• by Megan Clista , May 29, 2020

When marketers talk about artificial intelligence (AI), they’re talking about art — the art of crafting insight-driven content. That’s what AI is, right? A perfect algorithm that builds meaningful connections with audiences, improves brand equity, and curates a wealth of potential leads.

But to truly take advantage of AI, we must admit this marketing truth: AI sounds scary because it’s flawed. But AI isn’t the antagonist of every marketer’s story, it’s the hero’s best friend. You, the marketer, of course, are the hero. And with every hero comes a courageous story.

In this story, marketers don’t miss opportunities because of fear of something new or unknown. Instead, they think of AI as the pencil writing the story they are telling.

Putting AI into practice

The first page in our story is content. In response to the COVID-19 global crisis, Burger King repositioned its ad messaging with “The Quarantine Burger.” Generously, the QSR chain explains how to craft a Whopper at home.

Why does this ad work? Actionable insights. Burger King heard customers' cries and behold: a DIY Whopper. In AI, this is sentiment application. Without biting into big data (pun intended) to understand how customers felt, its messaging could have gone awry.

The second page in our story is social media. At its most basic level, AI is useful for reporting, analyzing, learning and adjusting strategy. Pinterest, for example, recently launched its Today tab, highlighting trending topics and creating a sense of community among its users -- made possible by aggregated data on popular user searches.

Other powerhouse social platforms leverage automation like ad optimization, recommendation engines and chatbots to make the user experience more tailored and customized based on insights. You can guess what I’ll say next: AI is art!

Let’s look at something more complex.

Influencer marketing is a powerful channel strategy as brands look to expand reach or engage more directly with customers. Influencers can be be  influenced by AI, as well, like @lilmiquela, with 2.1 million followers. She’s actually an AI creation, an art piece, if you will, and premium brands like Givenchy have invested in her reach.  

Why marketers should consider AI for their next engagement strategy

Before you rule out AI and what it can establish for your brand’s presence, remind yourself: it starts with marketers. The storytellers bestowing unique insights into the customer journey. And AI? AI is the tool to help marketers get there. So, don’t be afraid of the art -- create it.