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Generative artificial intelligence has taken the marketing world by storm in recent years – but surprisingly, attitudes towards Approval of AI and the results themselves have often been mixed.
Like the age of advertising REPORTSAmazon wants marketers to consider AI as the foundation of digital marketing, emphasizing LLMs' ability to better connect with customers through dynamic and better-targeted content. However, Modern Retail endnoteS that many are still reluctant to relinquish control over their brand and its creative messaging, even with pressure from Amazon, Google and others to shift more of their marketing activities to AI.
While the level of AI adoption and the type of AI used varies between companies, there are key trends that CMOs, in particular, should pay attention to to ensure that AI adoption goes smoothly for their teams. marketing.
Disparities exist between CMOs and entry-level marketers
One of the main concerns that has existed in various industries is the disparity in enthusiasm about AI between C-suite executives and lower-level employees. Especially in the wake of widespread layoffs in the tech industry anxiety about AI has made many workers reluctant to use it or see it as an opportunity in their field.
This discrepancy also exists in marketing. According to a research REPORT from Lightricks, while 55% of marketing executives say they are very confident in AI's ability to improve marketing, only 33% of entry-level marketers feel the same. This lack of confidence among entry-level marketers can also be attributed to differing attitudes about desired outcomes with AI in general. The report found that while 27% of marketing executives “want a world where little human supervision is needed,” only 5% of entry-level marketers felt the same way.
Notably, the Lightricks report found that executives were significantly more likely to have received AI training and to have used AI in meaningful ways in their current roles. When entry-level marketers are left behind in such initiatives, feelings of fear or uncertainty become more understandable.
Such disparities can stem from a number of factors, but from a lack of communication or a clear strategic vision Implementation of AI will often be guilty. CMOs may be excited about testing AI and incorporating it into their work, but failing to consider the concerns and needs of the marketing team as a whole will lead to resistance and pushback. This is especially true for teams that lack the knowledge simply because they haven't been empowered to experiment with AI for ad targeting, visual asset design, message personalization or creative ideation.
Addressing the divide is crucial
For CMOs, the most pressing issue regarding the adoption of AI in their marketing teams is education — that is, helping marketing teams that may be resistant to the idea of AI understand how it can help them in their work and how it will affect the company's marketing strategy as a whole.
Examples of marketing teams taking advantage of AI are common. or REPORT from McKinsey cites some examples, such as Michaels Stores using Gen AI to personalize 95% of its email campaigns to increase its click-through rates by 25%, Mattel using AI to quadruple the production of concept images of product and Stitch Fix using Gen AI to provide product recommendations and improve understanding of customer feedback.
Such case studies are useful, but reluctant marketing teams are likely to require additional context to understand how AI will benefit them rather than just the company's bottom line. Your organization's specific use cases for AI in marketing may vary, but addressing any disparities that currently exist is an essential first step to achieving more unified outcomes.
CMOs can achieve this through several ways. provision training how to use AI tools that are relevant to your team's work can go a long way to breaking down barriers and helping everyone involved discover practical use cases. Those who are more experienced in using a variety of marketing AI tools should consider how they can share their knowledge and experience, as this will dramatically increase the capabilities of the organization as a whole.
CMOs should also be willing to discuss the organization's strategic vision for leverage AI in marketingwith an emphasis on how it will enhance rather than replace human labor. As part of this effort, CMOs should be open to hearing from others within the organization (including entry-level employees) about their concerns or ideas about how to use AI more effectively. This can help improve trust in an issue where trust and transparency are often lacking.
Related: Adapting to the digital workforce: 4 first steps to train your team on AI
Ensuring better adoption of AI in marketing
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to how a brand can (or should) use AI in its marketing operations. What works for one brand and its audience may be completely ineffective or even problematic for another.
However, CMOs should not only consider the potential reaction of their target audience. As the discrepancies between CMOs and entry-level marketers regarding AI reveal, there is much work to be done to ensure that AI is integrated into marketing practices in a ethical and effective way.
By collaborating with those they lead and seeking the most effective solutions to implement AI, CMOs can help their teams successfully navigate this transition and better position their organization to gain a meaningful competitive advantage.