AI Isn't Enough: How Skyscanner Scales Marketing Localization Across 40 Languages

How do you scale localization with AI without losing the human touch that makes marketing actually work?
In this episode, Nicola Calabrese sits down with Antonella Alterio, Senior Localization Manager at Skyscanner, to unpack how a 40-language travel platform balances speed, quality, and cultural nuance across markets.
Antonella shares how Skyscanner uses AI for high-volume SEO content, why marketing campaigns still need humans in the driver's seat, and the "cappuccino in the evening" moment that explains why cultural context can't be automated.
What you'll learn:
✈️ How Skyscanner decides which markets get marketing investment
🤖 Where AI earns its place in the localization workflow (and where it doesn't)
🌍 The risk of "AI slop" and cultural flattening in creative content
🛠️ How to build an AI localization engine that actually sounds like your brand
🔍 What AI search means for SEO across 40 languages
💡 One thing every marketing manager can do this quarter, even without a localization team
Whether you run localization in-house or work with external partners, this episode is full of practical insights on making AI and humans work together intentionally.
🔗 Connect with Antonella on LinkedIn and follow Skyscanner Experience on Medium for more.