Your Guide to AI in Marketing

AI is ushering in a profound transformation in both the media and creative sectors. The rapid influx of new tools can be overwhelming, but the real challenge lies in discovering solutions that authentically amplify the efforts of creative and media teams. In our conversations at Hylink, a series of pertinent questions have arisen: Does AI fulfill all the requisites of the marketing and creative realms? Where does AI tangibly enhance processes and productivity in practical scenarios? How do we navigate the ethical intricacies of content ownership? How can we strike the right equilibrium between productivity enhancement and data security? Furthermore, a looming apprehension prevails: Could AI eventually displace human jobs?”

In today’s swiftly evolving landscape, the discussion about AI persists. To answer these questions, we explore industry insights and our own firsthand perspectives. The integration of AI into business and work represents an investment spanning the entire value chain for marketing professionals. This ranges from targeted market selection and improved campaign planning, development, and execution to enhanced data analysis, website development solutions, and beyond. Beyond the realm of marketing, there’s also a focus on how businesses enhance day-to-day productivity and streamline routine tasks to yield optimal outcomes for their own processes.

Understanding AI: Delving into the Basics

AI encompasses a machine’s capacity to execute cognitive functions commonly associated with human minds. The term “AI” pertains to the current stage of this generative technology, which is constrained to performing specific tasks and does not possess autonomous learning capabilities. In this realm, there are three categories that you must understand.

Narrow AI (NAI) is specialized for specific tasks and operates within predefined parameters. Prominent examples of narrow AI include voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. On the other hand, Machine Learning (ML) pertains to algorithms that refine their performance over time by learning from data without requiring explicit programming. Illustrative instances of Machine Learning encompass image and speech recognition. As for Generative AI (GenAI), it comes closest to Full Artificial Intelligence, albeit with certain restrictions. While it can create original content based on learned examples, it has yet to achieve complete autonomy. Examples include DALL-E, MidJourney, and ChatGPT.

Real-life Examples in Marketing

“In the microcosm of marketing, you cannot have a productivity decline. By incorporating AI into marketing strategies, businesses can streamline operations, increase efficiency. The end goal is to enhance customer experience and deliver the best work we can possibly accomplish.” —Humphrey Ho, Managing Partner, Hylink Group Americas

AI is reshaping business approaches to customer segmentation and content creation and revolutionizing advertising campaigns by harnessing data analysis for data-driven decisions. This transformative power of AI is not only altering marketing strategies but also delivering personalized customer experiences with profound impact. By incorporating AI into marketing strategies, businesses can streamline operations, increase efficiency, and enhance customer experiences.

Amazon uses AI-powered recommendation systems to suggest products to users based on their browsing and purchase history. 

Netflix employs AI algorithms to analyze user viewing habits and preferences. This data is used to recommend TV shows and movies, enhancing user engagement and retention.

Sephora’s app incorporates AI to enable customers to virtually try on makeup products using augmented reality. 

Airbnb uses AI algorithms to adjust prices based on demand, seasonality, and market trends.

Everyday Use Cases

At Hylink, AI isn’t just a concept – it’s an integral part of our daily operations that has ushered in a new era of performance. The impact has been nothing short of remarkable, revolutionizing how our teams function and driving a significant surge in overall productivity.

Our success story is powered by a suite of cutting-edge AI tools that have become our favorites: 

Creative Team: With Midjourney, our creative minds wield a transformative tool that redefines asset procurement. Through prompts, we guide Midjourney to source background images and videos, enabling our team to manifest their artistic visions seamlessly.

Web Development: GitHub Copilot has become the guiding hand for our developers, seamlessly translating natural language prompts into code suggestions spanning a multitude of languages. This symbiotic partnership between humans and AI elevates our coding endeavors to new heights of efficiency and innovation.

Media Team: Bard, an indispensable tool for our media team, empowers us to delve into the intricate fabric of user behavior across campaigns. With Bard as our analytical companion, we unearth insights that steer our strategies toward uncharted avenues of success.

By The Numbers

Automation through AI-powered tools allows marketers to generate social media posts, blog articles, product descriptions, email newsletters, and more. saving valuable time and resources. 

According to a report by McKinsey & Co., current generative AI and other technologies have the potential to automate work activities that absorb 60 to 70 percent of employees’ time today.  The same report analyzes the economic potential of generative AI: 

• Generative AI could enable labor productivity growth of 0.1 to 0.6 percent annually through 2040.
• Generative AI could increase the productivity of the marketing function with a value between 5 and 15 percent of total marketing spending.
• Generative AI could increase sales productivity by 3 to 5 percent of current global sales expenditures.
• The direct impact of AI on the productivity of software engineering could range from 20 to 45 percent of current annual spending on the function.
• For the retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, Ai could increase  productivity by 1.2 to 2.0 percent of annual revenues

Another report by Oberlo states that 15% of all customer service interactions globally were estimated to be fully automated. The same report states that  61 percent of workers say that their adoption of AI within the workplace has led to a boost in productivity. 

Best Practices 

When integrating AI into marketing strategies, upholding a customer-centric approach is essential. Therefore, it’s paramount to invest in dependable AI platforms and involve cross-functional teams, including IT, data scientists, and marketers, in the implementation process.

While AI offers robust automation capabilities, overreliance on it can lead to a lack of personalization and emotional connection with audiences. Striking the right balance entails incorporating human oversight to rectify errors, scrutinizing algorithms to address potential biases, and prioritizing data security to prevent breaches.

This approach enhances marketing endeavors and fosters deeper customer connections by harmonizing automation and personalization. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that AI functions as a tool, not a substitute for human involvement. Preserving a human touch across all campaigns is essential to cultivating empathy and rapport. While AI optimizes efficiency through task automation, the synergy of AI’s capabilities and human expertise truly propels successful marketing initiatives.

The Ethical Frontier

An important consideration that sometimes takes a backseat in the excitement around AI is ethics. For example, if a marketing AI becomes too intrusive, where do we draw the line? Isn’t there a risk with data privacy? At what point and to what extent does AI need to take credit for its work? Talent is commoditized. Where is the ethical line? The ethical frontier ensures that AI advancements do not compromise fundamental human rights and societal values.

As marketers, it’s our responsibility to consistently reevaluate this discourse. The approach cannot be a standardized mold; instead, brands must refer back to their values and ethical compass to determine AI’s role in their practices. These principles will serve as our true north while we establish practical boundaries.

It’s important to recognize that we’re in the process of crafting the landscape. We’re merely at the initial stages of exploring the boundless potential AI will guide us towards. The canvas is just starting to take shape, and the future holds a myriad of possibilities.

Are you prepared to embrace this transformative era? Unlock insights into all things AI and Marketing by downloading our comprehensive guide!

Advanced Functions

In addition to automation, AI has the potential to revolutionize various industries and functions, pushing the boundaries of what was previously thought possible. One area where AI is making significant advancements is in the field of medicine. With its ability to analyze vast amounts of medical data and detect patterns that may go unnoticed by human doctors, AI algorithms have the potential to significantly reduce diagnostic times and improve patient outcomes.

For example, researchers at Geisinger have developed an algorithm that can reduce diagnostic times for intracranial hemorrhaging by up to 96 percent. This means that patients with life-threatening conditions can receive the necessary treatment much faster, leading to better chances of recovery. By leveraging the power of AI, doctors can make more accurate diagnoses and provide personalized treatment plans based on individual patient data

But AI’s capabilities go beyond just medical diagnoses. It can also play a role in creative industries, generating content such as scripts, blogs, books, images, and videos. This opens up endless possibilities for content creation, allowing businesses and individuals to create high-quality content at a faster pace. AI can analyze existing content and generate new ideas, providing inspiration and saving time for content creators.

Another exciting application of AI is the emergence of AI influencers. Influencer marketing is a great resource, but it is limited to the availability and the looks of human influencers. Artificial intelligence influencers are crafted with their own unique personalities, opinions, and voices. They can provide brands with a DEI model that plugs cultural and other gaps. They can be active 24/7, engaging with thousands of followers simultaneously, and keep a brand’s messaging consistent while avoiding PR scandals.