With more than half of marketers still not using GenAI in their work, Kantar’s Jane Ostler argues it’s time they let the tech out of the cage.
Movies that are set in the future require a director with real perspicacity: someone who can predict how things might look, how cities will function, how people could behave, how technology might develop – often including adtech. These directors create a whole new world around this vision, which is immersive and real right from the opening sequence. Blade Runner 2049 is a good example: it may not be everyone’s favorite movie, but for the marketers in the audience, it does provide some insight into how brands of the future could function as part of a broader ecosystem. There are video screens everywhere, anthropomorphic holograms to serve you, personalized targeting and household names appear throughout the movie. The thing that stands out though, is that brands are front and center – they act as a sign, and a signifier, of quality and availability.
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But we aren’t all Ridley Scott. More than 50% of marketers are not yet using AI in their work, and some are unsure about where to start. Part of this is because they’re not quite sure where to use it – lack of understanding was one of the barriers cited most often by the marketers we spoke to. But it has the power to transform market research, and, as part of that, the end-to-end strategic and creative marketing process. It’s already being used to optimize media. Meanwhile, some marketers and agencies have had the courage to let it out of the cage and use GenAI to create, or partially create, video advertising and invent new products, and to upskill their teams.
In our recent study, GenAI for marketing: fear or FOMO?, we interviewed CMOs and capability leads to discover what they are doing with GenAI, what they are not, and where the gaps are. We found that there are three main marketing territories for AI: Integrated Marketing Communication, Find New Space with Innovation, and Planning and Strategy. And while issues like ethical use, training and data quality all need to be addressed to ensure GenAI is implemented in the right way, success will come from building excitement and understanding around the technology among everyone in the business. How AI will make individuals and teams more successful is a key message to get across.
We’ve tested loads of AI-created (and partially GenAI-created) ads, using our own AI-based creative evaluation tools, and you can be sure of one thing: just because it’s made using GenAI, it doesn’t mean that an ad is any better or worse than one that relies more on humans. In an AI-driven world, brands need to maintain and improve their meaningful difference on a constant basis and fundamental marketing skills will always be an essential part of the puzzle.
The industry should avoid being a grumpy King Canute, trying to prevent new technology from taking over. Instead, we have the privilege of being able to shape what GenAI can do, figure out what marketing could look like in 25 years – and work back from there. Vast datasets on consumer behavior, trends and competitor activity can be analyzed using GenAI, which can also uncover hidden patterns and predict market shifts that previously haven’t been possible.
What the brightest minds should be working on now is making sure that brands, with all their investment and cultural power and potential to drive growth - reign supreme, in a world where most content is made, and distributed, by GenAI.
Role-specific training for anyone working in marketing or advertising is vital today, as is cross-company collaboration. Meanwhile, agencies of all types realize the threat (if you don’t use AI, someone else will) and the opportunity – to disrupt yourself and forge new paths.
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