How will AI reshape marketing and advertising?

AI is probably the hottest topic in business right now.  

The core technology is far from new, but the launch of ChatGPT kickstarted a fresh frenzy around AI’s implications for our professional and personal lives.  

Marketing is no exception.  

In fact, marketing might be the category of work most impacted by AI. So, with what we know about AI's potential, how do we even begin to think about the future of marketing? 

How will AI reshape marketing? 

Each week, we break down another marketing strategy so you can skip the hype and get directly to what works. 

We’ve written before about the potential of AI for everything from content creation to search marketing, so in this issue, we’re breaking down what marketers should be doing right now to prepare for an AI-driven future. 

AI has played a role in marketing since the early 2010s. But until recently, general application of this technology was limited. 

Then everything changed. 

2022 brought an explosion of tech based in generative AI. Tools like DALL·E 2, Stable Diffusion, and Lensa AI attracted buzz. Then, on November 30, 2022, Open AI released ChatGPT, reaching one million users in just five days. 

With this launch came countless new AI use cases for marketing and business leaders. The possibilities are exciting, but also overwhelming. It’s tough to know where to even begin. 

Which is why the Marketing AI Institute recommends starting to think about AI’s potential for just five areas of your work. 

1. Planning: How can you use AI to build intelligent campaign strategies? 
2. Production: How can AI support the development of content, whether that’s written or video content? 
3. Personalization: How can AI power customized, relevant consumer experiences? 
4. Promotion: How can AI simplify the complexity of cross-channel and cross-device promotion management? 
5. Performance: How can AI turn raw data into actionable intelligence? 

But even as you approach these five categories, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, we have yet to reach the “golden age” of AI. AI in six months will look dramatically more advanced than it does today. So even if something isn’t possible now, it’s worth thinking about how you would approach it if it were possible.  

Second, don’t be afraid to have fun with it! Everyone is equally new to figuring out how to apply AI’s new abilities. You aren’t behind. But you will be if you don’t begin exploring the technology’s potential now. 

Key Takeaway: There’s a lot to learn about AI and its potential for marketers. Start by breaking down use cases into categories then giving yourself the freedom to experiment with what the technology can do. 

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