You recently spoke at Websummit Vancouver 2026 about “We can automate, but should we?”Where do you think small businesses in Canada should draw the line between AI automation and the human touch in customer relationships?
Shane Franklin: While AI usage has exploded, consumers are not moving away from human connection – they are craving it more than ever. Many owners worry that using AI will make them seem robotic or hurt their customer relationships.
However, our data reveals that consumers are comfortable with AI, provided it’s used to handle the ‘boring stuff’ – answering FAQs, tracking orders, or analyzing data – which frees up the business owner to focus entirely on the high-value, human-centric parts of their work.
By automating the operational heavy lifting, you gain the time to invest back into the personal storytelling and community building that make ‘shopping small’ unique.
Many Canadian small businesses are still navigating economic uncertainty and rising costs. What are the biggest concerns you’re hearing from entrepreneurs right now, and how is AI helping them stay competitive without adding complexity? What are the biggest concerns you’re hearing from entrepreneurs right now, and how is AI helping them stay competitive without adding complexity?
Shane Franklin: It’s a great time to ask this because we’ve just released our latest small business marketing statistics where we surveyed a number of small businesses and consumers across Canada.
What we’re hearing is that Canadian entrepreneurs are most concerned about acquiring new customers right now. They are planning to learn new marketing strategies or tools this year in order to overcome the challenges they’re facing. We’re seeing that Canadian entrepreneurs are more cautious adopters of AI—they are using it selectively and verifying its recommendations before acting.
When small businesses in Canada do utilize AI, they are using it to help write emails, subject lines, or social media posts. And what we’re hearing from those same entrepreneurs is that the areas of their marketing that have seen a significant impact by AI or automation are time saving and working more efficiently, saving money and stretching their budgets further, and making fewer errors.
Constant Contact works with a large network of SMBs globally. How important is the Canadian market for the company today, approximately how many SMBs do you work with in Canada, and what trends are you seeing among Canadian businesses when it comes to AI adoption? How important is the Canadian market for the company today, approximately how many SMBs do you work with in Canada, and what trends are you seeing among Canadian businesses when it comes to AI adoption?
Shane Franklin: It’s incredibly important. Small businesses in Canada are utilizing AI to help their customers receive content, products, or services more tailored to their specific needs.
They are also using it to help customers get what they need faster, but they are concerned that their customers will feel a loss of the personal touch or brand intimacy they are used to. Small businesses are also concerned about the rising expectations from consumers to have more sophisticated service than they did previously.
Constant Contact works closely with small businesses and creators every day. What are some surprising ways Canadian consumers’ expectations have changed in the AI era, especially around marketing, trust, and personalization? What are some surprising ways Canadian consumers’ expectations have changed in the AI era, especially around marketing, trust, and personalization?
Shane Franklin: Canadian consumers are feeling somewhat positive about the impact of AI on their shopping experiences on small businesses, but there’s still a group of consumers who still feel generally uncomfortable with AI use in any business setting. There’s a mixture of feelings about small businesses using AI — some consumers are feeling curious and hopeful, while others remain skeptical.
There’s a lot of excitement around generative AI, but also growing concern around accountability and misinformation. As CTO, how do you approach building AI tools that are both useful and trustworthy for small businesses? As CTO, how do you approach building AI tools that are both useful and trustworthy for small businesses?
Shane Franklin: The best technology disappears. AI should take the load off without taking the warmth out, and always sound like you, not a template pretending to be you.
But the owner has to stay in the loop, because their voice is their brand. Trust, for a small business, isn’t about whether the model is accurate. It’s about whether they still feel like they own their business when they use it.
Looking ahead to the next 12 months, what do you think will separate the small businesses that successfully adopt AI from those that struggle to keep up?
Shane Franklin: Consistency. Every missed follow-up, every unsent email, every campaign that never went out. It doesn’t feels dramatic at the moment, but all of it erodes revenue and trust over time.
See the latest round of small business marketing statistics here | what’s new in Constant Contact here
