience.

Held in downtown Indianapolis, the event brought together a curated group of Indiana executives for a high-impact discussion on using AI to achieve measurable productivity gains, strengthen decision-making, and enhance customer engagement. The conversation moved beyond speculation to real-world results, underscoring that AI is already transforming operations and strategy.

“Asher has always believed that technology should strengthen human insight, not replace it,” said Kara Kelley, President and Co-Owner of Asher Agency. “By convening this discussion, we’ve helped Indiana leaders see how AI can be implemented responsibly and effectively today.”

The program featured two of Indiana’s most respected voices in marketing and customer experience: Kara Kelley, who has led Asher’s evolution into one of the nation’s premier franchise and retail marketing agencies, and Salena Scardina, founder of HeroCX and Align Indiana and a nationally recognized customer experience strategist. Together, they shared case studies and actionable frameworks for achieving measurable productivity gains with AI, building trust and validation into AI-driven strategies, and applying AI insights to enhance engagement and design thinking.

Inside the Event

The event centered on how organizations can take advantage both agentic and generative AI to enhance marketing and customer experience. Through case studies spanning retail, consumer products, fintech and others, they highlighted how leading companies are blending AI innovation with the human connection to deliver the brand promise and the customer experience to support it. Attendees gained practical insights into which AI tools are best suited for specific marketing applications, as well as guidance on the strategic considerations of whether to build, buy, or blend AI solutions to elevate customer experience within their organizations.

To illustrate real-world impact, they also shared examples of measurable outcomes. Spotify’s Discover Weekly and Wrapped show the viral power of personalization, with 156 million users engaging and 60 million shares during Wrapped. A family-run Original Tamale Company demonstrated how a humorous AI-assisted video created in just ten minutes drew 22 million views, 1.2 million likes, and a noticeable increase in foot traffic. In the real estate sector, one brokerage leveraged AI’s 24/7 availability, instant property expertise, and immersive virtual tours to achieve $100 million in sales within its first year. These stories underscored how AI, when paired with creativity and strategy, can drive both engagement and tangible business growth.

Following the program, guests enjoyed a networking event where they collaborated and shared new ideas for AI-driven marketing and customer experience initiatives.

By creating and leading events like this, Asher Agency continues to position itself—and Indianapolis—as a center for marketing innovation and a trusted authority in AI strategy.

Founded in 1974, Asher Agency provides comprehensive advertising, marketing, and public relations services through its offices in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Indiana; Charleston, West Virginia; and Washington, DC. For more information, visit AsherAgency.com.

Founded in 2018, HeroCX is a consultancy dedicated to elevating and transforming customer experiences. We help organizations bring their brand promise to life through expert consulting, customized training, and keynote speaking. For more information, visit herocx.com

Salena Scardina (left) of HeroCX and Kara Kelley (right) of Asher Agency hosted an exclusive executive Q&A on how artificial intelligence is reshaping business strategy, marketing, and customer experience.