The AI Industrial Revolution: Your Marketing Job Isn't Safe (But You Knew That, Didn't You?)

Written by Martin O'Leary, with scientific insights from Riccardo Vocca, author of "The Intelligent Friend" newsletter and Marketing Research Assistant.

Imagine waking up one morning to find that a machine can do your job better than you. Scary, right?

Yet, this is the reality many marketers face today as AI technologies like ChatGPT and DALL-E reshape the industry.

Source

This isn't the first time workers have feared machines—remember the Luddites? They revolted against the machines threatening their jobs in the early 1800s.

Today, we stand at a similar crossroads.

But unlike the Luddites, we have the opportunity to adapt.

This Week:

• The AI Marketing Revolution

• Adapting to the AI Uprising

• Lean into Human-Centric Skills

• Storytelling and Creativity

• Ethical Judgment and Brand Values

• Navigating the Ethical Minefield

• Scientific Insights from Riccardo Vocca (New)

• Final Thoughts

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The AI Marketing Revolution

AI isn't just automating tasks; it's reinventing possibilities.

Imagine creating a marketing campaign in minutes instead of weeks, or delivering personalised experiences that leave customers awestruck. While we haven't fully realised this potential, the possibilities are within reach.

I used to spend hours upon hours writing marketing emails and designing ads. Now, AI tools whip those out in no time, leaving me free to brainstorm new strategies and let my creative juices flow.

But don't panic just yet.

Unlike the Luddites, us marketers have a fighting chance. By embracing AI, we can unlock new levels of creativity, efficiency, and customer engagement.

But first, you need to understand the forces at play.

Adapting to the AI Uprising

We need to see AI as a powerful ally rather than a threat. 

It’s important to prioritise improving data literacy, developing proficiency in AI tools, learn storytelling, even learning some Python scripting and providing creative leadership are crucial steps to staying relevant in marketing.

For instance, platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning offer courses on data analytics and AI applications in marketing. Company’s like HubSpot have AI tools that analyse vast amounts of customer interaction data, providing insights that drive personalised marketing efforts.

By becoming proficient in these tools and skills, us marketers can create highly targeted campaigns, increasing conversion rates and customer satisfaction. And most importantly — stay relevant!

Lean into Human-Centric Skills

Here’s how to stay ahead by focusing on what AI can’t do:

Emotional Intelligence and Empathy

AI can process data, but it can't feel. Use your emotional intelligence to connect with your audience on a deeper level.

Example: Dove's Real Beauty campaign thrived on understanding women's genuine feelings about beauty—something AI just can't grasp (yet).

Storytelling and Creativity

AI can spit out content, but true storytelling is a human art. Create narratives that captivate and resonate.

Example: Nike's "Just Do It" campaign isn't just a slogan; it's a collection of inspiring stories about overcoming adversity, powered by human creativity.

Ethical Judgment and Brand Values

AI can suggest strategies, but staying true to your brand's values is a human responsibility. Keep your AI-driven campaigns ethical and on-brand.

Example: Patagonia's commitment to environmental causes, like donating Black Friday sales, reflects ethical decisions that deeply resonate with their audience.

Navigating the Ethical Minefield

AI’s ability to analyse data and deliver personalised marketing at scale raises important ethical questions. 

Transparency and consumer control over their data are your tickets to building trust and brand loyalty. 

Just look at Apple’s emphasis on privacy—it’s a solid blueprint for balancing valuable insights with user anonymity.

Scientific Insights from Riccardo Vocca

My post collaborator, Riccardo Vocca, a Marketing Research Assistant from the University of X, provides a more scientific and academic take on the future of AI in marketing.

Riccardo: There are several ongoing discussions and research on the topic of AI in marketing and its applications. This is because, as Martin highlighted from a more purely managerial point of view, the impact is enormously vast and even finding a specific focus is not easy.

This is why, to try to systematise the discussion, I started from a 2023 paper called “Generative artificial intelligence in marketing: Applications, opportunities, challenges, and research agenda“ that tried to summarise the main applications and the current state of Generative AI (and not AI in general) in marketing.

This is because I believe that the use of tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and so on is now spreading exponentially in marketing functions, and I would like to provide useful insights to those who can use them every day.

Since this issue was born with the idea of ​​being effective and straight to the point, I will not dwell on the methodological or conceptual aspects as I sometimes do on my newsletter, The Intelligent Friend, in which I talk about the relational, social and psychological aspects of AI, through scientific papers, I will start from some data and then we will move on to applicable ideas deriving from the paper.

First, the authors report that as of March 2023, 73% of U.S. organisations had used GAI tools, including chatbots, in marketing activities.

Furthermore, another survey of chief data and AI officers found that 32% of organisations are prioritising marketing and sales applications of GAI, and 44% are prioritising customer operations use cases, including chatbots. Therefore, the relevance of generative AI tools for this function is imminent and of enormous impact.

At this point let's see how - according to scholars - different areas of interest should be considered:

1. Enhanced Customer Experience and Engagement:

Utilisation of digital technologies, including GAI, helps organisations deliver personalised, timely, and relevant communications via chosen platforms, thus enhancing customer experience. A better customer experience drives engagement with products and brands, positively impacting customer loyalty and firm performance. Preliminary evidence indicates that GAI has a more powerful impact than previous generations of digital technologies on marketing processes and outcomes. This is primarily due to GAI's ability to generate human-like and easily customised text, images, and videos, offering marketing professionals powerful tools for optimising content creation processes.

2. Productivity and Personalisation:

Marketers view GAI as a major productivity booster. In a survey by the Conference Board, more than 82% of respondents expected that productivity would improve with the further adoption of GAI, compared to just 4% who expected productivity to decline. GAI's benefits extend beyond cost-cutting or time-saving; it enables brands to deliver truly personalised experiences. GAI offers dynamic messaging capabilities, leveraging personalisation to send the right message at the right time to customers based on detailed data. This includes relevant real-time imagery, customised text, and predictive recommendations, helping to scale personalisation across key moments cost-effectively.

3. Different Applications and Tools:

Various GAI tools facilitate marketing activities, from foundational models like GPT-4 and DALL-E2 to specialised marketing tools like Jasper.ai and Copy.ai. For example, GPT-4's enhanced language generation capabilities allow marketers to create higher-quality, more engaging content. These tools also support generating realistic visuals and artworks based on text-to-image prompts, expanding the scope of creative marketing content.

Finally - and this is one of the most interesting aspects of the paper in my opinion - possible barriers to adoption are also identified:

• Cost: High subscription costs for advanced features can be prohibitive, especially for SMEs.

• Data Security and Privacy: Concerns about the security of customer data and privacy issues limit the use of GAI.

• Trust Issues: Consumers' concerns about data protection measures affect their willingness to engage with AI-driven marketing.

• Perceived Risks: Transitioning to GAI involves learning new skills and adapting corporate culture, which can be challenging for businesses.

• Job Loss Concerns: The potential for GAI to lead to job losses in marketing departments creates resistance among employees.

This part of the post is a little different from my usual issues, but I wanted to make the results of the paper as immediate and applicable as possible, to make the insights useful and valuable for those interested in marketing, AI applications or simply to stay updated on these topics.

Final Thoughts

The Luddites didn't win their battle against the machines, and progress didn't stop for them.

Riccardo Vocca's insights show that Generative AI (GAI) is transforming marketing by enhancing customer experiences with personalised, timely, and relevant communications. GAI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can create human-like text, images, and videos, making content creation more efficient and engaging. This boosts productivity and allows for highly personalised marketing at scale, driving customer loyalty and business performance.

However, adopting GAI comes with challenges such as high costs, data privacy concerns, trust issues, the need for new skills, and fears of job losses. Despite these obstacles, the growing use of GAI tools underscores their importance in marketing.

The key takeaway is that while GAI offers significant benefits, businesses must address these challenges to fully leverage its potential in improving marketing strategies and outcomes.

Similarly, marketers sticking to old-school methods will soon be as relevant as print ads in the age of TikTok. AI is the new electricity—embrace it and shape the future, or resist and get left behind.

Adaptation isn't just smart; it's essential to avoid becoming obsolete in the digital age.

Be the marketer who evolves, not the Luddite who revolts.

What Do You Think?

Share your experiences and insights in the comments below. For more AI insights, subscribe to Riccardo Vocca's newsletter, "The Intelligent Friend" where we explore the psychological, social, and relational aspects of AI. Join our community of readers, professionals, and academics as we delve into these fascinating topics every week.