The AI Trend
Right now, AI is clearly the hot trend – and no one wants to miss out. But is it all just hype or AI truly going to take all our jobs? The reality is probably somewhere in the middle. We’re investing time into exploring how to improve our systems, processes and output using AI. Not because we think AI will replace everything, but because we want to see how it can help our clients achieve better results.
We’re committed to staying on the bleeding edge when it comes to new technologies where we feel they offer genuine value. And here’s what we’ve learned so far about AI in digital marketing.
Where AI Fits In
When it comes to strategy, AI still struggles. Strategy is the big-picture plan – how you segment campaigns, map the funnel, and know when to pause or push a product.
AI can toss out ideas, suggestions, and rough plans, but it still struggles to understand nuance without human input. It can’t tell you what works for your brand, your offer, or your funnel. That still requires creative human thinking.
In our experience, humans still have a huge advantage when it comes to true problem solving and lateral thinking. AI can imitate human thinking, but we’ve found it can’t be fully relied on for strategic decision making and thinking outside the box. We have 12 years of tried and tested methodologies behind us. Where we incorporate AI into our processes, we’ve learnt that it takes a lot of effort to give AI the same level of context that our experts have.
However, execution – how you get that plan in motion – is where AI shines. Drafts for copy, editing product images, sound boarding and data analysis can be carried out at unprecedented speeds. And with how fast this technology is evolving, that speed and quality will only improve.
Choosing the Right Tools for the Job
One lesson we’ve learned is to play to each AI model’s strengths. Claude excels at writing tasks, O1 performs brilliantly when analysing data, and Gemini currently leads in code generation. This specialisation approach has transformed how we operate.
As an example, at the start of projects, we now use AI to digest information from discovery meetings. Through AI transcriptions, we break down marketing mix requirements, target audience insights, and messaging ideas – giving us a running start that would have taken days previously. We’ve integrated AI into our existing procedures at points that make sense and utilise AI’s strengths.
Speed and Variation
With the help of AI, we can roll out ideas faster and get more assets to test. That’s a big deal on platforms like Google Ads, where small changes can lead to massive shifts in performance.
Our ability to iterate through ideas and launches has improved dramatically. We use AI to analyse large data sets, spot patterns and trends, and quickly test scenarios for feedback. What once took weeks can now happen in days or even hours.
Of course, you still need to know what to create and what to test. AI speeds up execution, but it needs direction. If you’ve used it enough you know AI out produce both brilliant and terrible outputs. There’s definitely a spectrum. The lack of consistency can be really frustrating at times but we’re learning methods to tip the needle in the right direction.
Enhancement, Not Replacement
AI has the potential to enhance great work. It can take a solid strategy and make it better. But it can’t turn a bad strategy into something that works.
We’ve learned you have to avoid generalisations. You must work hard to give AI context and turn it into a specialist with your own approach, direction, and knowledge. You can’t rely on AI to “one bomb” a solution – you must always add human value and play to the strengths of both humans and AI.
Evolving Roles
The role of marketing managers is evolving – less clicking buttons, more critical thinking and big-picture decisions. Tools have always felt like they equip you with superpowers, but if you don’t know what to DO with the data you get, those powers will just go to waste. The same principle applies with AI.
Maintaining Brand Voice
One challenge with AI-generated content is maintaining consistent brand voice. We’ve found success by working really hard to build context. The combination of knowledge files, instructions, writing style guidance, and good prompting goes a long way.
Voice interviews have proven particularly effective for extracting information for content marketing. This human input ensures the AI has rich, authentic source material to work with, rather than generating generic content. In addition, we’ve found that spoken vs written source material avoids AI detection (if you give those tools credence).
On the flip side, you must stay aware of compliance considerations. Different clients have different requirements or restrictions when it comes to AI. For retailers working with licensed artwork, for example, we must remain true to licensing branding and ensure we’re compliant with whatever guidelines are in place.
Educating Clients
AI isn’t for everyone. When clients express skepticism about incorporating AI into their marketing strategy, we adopt a consultative approach. We see it as our responsibility to guide clients toward making the best decisions by educating them, showing examples, and backing up our claims with evidence. This informative approach allows us to demonstrate the real-world benefits while acknowledging the limitations that still require human oversight.
As described, AI isn’t fool-proof and must be used strategically and responsibly. This is the same for any digital marketing tool or technology.
The Future of AI in Marketing
Looking ahead, we believe data utilisation will increase as AI lowers the bar for analysis and visualisation. Whereas previously you needed a strong data analyst to reveal patterns and trends in large data sets – often intimidating to the uninitiated – this level of analysis will become widely available.
This democratisation of data analysis means more agencies and brands will make data-driven decisions, ultimately leveling the playing field. But those who combine these tools with strategic expertise will still maintain their edge.
The Last Word
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that tools replace the need for skills and expertise. AI is powerful, certainly. However, it requires new specialists to step forward to fully harness its potential. Digital marketing is always evolving and this is another step on that continuous journey. We’re always looking to give our client an edge in their marketing – we believe we’ve found the right combination of human input, enhanced by AI, to deliver maximum value. Nevertheless, we’re ready to adapt to changing landscapes as new models come available and technologies change.
If you’d like to learn more about our approach to digital marketing or how we’re making use of AI, please contact us for more info!