It is 2025, and machine learning is in full swing at every marketing conference around the world, and it is also a hot topic. The rise of AI-powered Martech (marketing technology) is expected to make advertising better, accelerate creative development, while deciphering a lot of data and making decisions similar to humans. Further proof: A recent report states that 80% of CMOs plan to increase spending on AI and data in 2025.
Over the past decade, marketing leaders have been flooded with data, unrealistic pressure to “make things”, measure everything, and radiant and evolving consumers.
It is the perfect recipe for a technique that can analyze data at scale and optimize the results of milliseconds. Have we found the Holy Grail?
AI in its current form is very useful, but not magical yet…. From video production and copywriting to SEO and advertising creation, AI can create a powerful co-pilot that quickly trains creative thinking, speeds up processes and enhances human creativity, and accelerates strategic thinking, rather than replace it.
Let’s briefly introduce the marketing method:
From digital boom to data overload
The digital marketing boom in 2006 promised to provide advertisers with a fully trackable experience. From return on investment to detailed cookie targeting, and optimized budget allocation. Yes, many of these promises come true to some extent. For digital marketers, clicks, conversions and costs per acquisition are more accurate. E-commerce giants like eBay spent millions of dollars on Google search ads and were successful with overwhelming majority.
Only clear ROI is digitally stressed and creative marketers are being pushed out by data masters. However, this caused problems. A study conducted by Gartner in 2022 pointed out that 60% of CMOs work to turn data into actionable insights. The pursuit of all attribution or clarity leads to probabilistic modeling and confusion. On some platforms, the ROI multiplier drops from 6:1 to 2:1 in some cases. The rise of GDPR, data privacy, cookie policy, VPNs, and walled gardens like Facebook and Apple, whose marketers are extremely limited in obtaining first-party data.
The robot is here!
The marketing landscape is constantly changing, but the lack of clarity and large amounts of data has made the AI revolution mature.
Machine learning can attract data and find trends and common ground for a large amount of information. It can view data, learn from it and discard it without storage. It can understand customer behavior and preferred actions. Both Meta Ads Manager and Google Ads moved to AI-powered tendering tools, and their Creative Suite created incredible ad images and replications in seconds.
The benefits of AI are easy to measure. Time savings, easy-to-understand insights, and scalability.
- Automated savings –
AI-driven platforms can automate email marketing, creative design and data mining. According to Deloitte, using AI automation reduces operating expenses for marketing professionals by 71% in 2023. - Data-based decisions –
Machine learning can begin to consider using the data at hand to make decisions – direct strategic actions, predict results, and measure results. Budget allocation will always be a challenge for marketers and AI can help. From instinct to data-based planning will change, resulting in better results for marketers. - Less more –
Smaller teams will now be able to do more. Through automated procurement transactions, creative cold starts and performance, they should be able to free up time to focus on what matters: their customers. Mid-market companies that can’t afford data scientists like P&G will now have the same capabilities, while a fraction of the cost.
There is a lot of excitement around AI, but there are any possible drawbacks. Overautomation can lead to content similarity. Marketing has been twists and turns when others surface. The content created by AI is high, so it is likely to be similar. Following email subject lines and ads similar to ML scripts can create boring experiences for consumers. Using AI to create brand narratives and positioning is the high risk of being copied and left behind.
Due to over-reliance on performance, brands can easily lose their identity. In a similar era, retaining the brand voice will be the key to success. The conversion may not reward human creativity, putting it on the chopping block for performance. It ultimately erodes the brand identity and its unique selling points.
In addition, with the rise of human creativity in artificial intelligence, skepticism continues to rise. Reddit forums are full of complaints about advertisers using AI and sharp detectives. If consumers think AI is using their personal data, they may feel infringed and upset. A 2019 Pew Center study found that 81% of Americans have no control over their data. Artificial intelligence may increase distrust and put consumers in the back foot, leading to the rise of ethical AI. The good news is that this leads to research showing that 70% of enterprise CMOs will prioritize ethical AI (privacy and security data) in marketing by 2025.
Ethical AI
How do we integrate artificial intelligence without losing emotions? By keeping people in a loop. AI is of course the future and it will be at the forefront of science, technology and many other industries. In marketing, keeping humans in a loop will add cultural significance, intuitive awareness, brand environment, and creative areas that machines cannot understand. Creativity comes from thinking outside the box and shocks normal brain patterns to create memorable experiences. This will be difficult for AI. True human marketers can curate, adjust and find ideas that lock in brand values and audience behaviors to match their machine learning co-pilot.
Ethical AI is the new term for marketing. Review each campaign and understand that the data used is guardrails that will protect the brand and help them navigate through the ever-changing world.
AI will be very good at predicting customer behavior, but true creativity will make touchpoints into memorable moments. The groundbreaking brands that use data for positioning and storytelling will stand out, and these machines will tell them who and when – which is why the creatives provide.
Where is AI in marketing? Agent, driverless, autonomous!
Agent hubs are on the rise, and platforms such as Salesforces, Agent Force, Hubspots, Agent.ai and Xenet.ai’s Hub Marketing Agent will plug in and get the job done. “Agents” or the independent marketing community will open the door to data science agencies, PR agencies, creative agencies, AB testers, etc. without manual intervention to run. Top line strategy, creative execution and overall direction will require people in the loop.
The rise of AI will benefit the most from mid-market businesses. Large companies can and have hired data scientists for years, while small businesses are stuck with “set and forget” technology on Google, Meta and other platforms. Agent marketing tools will provide enterprise-level capabilities at a lower cost. Think of it as an AI “data scientist” that can understand, comment, predict and decide every second.
Martech’s good news: no winner. The result will be on the rise as a service. The destroyers will always wait in the bushes to take away the sponsored players. Money is no longer an advantage, its intelligence, timing and strategy. Agents that show true ROI will be a trusted partner in a Rs 1 industry.
Balancing AI and human creativity
In short, CMOs will benefit greatly from the advancement of AI. Automation will cut costs, time and effort.
Artificial intelligence is not a panacea, but technology and human symphony will guide it. Good marketing requires creativity, intelligence and strategy. Over-reliance on automation can downplay brand messaging, wear out unique locations and drive out customers.
AI is an excellent co-pilot that will improve accuracy and efficiency on a large scale, while people in the loop will lead creativity and ethics. With the development of agents and driverless marketing, it is necessary to balance humans and algorithms carefully. In a world of unlimited choices and a limited budget, marketing teams that use the power of AI without sacrificing emotional connection to the brand will succeed.
