Marketers, communicators have to experiment with AI – Experts
By Abimbola Mohammed
The Conference Board, in collaboration with Ragan Communications, have said that marketing and communications professionals are rapidly embracing and experimenting with artificial intelligence, especially generative AI in their work.
According to AI Marketing & Communication, it is boosting productivity and creativity too. 87% of marketers and 85% of communicators have used AI or experimented with AI tools for at least one application. A majority have incorporated AI into their regular workflow: The survey of 287 respondents found that 68% in marketing and 60% in communications are now using AI at least “sometimes” in their daily work.
Ivan Pollard, Leader of the Marketing & Communications Center at The Conference Board, in a report on PR NewsWire website, said: “There is no doubt that new AI applications will transform the workflow in all areas of the marketing and corporate communications disciplines. We should embrace it, look for the upsides and focus on those places where our human genius is augmented by the power of machines. We work in an industry renowned for its innovation and we will keep driving forward powered by the insights and adventure.”
It could be recalled that Stanislaus Martins, Regional Director, Meta Africa, had said AI plays a significant role in digital marketing. He stated that AI holds tremendous potential in the field of digital marketing as it allows predictive analytics, enhanced customer experiences, and targeted marketing both of which would undoubtedly result in a higher return on investment for businesses.
According to the digital expert, “The ecosystem is changing very quickly and new players and lots of programmatic platforms are coming into the market every day. So it is very important for marketers to learn the new tools that can help their marketing strategies.”
For marketers and communicators, AI currently serves above all as a productivity tool, freeing up time for strategy and creative work. They are nearly unanimous in believing these benefits will continue: 82% expect productivity will improve with the further adoption of AI, Likewise, communicators are currently using AI for: summarizing content (41%), doing the legwork/inspiring thinking (35%), producing content faster (28%), conducting research (26%), writing press releases (17%), and writing speeches (14%).
Mid-level/junior marketers are at the forefront of adopting AI in their work, ahead of senior marketers, positioning them to shape the adoption and evolution of AI within their organizations. Meanwhile, senior marketers are the most optimistic about gains in innovation, work quality, and creativity likely reflecting hopes that AI can inspire thinking by helping with research and generating output that triggers fresh ideas.
Meanwhile, some marketers and communicators are more divided on the long-term impact of AI in their fields beyond boosting productivity and business results. Among the report’s major findings: on how AI will impact work quality and creativity.
Denise Dahlhoff, Senior Researcher, Consumer Research at The Conference Board said: “For marketers and communicators, a critical question has been AI’s impact on creativity and quality of work, and author of the report. Our research suggests that there’s reason for optimism. If AI is used to inspire, augment and not to replace human ideas, the effect might well be synergistic and help elevate overall creativity.”
Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications, said: “This important research from Ragan and The Conference Board points to the abundant opportunities and challenges of AI. It makes clear that both communicators and marketers need to embrace AI carefully and with an eye toward protecting the integrity of their brands and messaging. We’re looking forward to continuing to benchmark the use of AI as its impact is profound and ever-changing.”
In the same development, some expert had earlier urged AI users to embrace caution in its adoption to avoid projecting artificial intelligence as a landmine of legal issues rather than its positive intentions.
The added that they recognised for its enormous power as a multi-purpose tool, professionals across the globe are all in pursuit of this machine assisted tool all in the quest to enhance creativity in their chosen fields. However, the fear is the possibility of infringement of copyright as the AI does not acknowledge the source of materials, some of which may be copyrighted.
Daniel Adeniran, a media and communications Consultant, while reaffirming the unleashing the power of AI in influencer marketing, mentioned copyright conundrum as one of the challenges posing limitation in the deployment of the disruptive tool.
“AI tools are transforming influencer marketing, but they bring a major concern, especially copyright and intellectual property issues. These generative AI tools can create stunning visuals and captivating content, simplifying the creative process, however, the legal risks are real, with copyright infringement the future and embrace AI with caution.
“AI’s role in influencer marketing is growing, and the possibilities are exhilarating. However, it’s crucial for brands to protect themselves. By considering the challenges discussed above and exercising caution when integrating AI tools, you can future-proof your influencer marketing strategies. Embrace AI’s power while staying in control.”
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