Is AI cheating? Marketing without the guesswork.

Artificial Intelligence. It’s a technology that’s transforming every walk of life, and it’s finally coming for marketing.

Ground-breaking tech is being developed every day. And humans are now enabled beyond their wildest dreams. Our actions have been supercharged, and with smart tech at our disposal, we’re able to go further, faster. Take the iPhone. No one could have imagined we’d one day have a calculator, unlimited internet, a torch, thousands of games, and the ability to speak to friends and family in other continents, all from one small device. At the time, these products were total gamechangers.

And now marketing is experiencing an equally revolutionary transformation. But before we delve into this exciting journey, let’s just consider the impact technology has left on the world we live in today. We simply cannot fathom how humans survived without it for so long.

Look how far we’ve come

Brands that actively embrace technology will be on the frontlines of innovation, capable of creating real change within their categories. Let’s see which brands have left a long-lasting impact on the world we live in today.

Atlas –-> Google Maps

Before Google Maps, humans used to rely on physical maps, sourced in large, cumbersome, books, like the famous A-Z Road Atlas. Not anymore. With smart maps, like Google Maps, not only can you access global maps at the touch of a button, but you can also track traffic in real-time, download maps to use offline, and share your location with friends.

Horse & carriage –->  Tesla

When we moved from horse & carriage to electric, we thought it was revolutionary. Now look at what Tesla are working on - a fully automated driving experience. Soon, we’ll be able to drive cars without human intervention. And whilst we wait, ground-breaking features are being developed for us to use in the meanwhile, like automatic parking, autopilot, and adaptive cruise control.

DVD rentals –->  Netflix

Remember Blockbuster? Can you believe we used to leave our homes, travel to a DVD rental place, rent a movie for the evening, come home to watch it, and have to return it days later? The entertainment industry has undergone an extreme makeover. And it is all thanks to Netflix. Now we’re spoilt with choice, able to scroll through thousands of titles, customized to our own preferences, from the comfort of our own homes.

Retail –->  Amazon

Amazon transformed the shopping experience through its efficient, speedy ecommerce system. The original business model was based around books but today you can buy virtually any product on Amazon and be assured it will arrive at your home within 24 hours. No standing in long queues, no travel is involved, and you can find everything in one handy place.

Casette players –->  Spotify

Tapes and CDs are a thing of the past. Now users can subscribe to platforms where they can download music on demand. We’ve got the ability to create playlists, share music with friends and follow artists we enjoy, and Artificial Intelligence is accelerating this process, employing smart algorithms to provide users with content that’s best suited to their preferences.

ECG machines –->  Apple

When diagnosing an irregular heartbeat, medical professionals place electrodes on the body to evaluate heart activity. Apple has simplified this process through their Apple Watch, which allows users to carry out an ECG test to monitor their heartbeat. The watch has been proven to detect early warning signs of illness, which demonstrates the immense power of technology, as a complex, time consuming process has been made simple through a new device.

What about marketing?

So far, marketing teams have not used technology to its full potential. But this is about to change.

Just like the invention of electricity moved humans beyond candlelight and into a new world, the invention of AI will illuminate the path forwards, giving Brand Managers greater certainty of positive outcomes.

Humans and machines will work hand in hand, able to accomplish more together than they could apart. Humans will have more time to spend on creative ideas and machines will be able to analyze complex datasets in seconds, detecting patterns faster than any human could.

Say goodbye to gut decisions and uncertainty, and hello to accountability, confidence and growth. But how do we get here?

Well, you’ll have to come to our talk at MAD//Fest, Is AI cheating? Marketing without the guesswork, July 8^th at 3.40pm on the Hexagon Stage, to find out. In the meantime, check out more on how AI can propel brand growth here.