AI is everywhere – or it certainly feels that way. From chatbots to data analysis, it’s estimated that even in early 2022 around one in six UK organisations had embraced at least one AI technology.
Now, with the explosive growth of generative AI (gen AI) tools such as MidJourney and ChatGPT, AI has seen even greater levels of adoption. Increasing numbers of c-suite executives are personally using gen AI tools for work, and research suggests nearly 80% of senior UK business leaders are deploying, or planning to deploy, gen AI within their companies.
Why gen AI is a gamechanger
There’s no doubting the impact that gen AI can have. It’s been decades since we’ve seen any other technology with the power to affect every aspect of a company and this is what makes it such an extraordinary – and valuable – force.
It’s also what inextricably connects it with reinvention and specifically the ability of businesses to reinvent themselves – which is fast becoming the default strategy for success. Reinventors are leapfrogging the competition with increased revenues and higher profits, and gen AI represents a clear opportunity to accelerate this process further. In fact, according to a report from Accenture, technology is the top lever for reinvention for 98% of organisations, with gen AI seen as one of the main levers for 82% of those.
A range of capabilities
Gen AI may be most frequently associated with tasks such as content creation, customer service, and IT and software development but in reality, it’s hard to overstate just how much potential the technology offers.
Statistics on financial savings, operational efficiency and workforce productivity abound:
- AI-powered chatbots can save businesses up to 30% on customer service costs
- Amazon’s AI-powered recommendation engine drives 35% of total sales
- Netflix’s recommendation system is credited with saving $1 billion per year in value from customer retention
And this is just a snapshot of what is already being achieved – there’s much more to come as companies recognise their success increasingly depends on their ability to harness and deploy gen AI to create tangible, measurable value.
Hardly surprising then, that Accenture predicts we’ll see a significant increase in companies embracing gen AI and applying it more intensively to their business over the next 12-24 months.
Unrivalled potential
For marketing agencies, like other businesses, the AI revolution has transformative possibilities. Gen AI offers a way to improve client satisfaction, enhance campaign delivery and reduce operating costs – but the full potential of AI can only be realised when it is wholly embraced.
Therefore, agencies must be willing to adapt, rethink and reinvent themselves in line with this new reality and view AI as a tool for enhancement rather than a threat to existence.
The versatility of gen AI means there are multiple opportunities for agencies to use the technology:
- Content creation
Gen AI can assist in both brainstorming and generating creative ideas and producing content at scale. The technology can develop an outline structure for skilled creative teams to flesh out and create blog posts, social media updates, product descriptions and other marketing material automatically.
- Predictive analytics
By analysing large datasets to identify patterns and behaviours, Gen AI can help predict prospects’ future activity and develop personalised marketing messages. Campaigns tailored to individual preferences in this way have higher engagement and conversion rates.
- Sales forecasting
Analysing historical campaign data provides insights to enable more accurate sales forecasting. Trends or patterns that might impact future campaign outcomes can be identified, streamlining reporting processes and providing agencies with actionable insights.
- Automated chat functions
AI-powered chatbots can provide the immediate response that customers today expect, increasing campaign engagement and conversions. Bots can handle routine enquiries, provide personalised assistance and guide users through campaigns or product information, helping to enhance the overall customer experience.
- Audience segmentation
By identifying similarities and differences in audience characteristics, online behaviours and preferences, like-minded individuals can be grouped for targeted marketing campaigns.
- Dynamic messaging pricing
Gen AI can contribute to personalised pricing models based on audience segmentation and individual preferences, with real-time adjustments optimised for engagement and conversions.
- Recommendation engines
Analysing user behaviour can inform recommendations for alternative or additional products and continuous learning means recommendations can be refined over time.
- Market research and insights
The analysis of market trends, consumer sentiments and competitor activities provides marketing agencies with valuable data-driven insights to steer strategic decision-making and stay ahead of industry trends.
AI success stories
Having said the key to success is embracing AI, it’s not surprising that companies across a range of industries are using the technology in innovative ways.
- HubSpot, usually at the forefront of new trends and marketing techniques, uses gen AI across its core digital marketing strategy, to quickly generate relevant content ideas, create outlines for blogs or articles, accelerate the brainstorming process and create meta descriptions, rich snippets and email summaries.
- Starbucks, the world’s largest coffeehouse chain, has seamlessly blended voice and chatbot technology to create the ‘My Starbucks Barista’ service. The app, which has 31.2 million mobile users, allows customers to place and modify orders as well as confirm a convenient pickup location, all through Amazon’s Alexa technology.
- And food and beverage giant Nestle is maximising its content marketing output with the use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) to produce targeted content for various sectors of its audience.
Driving demand generation
At Interlink too, we’re harnessing AI’s potential. Our Discover tool uses AI and deep learning to detect trigger events and other online signals that are likely to precede the purchase of a product or service.
We’ve identified seven different triggers which are important for B2B technology firms to monitor and, from the information gathered, we can create a list of prospects and define the type and timing of follow-up activity needed to get the best results. Because we’re identifying opportunities earlier in the buying process, you can target prospects at the optimum time and ahead of the competition.
To find out more, contact us for a free demonstration today.
The seven triggers
- Recruitment and hiring – new appointments, restructures or promotions
- Company financial information
- Installation data – new or different technology recently adopted
- Insider information – looking at the content consumed by key decision-makers
- News – press releases containing important company information and updates
- Website – changes and updates on the target company website
- Product releases – new products or services the target company is launching to market
Was this useful? You can read more about our predictions for disruptive trends in B2B marketing here