Ubiquitous AI in Marketing: Fad or Fundamental?
Everyone’s using AI. But just because everyone’s doing it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good. Ubiquity doesn’t always signify necessity, or that there’s even any benefit.
The early 2010s promised the marriage between tech and fashion—wearable technology—yet no one is walking around in the 2020s wearing computers on their faces. Some experts go so far as to categorize that era as “the failure of wearable technology,” a time when large-scale investments into computerized glasses promised new ways of interacting with the world, reduced workloads and greater, unimagined horizons.
Sound familiar?
We’re told artificial intelligence (AI) is the next big thing, but... is it? Let’s take a look at AI in marketing, examining the areas where it works and where it may fall short of that futuristic promise.
The Current Uses of AI in Marketing
AI has transformed modern marketing, enabling brands to automate processes, optimize campaigns and personalize customer interactions at scale. Here are four ways AI is currently shaping the marketing landscape:
1. AI Content
Copywriting with AI Tools
AI-powered copywriting tools assist marketers in crafting compelling ad copy, email campaigns and product descriptions. Platforms can use natural language processing (NLP) to generate high-converting messaging based on consumer sentiment and data analysis. AI-driven copywriting has the power to improve engagement rates and A/B testing results by optimizing phrasing and word choice.
Graphic Design with AI Tools
AI is also making strides in visual content creation. Tools like Canva’s Magic Design, Adobe’s Firefly and Midjourney allow marketers to generate custom graphics and even videos with AI. Though there is criticism on the efficacy and ethics of AI and its graphic design abilities, these tools can streamline the creative process by providing instant mockups and automated image enhancements, reducing the reliance on contractors and costly design teams.
2. AI Chatbots and Customer Service
There is a growing trend of brands implementing AI in place of real people to handle their customer service, whether over the phone or through the use of chatbots on their website. The use of AI can provide a more robust customer support compared to a FAQ page and can help low-aggravation customers. However, it may end up leaving customers more frustrated than if they had simply been able to talk to a human.
3. AI Advertising
AI is being leveraged to aid with ad targeting, budget allocation and campaign optimization as well. Not only are third-party software leveraging AI for advertising, but the ad platforms themselves, like Google Ads, are integrating AI to analyze user behavior and serve highly targeted ads to the right audiences at the right time.
Though programmatic advertising powered by AI maximizes brands’ ad spend efficiency by automating real-time bidding and optimizing placements, marketers have noticed under-performance relative to the promise.
AI-optimized ads have shown issues in areas like keyword prioritization that negatively impact SEO. AI-optimized ads also lack the ability to fully consider all factors of advertising, like client historical data, seasonality and balancing current needs while anticipating future ones.
4. AI Automations
From email marketing to sales forecasting, AI automation streamlines repetitive tasks, freeing up time for strategic decision-making. Software services like HubSpot and Zapier leverage AI to automate lead scoring, customer segmentation and email personalization. These AI-powered automations improve efficiency, increase conversions and help brands nurture leads effectively.
The Shortcomings of AI Tools for Marketing
While AI promises much and has delivered many benefits, the technology still falls short in many ways.
Inaccuracies of AI
AI models, like ChatGPT, are intent on fulfilling user queries, to the point that they’ll lie. Known as “hallucinations,” AI models can completely fabricate information while making it appear truthful.
In a personal injury lawsuit, lawyers from Levidow, Levidow & Oberman used ChatGPT to supplement their legal research. Unbeknownst to them, the AI generated fictitious case citations and judicial opinions, which they unwittingly included in their court filings. When the inaccuracies came to light, the District Judge imposed a $5,000 fine on the firm and criticized the attorneys for abandoning their responsibilities by submitting non-existent judicial opinions with fake quotes and citations.
Justice may be blind, but she can’t be duped no matter how hard AI tries. The legal courts aren’t the only place for AI chastisement. The court of public opinion also has, well, its opinions.
Negative Public Sentiment Toward AI
Have you ever called customer support with a relatively straightforward but novel question, only to be met with a robot agent that cannot parse out what you’re asking? What would’ve been a five-minute call with a human can turn into an afternoon wishing you could drown a fax machine just to feel some catharsis.
You’re not alone. Recent polling data suggests that over 45% of Americans have a negative perception of customer service AI agents, anticipating a low chance that their service needs will be met when they encounter an AI bot.
Consumer Distrust of AI
Consumers often express skepticism toward AI-driven interactions, particularly in customer service. A study revealed that 90% of people prefer to get customer service from a human rather than a chatbot. This distrust can stem from concerns about data privacy, impersonal interactions and the inability of AI to handle complex or emotionally charged issues.
The Bottom Line: Integrate AI, But Don’t Let It Overtake
While AI offers significant benefits in marketing, recent studies suggest that excessive automation can lead to consumer backlash or, as the FTC recently referred to it, “AI consumer harm.” It's essential to strike an intentional balance between using AI to enhance the customer experience and maintaining a human touch.
The Partner to Elevate Your Marketing AI
AI can be a revolutionary tool for your organization or brand, supercharging marketing efforts, client interactions and business operations, but if your brand's AI integration is faulty or flagrant, it can lead to customer distrust and operational slowdown.
At EMB, we’re always striving to make brands better. That’s why we offer AI audits: a complete organizational analysis to evaluate your current AI implementation and identify areas for improvement, and even integrate AI automations that can elevate your brand.
Ateeq Rehman,
Account Manager