How AI is Changing Marketing: The Pros and Cons

By Brendan Caro

AI – The advancement of Artificial Intelligence has been in movies like The Terminator, or comics and music. What we used to think was so far away is now here. Although exaggerated in the media, it has proven to benefit businesses in multiple avenues. AI can also influence our everyday lives, when it comes to what we see, interpret and yes, marketing. 

AI Use and Investment in Marketing Departments:

Artificial Intelligence has become more and more prevalent in marketing departments even earlier than you may think. A study done by the Conference Board found that 87% of marketers have used AI or at the very least experimented with AI tools. They also concluded in their study that 68% of marketers are using AI currently in their daily work environment when it comes to marketing. 

The Potential Pro’s

The current use of AI by marketing departments is only just breaching the capabilities of the service Artificial intelligence can provide for marketing. Utilizing AI, marketing can increase the potential reach to consumers or readers and provide more insight to even more in-depth concepts like how certain parts of the brain react better even by the smallest color particle. Analyzing data given with AI to marketers can also be a major bonus to not only small but larger companies across the globe. 

Automation will become more and more prevalent when it comes to what AI is able to study about the human mind and how it reacts to certain advertisements. Studies have been done throughout many years on how the human brain can interpret certain fonts, colors, and slogans. AI can end up not only using this to appeal to target markets and the marketing mix as a whole (brand positioning, available resources, and so on), but also stay on top of this method by studying algorithms of the target market to keep them hooked and consistent as a customer, reader, anything.

Studies from the Conference Board have concluded that further adoption of AI will lead to productivity improvements, enhance learning and development and improve financial results. Half of these respondents have stated that AI will, in the future, further product service and innovation as well.

The Potential Cons

Chances are that what you see now is AI based. And that can be interpreted as either good or bad. Whether one looks at it from an economical side where jobs may be on the line, while others may conclude that the benefits outweigh the negatives. Only four percent of those companies/marketing branches surveyed by The Conference Board felt that AI will lead to increased marketing and communication jobs, while 40% believe it will result in the decline of jobs. Forwardmore, 22% of the surveyed expect negative effects on work environments including team culture, while 16% believe it will lead to improvements. 

There is a widespread concern about the potential dangers of AI and the greater risk of misinformation that utilize AI and even data security. Some argue that as technology in AI progresses, that some of these fears will dissipate. 

AI and its Relationship with Marketing

Despite AI’s capabilities, it lacks total ever-evolving understanding and emotional intelligence that humans bring. Successful marketing campaigns rely on not only a human’s creativity, but empathy and most importantly, the ability to connect with other humans and diverse audiences. Gaining experiences with Artificial Intelligence is increasingly important for marketing professionals to stay competitive in the profession. 

Brendan Caro