PHILADELPHIA, PA — As artificial intelligence races into nearly every corner of business, a Philadelphia-based marketing executive is making a contrarian bet: in 2026, the brands that win will be the ones that show up in person.
Ray Sheehan, founder of global experiential marketing agency Old City Media, is pushing back against the idea that automation can replace human connection, arguing that face-to-face engagement will matter more than ever as digital noise continues to overwhelm consumers.
“We view AI as a powerful aid, not a replacement for human interaction, and people shouldn’t be afraid of it,” Sheehan said. “When AI is positioned as a tool rather than a threat, adoption becomes much easier.”
Sheehan’s message comes as AI dominates corporate forecasts for 2026, with companies rushing to automate everything from advertising to customer service. But he said technology works best when it quietly strengthens what already drives sales: trust, relationships and consistent follow-up.
At Old City Media, AI runs behind the scenes, powering lead generation and automated drip campaigns designed to make sure no prospect is forgotten and every interaction leads somewhere. The technology tracks engagement, keeps messaging on brand and triggers follow-ups that improve conversion rates and return on investment for clients.
“If you’re investing time, energy and resources engaging consumers face-to-face, the back-end experience needs to match that same level of care,” Sheehan said. “AI allows us to close that gap and ensure that every interaction has a meaningful next step, but that step pales in comparison to the value of making a personal connection with the decision maker.”
Founded in 2017, Old City Media has already weathered a dramatic shift in how brands reach customers. The company began as a large-scale event business before pivoting during and after the pandemic toward smaller, performance-driven pop-up experiences inside high-traffic retail locations such as grocery and hardware stores.
Sheehan said that shift allowed brands to meet consumers where they already shop, creating more intimate, measurable interactions that translate directly into sales.
He believes community-based marketing will be one of the defining trends of 2026, as companies move away from mass digital advertising toward becoming part of the neighborhoods they serve.
“When brands become part of the community instead of just advertising to it, everything changes,” Sheehan said. “Authenticity isn’t claimed, it’s proven. We don’t drop into communities for a weekend and then disappear. We embed brands into the fabric of the neighborhoods they serve.”
Old City Media deploys trained brand ambassadors directly onto store floors, where conversations can happen naturally between customers and the brands being promoted. The goal, Sheehan said, is not chasing impressions but building relationships that drive long-term loyalty and measurable growth.
Retail partnerships sit at the center of that strategy. Sheehan calls local retailers the “original influencers,” noting that brands instantly gain credibility when they appear alongside stores that have been trusted for decades. His company works with retailers such as Ace Hardware and supports national brands including Walmart, Renewal by Andersen, NRG, T-Mobile, ShopRite, Grocery Outlet, Cinemark, Menards and HEB.
In an economy increasingly driven by algorithms, Sheehan says the brands that thrive will be those that remember something simple.
“Digital creates awareness, but face-to-face creates trust,” he said. “You can’t scroll past a real human.”
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