SMK Intelligence Labs are live online sessions designed to help marketing and communications professionals understand the digital, platform and AI developments most likely to affect their work.

Each session brings together recent changes, emerging practices and practical examples, then explains what they mean for teams, campaigns, content and operations.

Intelligence Labs are not built around a single product announcement or isolated trend.

Each session connects developments across platforms, channels and tactics, helping participants understand the wider implications rather than simply listing what has changed.

The emphasis is on interpretation, practical application and what teams should focus on next.

Talk to us today about team access.

No.

Platform releases are covered where they matter, but the Labs also examine changing audience behaviour, emerging practices, market shifts, new operating models and the implications for strategy and execution.

The aim is to help teams understand the bigger picture, not simply track product announcements.

The programme rotates across four streams:

• Discovery & Visibility
• Content & Creative
• Paid Media & Performance
• AI & Workflow

The precise topics within each Lab change according to the developments having the greatest impact at the time.

No.

Each Lab has a primary stream, allowing the session to explore that area in greater depth.

Related developments from other streams may also be included where they affect the issue being discussed.

For example, a Paid Media & Performance Lab may examine how AI-generated search experiences are creating new advertising opportunities.

Each Lab is developed close to the delivery date so it can reflect recent developments.

Topics may be adjusted as platforms, tools and market conditions change, ensuring that each session remains timely and useful.

Discovery & Visibility examines how audiences find, encounter and evaluate organisations across search, social media, video, marketplaces and AI-generated answers.

Topics may include Google Search, AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, social search, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, SEO, generative engine optimisation, digital PR, reviews and authority signals.

Content & Creative examines changing formats, features, tactics and production practices across channels such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, websites, email and podcasts.

Topics may include short-form video, Reels, Stories, carousels, creator partnerships, user-generated content, newsletters, hooks, scripts, thumbnails, creative testing, repurposing and AI-supported production.

Paid Media & Performance examines changes across established advertising platforms and emerging AI-powered advertising environments.

Topics may include Meta Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads, YouTube, programmatic media, ChatGPT Ads, Perplexity advertising, advertising within Google’s AI experiences, Meta AI, automated bidding, Advantage+, Performance Max, creative automation, attribution and reporting.

AI & Workflow examines how AI can support everyday marketing and communications work.

Topics may include ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Claude, Jasper, Writer, Typeface, Synthesia, HeyGen, Descript, Runway, NotebookLM, Perplexity, Zapier, Make and n8n.

Sessions may also cover custom assistants, agents, research, planning, content development, reporting, automation, organisational knowledge and governance.

Intelligence Labs are designed for professionals working across:

• Marketing and digital strategy
• Communications and public affairs
• Content, social media and creative
• Advertising, media and campaign management
• Search, websites and digital experience
• Customer experience and engagement
• Analytics and measurement
• Digital capability and AI adoption

They are suitable for specialists who need detailed updates and leaders who need a broader view of how the environment is changing.

No.

Sessions are designed to make complex developments understandable and useful for marketing and communications professionals.

Technical concepts may be covered where relevant, but the emphasis is on practical implications, decision-making and application rather than deep technical instruction.

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Talk to us today about your needs

Yes.

The Labs are relevant to teams across government, education, not-for-profit, professional services and commercial organisations.

Examples and recommendations are framed so they can be applied across different sectors, operating environments and levels of digital maturity.

Yes.

Agency teams can use Intelligence Labs to keep pace with changes affecting strategy, content, media, creative, measurement and client advice.

The sessions can also help agency leaders understand where service models, workflows and client expectations are shifting.

Intelligence Labs sit between industry briefings and practical capability development.

They are more applied than general trends webinars, but they are not intended to replace deeper training, advisory or implementation support.

Teams requiring hands-on capability building can also access SMK courses, coaching, in-house training and advisory programmes.

Intelligence Labs run monthly, with the programme rotating across the four core streams.

Each session focuses on the developments that are most relevant and timely within that area.

Yes.

Sessions are delivered live online and include commentary, examples and opportunities for audience questions.

Intelligence Labs are generally around two hours long.

Check the individual session listing for confirmed dates, times and duration.

Intelligence Labs are curated and delivered by SMK Executive Director James Fitzgerald.

Each session draws on recent platform developments, industry research, market activity, brand examples and SMK’s work with marketing and communications teams.

Yes.

Live sessions include opportunities for audience questions, although the amount of time available may vary depending on the topic and number of participants.

Recordings are made available to eligible SMK+ members following each session.

Access to recordings is provided through the SMK+ learning platform.

Supporting resources may be provided depending on the topic and format of the session.

Materials may include presentation slides, links, examples, recommended tools or additional reading.

Yes.

Monthly Intelligence Labs are included with Standard, Premium and Elite SMK+ memberships.

All three plans also include unlimited online courses, free SMK Labs and personalised Member Clinics.

Premium adds two full days of in-person training annually, while Elite includes three full days of in-person training and an annual one-to-one Coaching Intensive.

Intelligence Labs are included as part of SMK+ rather than sold as a separate subscription.

Discounted pricing is available for teams and members who choose annual Standard billing.

Current prices and inclusions are available on the SMK+ pricing page.

Monthly billing is available for Standard memberships.

Premium and Elite memberships are available with annual billing only.

Yes.

SMK+ offers plans for individuals and teams, with discounted per-seat pricing as the number of members increases.

Each seat gives an individual team member access to the inclusions available under the selected plan.

Organisations requiring more than five seats can contact SMK to discuss a suitable team arrangement.

Standard is best suited to individuals and teams looking for ongoing Intelligence Labs, online capability development and personalised support.

Premium is designed for members who also want to attend SMK’s in-person training courses across Australia and New Zealand.

Elite is designed for professionals and teams seeking more intensive development through additional in-person training and dedicated one-to-one coaching.

SMK+ does not currently offer a free trial.

Memberships instead include a seven-day money-back guarantee, giving new members the opportunity to review the platform and available learning.

Prices shown on the SMK+ pricing page exclude GST.

Intelligence Labs are primarily provided as an SMK+ membership benefit.

Any standalone attendance options will be shown on the relevant event page when available.

Joining SMK+ provides ongoing access to the monthly Intelligence Labs programme alongside online courses, Member Clinics and other plan inclusions.

Team access depends on the number of seats included in your organisation’s SMK+ membership.

Each registered seat provides an individual team member with access to Intelligence Labs and the other benefits available under the selected membership level.

Yes.

SMK can tailor selected Intelligence Lab topics for private team briefings, leadership sessions, in-house training or broader capability programmes.

Private sessions can be shaped around an organisation’s sector, priorities, platforms and current level of capability.

Intelligence Labs help teams stay current and identify emerging priorities.

SMK’s courses, coaching, advisory, auditing, AI enablement and in-house programmes provide deeper support where teams need to build capability, review strategy, improve workflows or implement new approaches.

Review the session title and stream description to see which area best matches your role and priorities.

Professionals with broad responsibilities may benefit from attending across all four streams, as changes in discovery, content, advertising and AI increasingly overlap.