As a result of the resounding entry of AI onto the scene, marketing as we knew it is on its deathbed.
After the furious boom of the last two years, AI seems inevitably doomed to settle into the so-called «valley of disappointment» (according to Gartner’s «hype cycle»). However, the truth is that AI models are more efficient and powerful than ever, and in some cases are reaching the intellectual level of Nobel Prize winners. OpenAI’s most advanced model, for example, is able to correctly answer almost 30% of the questions posed in «Humanity’s Last Exam,» a compilation of 2,500 extraordinarily challenging questions thematically assigned to different disciplines that are virtually impossible for most ordinary people to answer.
AI initially emerged as a predictive tool, later becoming a generative and then agentic tool. And this sensational and rapid evolution has ultimately turned AI into an essential piece in the marketing puzzle. Predictive AI, which has been used for a few years to anticipate consumer behavior, has mutated into a generative technology capable of producing texts, images, and videos in a matter of seconds. And many current AI models are equipped with sophisticated functions capable of analyzing and solving problems in a structured and strategic manner.
The next step in the rapid evolution of AI is so-called agentic AI, whose systems are capable of acting independently (placing orders or reservations on behalf of the user, for example).
AI holds a plethora of possibilities for marketing.
OpenAI plans to launch AI agents with the intellectual capacity of a PhD at a cost of approximately $20,000 per month. While this figure may seem extraordinarily expensive at first glance, it actually represents significant cost savings for companies, which are in a position to replace entire teams of developers with AI agents. Many companies are already working with mixed teams of real people and AI systems.
Applied to marketing in particular, AI offers enormous potential to companies that embrace it. After all, it analyzes data, personalizes content, generates blog posts practically from scratch, replaces expensive photoshoots, and optimizes websites. This is a technology that simplifies processes and completely changes thinking patterns.
AI has also brought about far-reaching changes in search engines. And SEO, in its more traditional form, is evolving into a new discipline known as Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). As a result, companies are losing control over the information that reaches their customers. And as the information consumers receive is increasingly influenced by AI, they must also adapt to the needs of this technology when it comes to obtaining information.
As a result of the resounding emergence of AI, marketing as we knew it is on its deathbed. And those unable to adapt to this new context will sooner rather than later be replaced by AI agents. In the new era governed by AI, this technology must be actively integrated into marketing to imbue it with added value.
According to McKinsey, companies that use AI can increase their revenue by up to three to fifteen times, and their ROI can soar by up to 20%. But in which marketing areas is AI integration particularly valuable? In an article for Horizont, Philip Papendieck reveals the main applications of AI in marketing:
1. Personalization and Customer Experience Real-time analysis of user data allows content and products made available to customers to be tailored to their individual needs, ultimately boosting consumer relevance and loyalty.
2. Data analysis for predictive purposes AI is capable of identifying patterns and correlations in large amounts of data. By leveraging predictive analytics, brands can anticipate consumer behavior and appropriately adapt their marketing strategies at very early stages.
4. Automation to boost efficiency AI can perfectly take over the execution of recurring tasks to accelerate the implementation of operational processes and allow teams to devote more time to creativity and strategy design.
While AI can prove invaluable in marketing departments, for it to truly sprout, companies must have sovereignty over the data that powers their AI models. The data must be compiled and used in a perfectly structured way to train AI for specific purposes. And only companies equipped with truly relevant data will be in a position to create genuine unique selling points.
Beyond data, processes are also needed that enable data to be broken down and analyzed in a truly meaningful way. AI models must also be prepared to deal with irony and specific cultural codes.
AI may be hyper-efficient, but to deliver strong results for brands and make them stand out in a sea of uniformity, it must go hand in hand with a hyper-human strategy. This technology is perfectly capable of achieving perfection, but it’s not perfection that ultimately strikes at the consumer’s heart, but rather personality, the kind that only real humans can bring to marketing, Papendieck concludes.
Source: https://www.marketingdirecto.com
