By Charlie Fletcher, Freelance Writer
The question is no longer if companies should use AI but rather how and when to use it. AI is a powerful tool that can do a lot for companies, such as streamlining tasks to free up time and cut costs, optimizing performance and output, ensuring greater compliance with regulations, and even helping improve customer service.
However, when it comes to AI in marketing, there is a bit of controversy. AI can have a transformative impact on marketing strategies, such as generating website content, improving customer engagement, and optimizing audience targeting. That said, the primary controversies surrounding AI in marketing concern transparency and reliability.
As the use of AI increases, consumers worry about how AI is being used and whether or not brands are being honest about its usage. For example, with generative AI, there are concerns about false or inauthentic content generation, such as an image being portrayed as human-made when it was created entirely by AI. There is also the concern that written content, such as website copy, ad copy, and blogs, could contain false or misleading information when AI is used to generate the content.
This is not to say brands shouldn’t use AI, but instead that it’s important to be mindful of how it’s being used and the transparency surrounding its use. When integrating AI into marketing processes, the public must know when something is AI-generated to avoid consumers feeling manipulated or deceived.
That said, brands do not need to inform consumers every time they use AI. It’s only essential to highlight AI when it directly impacts consumers.
How To Showcase AI
It’s necessary to avoid blurring lines when using AI for customer experience marketing and instead find a balance that ensures ethical usage that maintains customer trust and satisfaction.
Do Use AI to Enhance Data Security
AI’s role in security is getting increasingly more important. It can offer real-time threat detection, improve data accuracy, and help brands prevent or proactively prepare for risks using advanced analytics. It’s also a great idea to market the usage of AI in security measures as it demonstrates a commitment to customer safety and data protection.
Do Use AI to Build More Sustainable Infrastructure
Consumers love to know that brands are committed to going green by doing more than offering eco-friendly products. If a company’s AI helps build more sustainable structures, let the customers hear about it. AI can be used to implement smart lighting and flooring systems and predictive HVAC management. It can also assist in the creation of sustainable building materials. Using AI in these ways should be highlighted to appeal to eco-conscious consumers and help boost brand reputation.
Do Use AI to Automate Marketing Tasks
AI-powered tools like virtual assistants can automate repetitive tasks, such as scheduling emails, meetings, or social media posts. They can also help translate conversations from marketing meetings into textual documents and handle various other administrative marketing tasks. This frees up time for marketing teams to focus on more critical tasks. However, while brands can mention their use of AI to help them improve performance and better address consumer needs, it’s not necessary to go into detail about every little task AI is being used for.
Controversial AI Practices to Avoid
While there are many advantages to using AI and reasons it should be highlighted and shown to customers, there are also some things that brands should avoid doing and marketing to customers.
Don’t Use AI to Replace Human Connection
AI is a powerful tool that can do many things, but it should not be used to replace human workers entirely. Many companies use AI to cut back on costs and streamline processes, but real people still play an important role in marketing campaigns. Maintaining a human workforce guarantees creativity in marketing content, as when AI is used without human intervention, it can start to feel repetitive and unrelatable.
Don’t Rely Exclusively on AI Analysis
Marketers often use AI to perform tasks like sentiment analysis or providing insights into consumer behavior. However, AI predictions are not always accurate. When using AI for any kind of analysis, it’s always essential to have a human verify the information provided and correct it as needed.
Don’t Use Consumer Data Without Being Transparent
AI works by collecting and analyzing huge data sets. However, it’s important to be transparent about the sources and types of data being used. Collecting customer data without their consent is unethical and can lead to potential legal issues. So, it’s crucial to take steps to mitigate privacy risks, make clear documentation accessible, and even provide users the opportunity to opt out of having their data collected in certain situations.
In Summary
There is no denying that AI plays an important role in improving marketing strategies today. However, one must be mindful of how it is being used and marketed, especially when it comes to the ethical concerns associated with it. Consumers want to know the person behind the brand, meaning the humans behind the content.
Consumers do not want to feel like everything being fed to them is created by AI. Authenticity and transparency are incredibly important when using AI. AI should never replace the human element in marketing entirely but can be used to assist and optimize as needed.
