Disruption and Challenges in the AI-Driven Business Landscape
AI is reshaping business fast and leaders can no longer cede the conversation
The latest wave of earnings and restructures shows one clear fact for senior leaders and boards: AI is not an academic debate, it is changing markets, revenue models and stakeholder expectations in real time. For executives focused on reputation and commercial outcomes, this matters because visibility now intersects with risk and opportunity. At Emari Group LTD we translate that reality into practical programmes for LinkedIn Training, LinkedIn Consultancy, Executive Advocacy, Employee Advocacy so leaders can protect market position and turn attention into outcomes.
Why AI reshaping business matters to busy executives
When customers, investors and regulators see rapid AI adoption they expect leaders to explain strategy, show competence and answer hard questions. Silence creates a vacuum that competitors or critics will fill. The companies reporting declines this quarter are a reminder that product innovation alone will not buy credibility. Visibility without measurement is equally useless. Leaders must make connected presence a board-level capability and back it with measurable KPIs. That means moving beyond posting and into sustained Executive Advocacy supported by employee networks.
What we see across industries and what you should act on
Cloud spend and AI tooling are booming at the top end while traditional services are being automated away. That split creates strategic choices for every function from HR to investor relations. You will need clear narrative frameworks that surface what your AI investments mean for customers and talent, plus systems that scale your leaders’ reach without wasting their time. Emari’s LinkedIn Training and LinkedIn Consultancy programmes are built to do exactly that — fast, repeatable work that translates into inbound opportunities, recruitment lift and reputational protection.
How to move from worry to measurable advantage
Start with three linked shifts. First, treat connected leadership as an operational skill not a marketing add-on. Second, set outcomes that the board cares about for any advocacy work. Third, activate employees so your messages multiply organically. We show clients how to quantify progress with share of voice, stakeholder sentiment and inbound pipeline metrics rather than vanity likes. That makes investment defensible at board level and keeps the programme funded long term. We’re already beginning to see ambitious companies like OpenAI and Paypal begin to significantly invest in Connected Leadership - both have been actively recruiting for Head of CEO Content roles at the $200 - £300,000 per annum mark.
What this means for strategy and next steps
If you are a C-suite leader or non-exec in a sector under transformation take a simple test: can your public narrative answer three strategic questions about AI in 90 seconds each and can that answer be amplified by senior teams and employees?
If not you have a gap that will cost reputation or revenue. Emari’s Executive Advocacy and Employee Advocacy pathways are designed to close that gap while keeping your calendar intact and outcomes visible to decision-makers.
Quick takeaway we keep returning to because it matters in board conversations: visibility is performance not PR. Do the work that converts attention into trust, talent and pipeline before someone else writes your story.
Today's trending news and what it means for executive visibility
Big picture data points that matter to senior leaders
These are the numbers you can take into a board conversation.
AI infrastructure market projected at 758 billion dollars by 2029. Corporate capex on data centres and servers is changing where value sits.
Microsoft reported 77.7 billion dollars in Q1 2026 revenue driven by AI and cloud services. Meta invested 72 billion dollars in data centres in Q3 2025. Overall IT spending is expected to exceed 6 trillion dollars in 2026. These figures show where market attention and budgets are concentrated.
Winners and losers are emerging. Some companies are thriving as they embed AI into products and operations. Others are seeing rapid declines when users or clients shift to free or in-house AI solutions. Examples include a roughly 31 percent drop in Chegg subscribers and about a 30 percent fall in revenue for firms that relied on legacy data annotation models. C3.ai saw a 19 percent revenue fall in Q1 FY2026. That split is a live example of reputational and commercial consequences for business model laggards.
Cybersecurity is a persistent threat. High profile data exposures continue, including an incident involving 40 billion records. For leaders, that changes the questions stakeholders ask and the stories the market remembers.
Concrete data driven actions for C suite and heads of function
These are quick steps you can start this week.
1. Run a visibility audit map executive and board presence against the high value debates in your sector. Track share of voice, media mentions, LinkedIn engagement, and the channels where influencers are active. We can support you with this as needed as part of our Executive Advocacy programmes.
2. Create a short term narrative playbook pick three priority messages tied to commercial outcomes such as recruitment, investor confidence, or customer retention. Equip spokespeople with concise evidence points and one line calls to action. We can help you with this through our thought leadership programme
3. Launch a pilot for executive advocacy focus on a single leader or small cohort. Combine LinkedIn training with rapid content production for two weeks and measure inbound leads, profile views, and sentiment change.
4. Begin employee advocacy with incentives pick a team where digital influence maps to revenue. Provide templates, short training sessions, and a simple KPI dashboard that links shares and conversations to pipeline metrics.
5. Add narrative risk into your crisis playbook map likely AI related issues and rehearse public responses. Practice one clear narrative and one evidence base per risk scenario so spokespeople can respond quickly and consistently.
LinkedIn training and LinkedIn consultancy are not content exercises. They are systems for creating sustained credibility. When leaders learn to place evidence backed insights into the right conversations they generate measurable outcomes. Those outcomes look like increased share of voice, higher quality inbound opportunities, improved recruitment metrics, and stronger stakeholder sentiment during sensitive moments.
Executive advocacy accelerates narrative control by coaching leaders to publish timely, relevant commentary that connects to business KPIs. Employee advocacy amplifies that voice and distributes credibility across the organisation so reputation is less fragile.
AI and digitisation are affecting revenues, customer behaviour, and talent flows. Data driven visibility protects and grows value. If you control a meaningful portion of the conversation you also shape hiring decisions, investor perception, and regulatory narratives. That is not soft PR. That is ROI that can be measured and reported up the chain.
Markets are moving fast. Use LinkedIn training and LinkedIn consultancy to turn executive time into predictable influence. Start small, measure what matters, scale what works. You will shorten the window where competitors, critics, or misinformation can define your story.
Need a next step idea run a 60 minute executive visibility sprint to produce two posts that test your priority message and audience. Track the results and decide on a pilot from there.
How EMARI’s consultancy approach bridges strategy and measurable outcomes
The best LinkedIn Consultancy packages do five things. They connect executive posts to specific business outcomes. They create a repeatable content cadence that mirrors reporting cycles. They set baseline metrics and then track impact. They use audience intelligence to point leaders to the right conversations. They package all of this into dashboards executives can present at board meetings.
Example metrics you can start with today Share of voice against three competitor leaders in your industry. Number of inbound partnership conversations traced to an executive post. Quality hires from candidate leads that cite executive content. Changes in stakeholder sentiment measured by comment analysis and survey prompts. We can also support with a digital marketing healthcheck if you need one.
Key facts pulled from today’s briefings
InfotechLead reported that the global AI infrastructure market is projected to reach $758 billion by 2029. The same coverage notes large tech names pushing hard on AI with numbers such as Meta investing $72 billion in data centers in Q3 2025 and Microsoft’s Q1 2026 revenue surging to $77.7 billion driven by AI and cloud. The piece adds that IT spending could top $6 trillion in 2026 as demand for AI, cloud and data centre investment accelerates.
At the other end of the scoreboard, InfotechLead also chronicled companies that are losing ground to AI driven change. Examples include Chegg subscribers dropping around 31 percent and revenue falling about 30 percent, and specialist vendor C3.ai seeing Q1 FY2026 revenue down 19 percent to about $70.3 million. Appen saw about 30 percent revenue decline after large tech firms internalised data pipelines. Those moves highlight that AI adoption is not a simple growth plug in every business model.
The VC and digital transformation reporting adds texture. Legora raised $150 million at a $1.8 billion valuation. Enterprise transformation cases show measurable outcomes: InBev’s BEES platform GMV rose 57 percent in FY2024 to about $2.5 billion, IKEA now gets 26 percent of sales from online channels, and DHL’s smart warehouse network delivered a 25 percent productivity increase and a 15 percent reduction in operating costs.
Two direct lines from the media coverage sum the mood. Use these as conversation starters when you brief a board or a CEO on visibility strategy
"Unknown source told The Economist: \"AI is fundamentally reshaping how companies operate, driving efficiency and new revenue streams.\""
"Unknown source told The Economist: \"The rapid investments in AI infrastructure are setting the stage for unprecedented market growth.\""
Why this matters for executive visibility and LinkedIn activity
When capital and capability shift quickly, what used to be a nice to have becomes a risk if left idle. Public narratives shape investor sentiment, partner appetite and recruitment pipelines. That makes LinkedIn Training and LinkedIn Consultancy high-return activities because they turn executives into authoritative messengers when the market is moving fast.
Two short logic steps
1. AI is changing industries fast which forces stakeholders to re-evaluate who they trust.
2. Leaders who show up with credible, timely points of view on platforms such as LinkedIn protect reputation, attract talent and generate inbound commercial opportunities.
Risks that matter right now
Strategy risk Leaders who stay silent create a narrative vacuum that others will fill with competing, and sometimes misleading, frames.
Commercial risk Rapid AI investment has winners and losers. Chegg, Appen and C3.ai examples show revenue can evaporate quickly when models or customer behaviours change.
Operational risk Teams without guidance on executive advocacy or employee advocacy can amplify inconsistent messaging, which costs trust during transformation or M&A moments.
Security and reputational risk The reporting flagged high cyber exposure such as the Netcore Cloud email leak involving 40 billion records. Digital exposure plus public silence compounds damage.
Opportunities to convert attention into value
1. Move LinkedIn Training from craft to capability Build short modular programmes that embed repeatable routines for executives so visibility becomes a consistent business input rather than a one-off PR push.
2. Use LinkedIn Consultancy to align executive voice with hard KPIs Shift measurement from vanity metrics to share of voice in target debates, inbound opportunities and stakeholder sentiment — metrics your CFO and board will recognise.
3. Scale Executive Advocacy through employee networks Employee Advocacy multiplies reach and credibility. The digital transformation wins reported by brands such as InBev and IKEA show that platform-led distribution converts to revenue where systems and behaviours align.
Why this story should change boardroom priorities
The data shows a bifurcated ecosystem. Heavy investment and successful digital transformations are creating outsized winners while legacy revenue pools are being eroded by automation and AI. That split is exactly the place where connected leadership turns from optional to strategic. Visibility is now a form of risk management and commercial acceleration rolled into one.
Bottom line Use LinkedIn Training, LinkedIn Consultancy, Executive Advocacy and Employee Advocacy to move from reactive statements to owning the narrative most relevant to your strategy. If you start small and measure with commercial KPIs you can defend market value and create real pipeline while your competitors argue about tactics.
Suggested resources
Refer to the InfotechLead reporting for primary figures and case studies on AI investment, corporate M&A and digital transformation outcomes. Use those data points when you brief stakeholders so the conversation stays anchored in measurable shifts not anecdotes.
Want a crisp one pager to present to the board that links these trends to measurable LinkedIn goals We can draft that next and include a 90 day roadmap with KPI tracking that maps to revenue and recruitment outcomes.
Employee advocacy becomes meaningful when it maps to commercial goals
When AI changes how you win and serve customers your people become your amplifiers. Employee Advocacy turns your workforce into believable storytellers who reflect what your business actually does. That works well during corporate change, talent campaigns or when a new offering needs credibility fast.
Executive Advocacy plus structured employee advocacy is a multiplier. One credible leader post sparks conversation. A coordinated employee response extends reach and builds trust fast. That is how small teams create disproportionate influence against larger, quieter rivals.
Real world outcomes that align with the headlines
We do this with measurable steps not vague principles. For example our Illuminate executive programme refreshes profiles and builds routines for senior leaders. The outcomes are clear
Improved share of voice on key topics such as AI and transformation
Higher quality inbound conversations from clients and investors
Practical routines that fit a busy diary so visibility is sustainable
Meanwhile our Moment Of Truth marketing audit cuts wasteful activity and gives you a prioritised roadmap for digital performance. That matters when budgets are under scrutiny and boards ask tough questions about return on marketing spend.
Case proof that these ideas work
Clients who commit to this approach get measurable impact. We generated over 650 targeted leads for a niche energy technology in twelve months. We helped a business with five million in turnover reduce marketing spend by 92% and lift sales 47% in half a year. Small wins stack into transformed outcomes.
See the client stories and testimonials that show practical gains at //www.emari.co.uk/results
Ready for a straight conversation about outcomes
If you want direct help start with a short audit conversation with our team We will map the smallest set of interventions that deliver the clearest returns No jargon no puff just practical steps you can take in the next 30 days
Start here Illuminate executive programme details at //www.emari.co.uk/linkedin-profile-optimization-and-coaching-program
For a fast health check of your digital engine book the Moment Of Truth audit at //www.emari.co.uk/digital-marketing-audit-moment-of-truth
See client results and testimonials at //www.emari.co.uk/results
If you want a short intro email or a quick call say so and we will set it up You will walk away with a clear set of next moves and a way to measure them. Get started.
Resources
https://infotechlead.com/tech/ma-deals-next-glass-ekos-guidewire-edmentum-openspace-partnerone-91963
M&A deals: Next Glass, Ekos, Guidewire, Edmentum, OpenSpace, PartnerOne - InfotechLead
https://infotechlead.com/artificial-intelligence/companies-struggle-with-revenue-declines-as-ai-disrupts-traditional-business-models-91969
Companies Struggle with Revenue Declines as AI Disrupts Traditional Business Models - InfotechLead
https://infotechlead.com/tech/venture-capital-funding-customed-legora-valthos-hoop-dev-arya-health-91957
Venture Capital Funding: CustoMED, Legora, Valthos, Hoop.dev, Arya Health - InfotechLead
https://infotechlead.com/cio/companies-accelerate-into-digital-transformation-with-tangible-results-91972
Companies Accelerate into Digital Transformation with Tangible Results - InfotechLead
https://www.emari.co.uk/results
Testimonials and logos from key clients
https://www.emari.co.uk/linkedin-profile-optimization-and-coaching-program
Illuminate is a high-impact executive LinkedIn training programme that turns visibility into a strategic business advantage, not a vanity exercise. It equips leaders to own their voice, shape industry conversations, and align their online presence with commercial goals — delivering measurable results in influence, trust, and opportunity generation. Designed for time-poor senior professionals, it transforms profiles, builds strategic networks, and develops authentic, high-ROI engagement that drives both corporate and personal success.
https://www.emari.co.uk/digital-marketing-audit-moment-of-truth
The MOT: Digital Marketing Audit cuts through the noise of “busy but ineffective” marketing to give leaders a clear, prioritised roadmap for results. It analyses every part of your digital ecosystem — from content and SEO to social, sales alignment, and competitor activity — so you know exactly what’s working, what’s wasting budget, and what to fix first. Designed for time-poor directors, marketing managers, and agencies, it delivers quick wins, long-term direction, and the focus to turn scattered activity into measurable growth.