Preetesh Sewraj, chief executive officer of the Loeries, challenged Nigerian brands to immediately embrace artificial intelligence adoption.

He warned that the global market is relegating Africa to insignificance in AI integration data and projections.

Speaking at the just concluded MARKETING EDGE National Marketing Stakeholders’ Summit themed “AI Integration

: Leveraging New Technologies to Achieve Business Objectives,” Sewraj presented nine critical points on leveraging AI in marketing communications while addressing fears and misconceptions surrounding the technology.

AI as Evolution, Not Threat

Sewraj urged industry practitioners to view AI through a historical lens, noting that technology has consistently enhanced human communication capabilities.

“If you think about it, in ancient times, our ancestors communicated through rock paintings.

Eventually, we went into things like Photoshop where we were able to create at a much higher level.

All we really have in this journey is that artificial intelligence is just another step in our ability to communicate, make a difference, and connect together,” he explained.

He dismissed Hollywood’s portrayal of AI as threatening, stating: “Don’t fear artificial intelligence in communication.

It is a logical evolution in communications, a tool to improve capability and experience.”

Data Quality Determines AI Success

The marketing expert emphasized that the effectiveness of AI systems depends entirely on data quality.

“We live in a world with lots of complex data.

We can collect data now at a rate that has never been done before.

But human capability doesn’t have the ability to utilize this data to come up with the thinking we need.

That’s what artificial intelligence is there for,” Sewraj noted.

He warned marketers about the danger of poor data management: “AI is only as good as the data used to inform the pattern recognition process that triggers actions.

Bad data will create biases in the way your brand communicates to consumers.

That’s a risk we all need to watch out for.”

Competitive Advantage Through AI

Citing a Deloitte State of AI and Enterprise study, Sewraj revealed compelling statistics supporting immediate AI adoption.

“45% of AI adopters highlighted that AI has enabled them to gain a significant advantage over their competitors.

That’s the reality you have ahead of you right now you can absolutely gain a significant advantage over your competitors if you move quickly to adopt artificial intelligence.”

Creativity Remains Essential

Addressing concerns about AI replacing human creativity, Sewraj emphasized the continuing importance of human connection in marketing.

“As David Ogilvy said, you cannot bore people into buying your product.

You can only interest them into buying it.

The human connection is still the beating heart of resilient brands.

Even in an AI-dominated world, you cannot go past human connection,” he stated.

He quoted John Hegarty to drive home his point:

“Creativity is oxygen for business growth, so why are we holding our breath?

In the AI-driven world, don’t hold your breath. Continue pushing creativity.

Continue bringing the human angle to it, and don’t rely on AI to deliver this for you.”

Africa’s AI Adoption Paradox

Sewraj presented striking data revealing Africa’s contradictory position on AI adoption.

“78% of people in Middle East and Africa – the greatest anywhere in the world.

It is higher than the global average and greater than even North America – agreed that industry leaders must move faster to capitalize on opportunities,” he revealed.

However, he noted the region simultaneously showed the highest fear levels regarding AI integration.

“Africa and Middle East were the highest in the world in terms of fear.

We’ve got this dichotomy where we know that AI is going to have a massive impact.

We want leaders to adopt it, but there’s significant fear.”

Global Market Sidelining Africa

The marketing expert expressed concern about Africa’s marginalization in global AI projections.

“There’s global AI and marketing data for 2021 to 2028.

They give data for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific. But where do we sit as a continent?

When they look at Africa, they put us in ‘rest of the world,’ so tiny.

There is this sad reality where the world is not looking at us and does not believe we will be able to adopt this technology and use it fast enough.”

“Let’s prove them wrong. How can more Nigerian brands utilize the power of artificial intelligence to leapfrog other markets?

The way we’re going to do this is by starting the investment right now.”

Key Risks to Consider

Sewraj outlined critical risks in AI implementation, with overestimation of AI capabilities topping the list.

“There’s always this worry and assumption that AI will solve our problems.

The data shows that’s not true. Overestimation of the possibilities of AI is what’s going to hurt a lot of brands.

As smart marketers, we should make sure we don’t fall into that trap.”

Call to Action

Concluding his presentation, Sewraj challenged attendees to move beyond theory to practical implementation.

“As JCPenney’s founder said, knowledge is splendid, but until it’s put into practice, it’s valueless.

You’re going to get so much theory, but if you don’t latch onto one or two points and really say ‘I’m willing to act on it,’ this entire day would have been valueless to you.”