AI is here, so what?

Just in case you have missed it, Artificial Intelligence is the hot new rage. For many of us it still sounds a bit like science fiction, you know -Bicentennial Man style. But here I will explain some common and useful uses of AI for marketers.

AI & Machine Learning

First of all, let’s consider that the main purpose of AI for marketers is to make better marketing and business decisions such as “anticipate your customer’s next move and improve the customer journey.”

Secondly, the advancement of AI comes hand in hand with the exponential increments of data. The analysis of these amounts of data are impossible for a human to comprehend, so AI comes into play. Additionally, big data, specifically machine learning, needs to be fed copious amounts of data to be able to gather, pull and learn from these data sets through exposure and repetition. So, big data and machine learning go hand in hand as one needs the other to exist and function. It is only in big data that trends and target profiles begin to take shape through the use of machine learning. These insights help marketers better understand the market, their customers, their behaviours and how their business can better leverage these and more.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

AI can have many positive outcomes for humanity and for businesses alike, but as we continue to discover its uses and range, we will continue to also discover the good, the bad and the ugly of the application of this technology.

For marketing, the great capability of AI is evident: make sense of all the data sets we gather of our clients on a daily basis. As technology and the internet of things continue to grow and seamlessly intersect with our lives, brands and businesses have more and more data on their customers. Analyzing this data is no easy task, so AI is of great help.

Moreover, the insights we gather can help us deliver our marketing message to a willing customers when they need it, making our jobs more efficient and the customer’s journey more convenient. As long as the relationship is consensual and mutually beneficial, this symbiosis shouldn’t be vilified.

Bad manners in marketing are to force your message on customers. Customers should willingly accept to receive your messaging because it adds value and/or convenience in their lives. Additionally, if they decided to do so, they should be able to stop such contact easily and definitively.

The truly ugly is the Cambridge Analytica scandal — where a UK-based company leveraged big data into marketing messages that successfully skewed public perceptions and ultimately, manipulated democratic elections in various countries around the world. (If you haven’t or are unclear of the how, do yourself a favor and watch the Netflix documentary The Great Hack — eye-opening is an understatement.)

Data Is Not Perfect

Now, not all data is usable data. One of the hardest parts of using big data is data cleaning. Many data sets are dirty- meaning they include typos, mistakes, repeated data, fake data, etc. Step one is to ensure your data is clean and usable before implementing any type of data analysis on it. This is partly due to human error and to the abundance of bots, trolls, sockpuppets and overall fake interactions online.

Decision Making

Data is a great tool to add for better decision making, but it is not the panacea. We have to consider many other contextual information when making business decisions based on data. It is only with sufficient context and direction that data insights can be drawn and once implemented, be part of a growth driving strategy.

Decisions cannot be solely based on data, because data lacks context. Data can show many trends and highlight many paths for “success”, but all businesses operate within their unique context such as their own business goals, strengths, weaknesses, target customers, product or service. Therefore, use data to better understand the landscape but keep your focus and perspective on your customer and business.

-Diana