The HERDS Framework: Mobilizing Change Leaders to Scale AI in Marketing

H - Headliners (Bellwethers - Leaders of Change)

Who they are: The natural leaders who champion change, setting the tone for the rest of the organization.

This cow is the natural leader; the one who always steps up to cross first, sounding off so the rest of the herd can follow. These are your front-line change leaders. They're not just willing to move–they're ready to fight for it. They get it, they're all in, and they know how to inspire others to jump onboard. 

Sometimes you have to take the initiative without waiting for permission. Go all in, and look for ways to demonstrate the value of your idea. Having leadership support is crucial, so make sure to involve your VP or CMO early and secure their backing. Once you have that, take advantage of every opportunity to showcase your work—whether it's presenting in staff meetings or town halls—and leverage connections with key executives like the CTO and CIO. This kind of support can be the key to your success.

How to engage Headliners:

• Put them in the spotlight. Highlight their efforts and achievements. Give them visibility to amplify their energy and success, setting the tone to create momentum.
  
• Empower them as spokespeople. Give them the resources to communicate the change clearly and effectively, so they can make the case for why it matters.

E - Enthusiasts (The Alpha Cows - Early Adopters)

Who they are: The AI enthusiasts who eagerly follow the bellwether and bring momentum to change.

These cows aren't leading the pack, but they're not far behind. 

They're your early adopters–the ones who won't start the movement but will get excited once they see it taking off. They'll be the first to jump in behind the Headliners, building momentum and making it tough for anyone to ignore. 

To successfully build out a team and drive adoption, start by identifying "hand-raisers" — individuals who are eager to lead and influence others. Give them early access to the tools or technology you’re working with, like Jasper, so they can help identify and pilot use cases. 

Ensure you have representation from every function within your department to promote cross-team collaboration. These early adopters can create key resources like internal newsletters, pilot use cases, and guidelines for AI usage, all while leading by example and inspiring others to follow suit. 

How to engage Enthusiasists:

• Loop them in early. Let them in on the plan so they feel included and prepared to back the movement.
  
• Show them the payoff. Remind them what's in it for them, so they're motivated to support and reinforce the bellwether's lead.

R - Reluctant Majority (The Bulk of the Herd)

Who they are: The middle group that won’t resist change but won’t initiate it either. They need reassurance.

This is the crowd in the middle. They're not going to push for change, but they're not outright resisting it, either. They just need to know that the majority is on board and that it's safe to follow. Once they see others moving, they'll go along–they just don't want to be left behind. 

To drive excitement and adoption, focus on creating a sense of momentum and transparency. When introducing a new initiative like the Marketing AI Council, share early successes and the positive impact they’ve had. 

Present your mission clearly, explain the "why" behind your efforts, and highlight short-term wins. Hosting presentations at key internal meetings, such as functional town halls, can help spread awareness and spark interest across teams. Use communication channels like Slack to engage employees, answer questions, and build anticipation.

How to engage the Relucant Majority:

• Create strength in numbers. Make sure they see that everyone else is moving, so they feel like it's the norm.
  
• Reassure them that it's safe. Let them know they're part of a group effort - no one's going it alone here.

D - Doubters (The Green Grass Cows)

Who they are: Those who resist simply because they’re comfortable where they are and don’t see a reason to change.

Brice also called these the "dog cows" because you have to send the dogs in to bark at them. 

These cows don't love change. They're perfectly happy grazing on their side of the river; why would they cross? 

But if they can see that the grass is genuinely greener on the other side, they'll consider it. They're not thrilled about it, but they'll make the move if they see the perks. 

These are the people who will first say, "please don't give me one more thing to do." Or "I'm too busy, do I really have to do this?" 

These are the ones who your AI Enthusiasts can sit 1:1 with to discuss their hesitations and personally show them how it could apply to their day-to-day. This is where team leaders sharing their own AI use case examples and spending time in each meeting talking about how everyone used AI the past week can help nudge them along. 

How to engage the Doubters:

• Make the benefits visible. Show them exactly how the change will make things easier or better for them.
  
• Ease the transition. Give them some extra support or incentives to make the move feel less daunting and more appealing.

S - Skeptics (The Stick Cows)

Who they are: Vocal resisters who are deeply attached to existing methods and fear AI’s impact.

Brice called these the "stick cows" and said "at some point you have to stick their legs so they cross the river."

These are the ones who dig in their heels and outright resist the idea of moving. These folks have deep ties to the current way of doing things and aren't buying into change easily. 

But here's the interesting thing: these people care. They're fighting for a reason, and that reason is often rooted in a commitment to the company's values or a concern for what might be lost. So be careful not to dismiss them–the change antagonists. If they didn't care, they wouldn't fight. 

One example that comes to mind for this population is at my previous Fortune 500 global software company, when I was working with a writer in our marketing team who was very vocal in our global enablement sessions that AI was going to make us all sound the same. “It's too generic and won't sound like our brand, etc.” You've heard all of this—valid concerns. 

She was such a vocal detractor that we added her to the Marketing AI Council so she could get early access to Jasper and try it out. And the change that happened was incredible. Here's a real quote that was shared in our Slack channel: 

"Got my Jasper license. Watched the 101 video. Tried it out. MIND BLOWN! My first day in I completed a customer advocacy project that would normally take three days of continual work down to just 4 hours." 

Boom. 

She became one of our biggest advocates. Proving the point that if you can change their mind, they will immediately jump to group one, the bell-wearing Headliners. 

How to engage the Skeptics:

• Listen and learn. Don't dismiss their concerns. Often, they're the ones who can spot risks that need addressing. 
• Paint a clear picture. Show them why staying behind isn't an option and why change is crucial. If you can win them over, they often become your strongest advocates.

Rallying the Whole HERD(S)

Change management is having a renaissance. It's one of the biggest topics right now besides which LLM or which tool to use. Because change is hard. Habits are hard to break. 

And the change communication needs to be all the things: top down, bottoms up, and middle out. 

Think about who your change champions are and where your teams fit into these five populations. 

Understood who's leading, who's ready to follow, and who's going to need a little nudge. 

Whether you’re launching AI pilots, scaling adoption, or ensuring long-term change, the HERDS Framework ensures every group plays a role in making AI a success.

When you know how to work with each "cow" (behavior!) in your herd, you're not just moving people across a river–you're building momentum that'll hopefully carry your team through this transformation. 

Just keep in mind, even when you cross the river, it's still a journey.

Curious to get more insights on how companies are integrating AI across their organization and what to consider in the process? Watch this webinar, AI Workflows and the Future of Marketing, with Jasper's CMO, Loreal Lynch, and McKinsey's Eli Stein as they dive into key strategies for effective change management for enterprise companies.