The Rise of AI in Marketing: Why Now and What's Next

My participation at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as a panelist , and the lively?discussion on AI and how it’s Reshaping Media Agencies, led me to reflect on my journey as an “early millennial" and the opportunity I’ve had to witness the steady transition from an “analog” world to a more “digital” one, going from records to cassettes, to CDs, to Napster, to iPods, to modern streaming services.

This piece was created out of my anticipation around hearing what the international community in Cannes had to say about this shift and these experiences from before the modern “digital” age, which have personally helped me appreciate how things gradually change over time. I often find in my career that certain products or services give me a gut reaction that make me aware that this “moment” is significant and/or on its way to mass adoption. And so I have learned that to maintain a competitive edge in my industry, I must adapt, understand, and learn to leverage them effectively. It’s with that same “urgency” that AI is upending our marketing profession, so we need to quickly learn and adapt to succeed in our careers and for our clients.

AI has had an interesting transition of its own: it has been around in some form or another for many years, but programmatic buying brought it to the forefront for marketers. It has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past decade thanks to a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, including big data, cloud computing, natural language processing, and deep learning. We saw a lot of simple customer service chatbots and the rise of AI models like RankBrain, Amazon Echo, and Google Home, along with a few more experimental uses . AI adoption amongst marketers has been rapidly picking up. There were several reasons for this: for one, the emergence of ChatGPT and other generative AI partnerships in 2022 and 2023 dramatically expanded the potential use cases for AI, enabling everything from content generation to decision-making optimization. These tools are also cheaper and more easily accessible than previous AI-powered solutions, meaning that even smaller businesses could afford to invest in AI. Additionally, with the depreciation of third-party cookies, marketers are turning to AI and machine learning to help with data optimization and audience segmentation .?

We’re already starting to see several meaningful use cases for AI in marketing:

1. There’s been a lot of talk about AI-generated content, but perhaps the most notable use case for AI is for it to serve as a "collaborative co-pilot" for creatives that can provide support and insight like a team member rather than as a mere tool .?
2. Marketing professionals can also gain a deeper understanding of their customers through AI-powered tools, which can analyze and identify trends, predict future demands, and tailor messaging for specific customer segments .?
3. AI is also great for automating execution tasks across various marketing functions, allowing marketers to focus on more creative and engaging tasks.?

Most importantly, embracing AI isn’t just about the technology itself: you must also embrace the right strategic mindset. Adaptability and flexibility are everything. Marketers must be ready to upskill and embrace new team dynamics, since with AI, many existing roles are subject to change. Cross-functional teams with diverse skill sets will be a must, as traditional boundaries become less meaningful due to the tech’s considerable reach. Above all else though, marketers must be ready to take the hype surrounding AI with a grain of salt, testing out what the tech is capable of and determining what is most useful.?

As with most major technological breakthroughs, the rise of AI presents incredible opportunities for marketing professionals, but it also comes with potential pitfalls. On the plus side, AI has already shown demonstrable benefits to marketing processes and unlocking hidden customer insights. According to The 2023 Sprout Social Index , “81% of the 900 marketers surveyed say AI has already had a positive impact on their work. Seventy-eight percent feel AI has benefited them in creative areas like content ideation, and another 73% report a positive impact on productivity.” With the help of AI-powered tools, teams can collaborate better and get tasks done faster. There’s also a growing interest in AI among Gen Z and Millennials, which can help to attract new talent into the industry over time. In fact, according to Fast Company and a recent study from Deloitte , “about a quarter of Gen Z and millennials use generative AI (gen AI) at work frequently or all of the time… However, the same group is more likely to believe that gen AI will lead to job loss.” To add to these reservations about job displacement , issues like data integrity, privacy concerns, and various ethical considerations must be addressed.

At the federal level, governments around the world are responding to the AI craze with reticence and regulations. The White House has issued new rules for federal agencies, requiring each agency to select a chief artificial intelligence officer and mandating that they set up AI safeguards, including “assessing, testing and monitoring the impacts of the AI technology,” by December 1st of this year. The EU, on the other hand, has implemented an AI Act which, per Reuters, “imposes strict transparency obligations on high-risk AI systems... It restricts governments' use of real-time biometric surveillance in public spaces to cases of certain crimes, prevention of terrorist attacks and searches for people suspected of the most serious crimes.” Though the US’ and the EU’s AI regulations pale in comparison to China’s, which Forbes highlights as being primarily focused around “state control and economic dynamism,” stating that their recent AI laws include rhetoric around “adherence to the values of socialism and the prohibition of generating incitement against the State.” Nonetheless, governments across the world are navigating future-facing planning around AI while considering the best interests of their people.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about what the future holds, but it’s increasingly obvious that AI will play an important role, with 90% of commercial leaders saying that they expect to utilize GenAI solutions “often” over the next two years . The message is loud and clear: AI isn’t going anywhere, so we need to prepare ourselves. From a niche technology to a powerful and transformative tool, marketers must be mindful of how they can use the technology to their advantage now while being ready for the changes that have yet to come.