I recently attended the Marketing Association’s Brainy Breakfast on the topic of AI. This article is a case in point that currently the use of AI in marketing will only get you so far…AI is not able to create a draft article based on the specific discussion highlights from the session because it relies on source data…and as far as I know, the presentations have not been uploaded anywhere it can grab them! However, I can use AI to illustrate how different the information is from AI speculating on what was presented and my own interpretation of how this speculation compares with the viewpoints discussed at the Brainy Breakfast. As you will see – if you had only read the ChatGPT version, you would have missed some important insights!

With ChatGPT at the ready, here is the prompt given which resulted in the ten key points below (a nice framework for my article – thanks ChatGPT!): Summarise the main speaking points about the impact of AI on the marketing industry from a number of speakers at a seminar about how AI is being used in marketing and what its potential is for the future.

1. Personalization and Customer Experience

Chat GPT says: AI enables advanced personalization in marketing campaigns and AI-driven algorithms analyse customer data to deliver tailored content and recommendations, enhancing overall customer experience.

Real marketers say: where AI has been used for these things in some marketing teams, it has allowed them to focus their time more on strategy and doing their jobs better.

2. Data Analytics and Insights

Chat GPT says: AI has the ability to process vast amounts of data quickly and AI tools provide actionable insights, helping marketers make informed decisions and refine their strategies based on real-time data.

Real marketers say: bespoke AI systems are being built to gather data from various sources and keep it secure and private – acknowledging that there are issues around feeding information into a platform that isn’t locked down. Spark for instance has invested heavily in creating ‘Brain’, a decision engine powered by AI for more personalised customer experiences.

3. Automation of Repetitive Tasks

Chat GPT says: AI Automation is a major benefit, allowing marketers to streamline routine tasks – improving efficiency, reducing manual workload, and enabling marketing teams to focus on more strategic and creative aspects of their work.
Real marketers say: Whilst the latter point rang true with more focus on strategy, the benefits experienced from using AI were surprising. No one mentioned being able to reduce the size of their marketing team because of the efficiency, instead they emphasised how much AI had helped them improve the marketing they do and how it had relieved some of the friction and stress in the teams. For example, being able to use generative AI tools to create conceptional images to brief designers helped manage expectations better and reduce the number of difficult conversations and rounds of amends when there were differences in opinion.

4. Predictive Analytics for Campaign Success

Chat GPT says: AI models can forecast campaign outcomes, helping marketers allocate resources effectively and optimize their strategies for better results.
Real marketers say: Whilst the use of AI for predictive analytics to improve campaign outcomes sounds like a positive and likely benefit, unfortunately, this wasn’t touched on by speakers. Perhaps that is a reflection of how many businesses don’t put enough emphasis on measuring and reporting marketing performance or just the nature of the marketing work that the event speakers are involved with (i.e. less easily measured). 

There was however plenty of discussion on using generative AI to create still and moving images and how helpful that is for ideation and getting everyone onboard with creative concepts before the expense of photo shoots and other implementation tasks. The risk of stereotyping (racial, gender etc.) through AI pulling from existing references for imagery was also highlighted. For example, one speaker commented that it was predictable what image AI would come up with for "a person cleaning a hotel room in the USA".

5. Chatbots and Conversational Marketing

Chat GPT says: Using AI-powered chatbots to enhance customer interactions is a key marketing strategy to provide instant and personalized communication.

Real marketers say: One speaker commented on how easy it is now for anyone to create their own chatbot and that these would become more common and likely evolve to become more human-like interactions. The possibility of using these bots to adapt their responses according to signals in customers' speech to help pacify any annoyed or angry customers was also mentioned.

6. Ethical Considerations and Privacy

Chat GPT says: Ethical implications of AI in marketing are of great concern to marketers, including considerations around responsible use of data, privacy concerns, and the importance of maintaining transparency in AI-driven marketing practices.

Real marketers say: Marketers agree that some businesses may be slower to adopt the use of AI until they can find solutions to keep data local – within wherever their own data is housed. There is a general awareness that anything fed into AI platforms is then available for other users to see and similarly, anything created by AI doesn’t give copyright along with it…so businesses looking for unique assets and protected intellectual property will need to be careful with how it uses AI. 

Everyone agrees that even as a tool to start the creative process (e.g. content ideas, research) or complete it (e.g. proofreading), it does take some of the grunt work out of marketing, making it more enjoyable. ‘Collaboration’ is probably the word that best sums this up. Or like one speaker reminded everyone “AI will not replace humans, however, humans not using AI will be replaced”. Another speaker commented on it being just like an electric bike…you still have to pedal it. Its job is to make us better at what we do, not lazier!

7. Emerging Technologies and Innovation:

Chat GPT says: there is an evolving landscape of AI in marketing, including emerging technologies like computer vision and voice recognition and it’s important to stay abreast of these advancements if marketers want to remain competitive.

Real marketers say: AI is here to stay and the sooner you jump in to use it, the better. One speaker commented on how he had to change his speech twice in a couple of weeks leading up to the breakfast presentation because things have evolved so quickly within the world of AI. He also commented that he’d invested millions in evolving his business so that it remained better positioned to harness the power of AI for competitive advantage. A challenging task in such a rapidly advancing field! This YouTube channel was shared as a useful way of staying updated on the topic. There is a vast range of AI tools and new releases give increased scope for coding and customising your own AI. The speakers predicted AI would likely replace search engines (no wonder Microsoft has such a stake in OpenAi!) and soon everyone would use AI as a personal assistant.

8. AI in Content Creation

Chat GPT says: AI tools can assist in generating high-quality, relevant content at scale, contributing to more effective marketing campaigns.

Real marketers say: Examples of how AI had been used by a creative who develops advertising for Samsung were shared and they spoke about how AI generated imagery was blended with real human photography to create the ideal balance. Speakers commented about the strange visual effects and body distortion that can happen with AI tools. It appears that often these tools are used initially to refine creative concepts before real-life photo shoots are orchestrated to reproduce images based on the AI generated imagery. A speaker commented on how their client had asked if they could swap out the talents faces using AI in future marketing campaigns to save them having to pay for new talent…this is the type of ethical question that will inevitably crop up with the use of AI.

9. Adaptability and Skill Development

Chat GPT says: The changing landscape of AI necessitates ongoing learning and collaboration between marketing professionals and AI specialists.

Real marketers say: As mentioned earlier, the fact this is a rapidly evolving topic was clearly communicated to the audience, but the overarching message was ‘embrace or get left behind’. In response to an audience query about who should be leading the charge in the use of AI within a organisation, the answer was unanimously agreed upon by all speakers as “it is foundational, and it should be an AI-centric culture from the top down.”

10. Future Trends and Predictions

Chat GPT says: Speculations on the continued evolution of AI in marketing include increased integration of AI across marketing channels, enhanced personalisation, and the rise of AI-driven creativity.

Real marketers say: The speakers and audience alike appeared to be fuelled with excitement and energy about being part of such transformation in the industry. Although it is difficult to predict how AI is going to shape marketing in future, the initial signs show that rather than being something to fear because it will take our jobs away, AI is going to make your work more interesting by removing mundane tasks, more enjoyable and effective so that you can feel like you have levelled up by producing more powerful marketing.

One thing ChatGPT and I are in complete alignment about is our summary – I echo its concluding remark below and look forward to seeing how things play out as I jump in with both feet, learning and evolving alongside my marketing peers…

The transformative impact of AI on various facets of the marketing industry is undeniable, providing both challenges and opportunities for professionals in the field.