Hey Siri, Will Data-Driven AI Take Over Marketing?
Big data analytics is the secret ingredient of marketing activities. It is not so much the data itself, but more about the insights derived from big data that can make decisions and actions we take as marketers worthwhile. But if big data is the secret ingredient, then artificial intelligence (AI) is the icing on the cake. The future of marketing lies in AI, but AI in a sense, is useless without data. Thus, the opportunity of merging big data analytics with AI is really where the marketing industry can thrive.
How AI and big data can work together?
The internet continually shares information which creates a snowball effect of data. AI can use this data to analyze every action of the consumer. It can predict customers’ next moves and enhances the customer’s journey. The combination of big data and AI enables us to build a clearer picture of our target audiences. Both aspects allow us to dig deep into the wants and needs of consumers and those insights will be the core aspect of marketing strategies. Therefore, we can provide consumers with a personalized message based on what AI anticipates. The algorithms can even go so far as to predict consumers’ future behaviors. We can also determine what content works and what doesn’t for the target audience during every step of the buying process. This knowledge can then be used to develop more relevant and personalized content in the future to reach consumers’ wants and needs. The list goes on and on. AI and big data can help us get ahead of the game and the opportunities in the marketing industry are endless.
How do consumers feel about data-driven AI?
Science Fiction movies have made us all think that someday AI will take over the world and destroy society. Luckily that is just a fantasy, but AI has already infiltrated our daily lives, and we don’t even realize it. Think about Siri or even Alexa. We use them regularly and quite honestly, they seem to help us in our daily activities rather than plotting an AI revolution against humanity. Most consumers have made the shift to accept AI. We quite like the idea of saving time by chatting online with a chatbot to answer our questions about products. The only limitation of AI is that it cannot duplicate a human being. The consumer wants the best of both worlds and prefers a mix of human and robot interactions. We want to save time but when things get complicated, we want to speak to a human being who will better understand our feelings and situations. This is especially true in online customer service. I personally would rather call and talk to a person about a problem I might have than struggle with a chatbot to get my point across. The truth is, AI can function on its own, but it should be monitored, and when consumers need human interaction, they should have the option to do so.
The future of the data-driven AI marketing industry.
Today’s consumers have certain expectations and they want brands to know what they want before they even want it. Data-driven AI is the only way for companies to keep up with the ever-growing customer demands and expectations. The future in AI marketing will not be automation but all about personalization. We love receiving a personalized e-mail saying, “Hi Elizma we have some recommendations based on your searches.” Unfortunately, marketers today still play by the old rules. We use big data and AI to make our jobs easier with atomization and it also takes the guesswork out of marketing. The industry will shift and marketers will apply data-driven AI towards nurturing customer decision making and overall brand relationships. The shift will transform the way we do business. AI will assist future CMO’s in creating a corporate culture that will be customer-centric, and help optimize marketing goals such as personalization and understanding customer behavior in order to make more accurate predictive decisions. In a nutshell, big data and AI will help companies reduce costs, optimize budgets, make tasks streamlined, reduce time by automating sales processes, and personalize the customer experience across the entire purchasing cycle.
Will AI dominate and leave the marketer out of the equation?
Just because big data provides deep insights and AI helps predict what consumers think doesn’t mean our job as marketers will become irrelevant. I believe that AI in marketing is only as good as the human behind it. AI cannot perform magic and automate the creation of marketing plans. Creativity remains a vital component of a successful marketing campaign. Our critical thinking is unique to us as a marketer and AI will never be able to duplicate that. We can develop creative strategies that bring emotion to a brand. AI cannot deliver the human touch to the digital world, but place the human behind the data-driven AI and your brand will have a force to be reckoned with. We can determine how and where to apply AI-driven tactics to help companies gain consumer lifetime value. Hence, no AI can replace what we bring to the table.
