The term Ai (artificial intelligence) cannot have escaped you because Ai is sooo hot in 2023! In this blog, we dive deeper into the ways Ai (aka artificial intelligence) can help you improve your brand's marketing strategy. We cover the benefits of Ai but also list some of the challenges and considerations associated with using artificial intelligence in marketing so you can make an informed decision about integrating artificial intelligence into your marketing or brand strategy.

What is Ai

Technically speaking, Ai is a form of computer science that aims to create machines and software that can perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence. This includes tasks such as understanding natural language, recognizing images, making decisions and learning from experience. Artificial intelligence can be divided into two main categories: weak and strong Ai. Narrow or weak Ai, which is designed to perform specific tasks. General or strong Ai, which is designed to perform any intellectual task a human can perform.

The IBM 702: a computer used by the first generation of AI researchers.

History Ai

The history of artificial intelligence goes back to the 1950s. A group of researchers at Dartmouth College proposed the idea of creating "thinking machines" that could mimic human intelligence. This proposal marked the beginning of Ai research, which has since grown into a wide range of techniques and technologies.

In the early days of Ai research, the focus was on developing algorithms and techniques that could perform specific tasks, such as chess or solving mathematical problems. These early Ai systems were based on rule-based systems and used simple algorithms to make decisions.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Ai research shifted to using knowledge-based systems, which relied on a large database of knowledge to make decisions. These systems could perform tasks such as diagnosing medical conditions and providing expert advice in a variety of areas.

In the 1990s, Ai research began to focus on the use of machine learning, a method of making computers learn from data rather than relying on explicit instructions. This led to the development of more sophisticated Ai systems that could learn and adapt to changing situations.

In recent years, interest in artificial intelligence has picked up thanks to advances in computer hardware, data storage and processing, and machine learning algorithms such as deep learning and neural networks. This has led to the development of Ai systems that can perform tasks such as image recognition, natural language processing and autonomous decision-making.

Today, Ai is used in a wide range of applications, from self-driving cars and medical diagnosis to financial analysis and customer service. As the field of artificial intelligence continues to evolve, we can expect even more advanced and sophisticated Ai systems in the future.

Google's self-driving ai controlled car takes a lap around a parking lot

Examples Ai

There are many examples of the use of artificial intelligence in different situations. Here are some examples:

Self-driving cars

Ai is used to analyze sensor data, such as cameras, to navigate through roads and avoid obstacles.

Virtual assistants

Ai-driven virtual assistants such as Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant can understand and respond to natural language voice commands.

Image and face recognition

It is used to analyze photographs and video images to identify and track people and objects.

Medical diagnosis

Artificial intelligence is used to analyze medical images. These include X-rays and MRIs, to help doctors make diagnoses.

Fraud Detection

It is also used to analyze financial transactions and detect patterns that may indicate fraudulent activity.

Personalized recommendations

Artificial intelligence is used to analyze customer data, such as browsing and purchase history, to make personalized product recommendations.

Natural language processing

Ai-driven NLP (natural language processing sytems) are used to understand and generate human language in tasks such as translation, speech recognition and text summarization.

Ai playing games

The software is used to play games such as chess, Go and poker on a superhuman level.

Robotics

It is also used to control robots, drones and other autonomous machines so they can navigate and perform tasks in unstructured environments.

Predictive maintenance

Artificial intelligence is used to analyze sensor data from industrial equipment and predict when maintenance is needed, reducing downtime and extending equipment life.

These are just a few examples: Ai is being applied in numerous sectors and fields and is expected to have a major impact on the way we live and work.

Leveraging Ai in your marketing

By using artificial intelligence in your marketing, you can create more personalized, effective campaigns that are more likely to catch on with your brand's target audience. Here are some ways Ai can be used in your marketing:

Segmentation

It can be used to segment your customer base by analyzing data such as demographics, purchase history and browsing habits. This can help you identify specific groups of customers who are more likely to be interested in your products or services. By segmenting your audience, you can create more targeted campaigns that are more likely to succeed.

For example, a fitness company can use artificial intelligence to analyze customer data, such as fitness level, training preferences and demographics. The ai algorithm segments the customer base into different groups, such as "beginner," "intermediate" and "advanced" fitness levels. The company can then create targeted marketing campaigns for each segment, such as offering beginner-friendly workout classes and promoting advanced workout equipment for experienced customers.

Personalize

Ai can also be used to personalize your marketing message by analyzing data about individual customers. This can help you create more relevant and engaging content that is more likely to be shared and acted upon. Personalization can be done at different levels, from simple personalization such as using the customer's name in the message, to more advanced personalization such as recommending products or services that the customer is more likely to be interested in.

For example, as a gym, you can use Ai to analyze customer data such as training history, fitness goals and purchase history. The Ai algorithm creates personalized workout plans and nutrition recommendations for each customer. It can then send personalized emails to customers with their workout plans, as well as make personalized product recommendations, such as recommending a protein powder for customers who often buy workout supplements.

Content creation

This part of Ai received a lot of attention early this year as Ai became free and easy to use for the general public through Chatbots such as ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a tool developed by OpenAI that can generate human-like text based on patterns and information it has been trained on. It can be used for a wide range of natural language processing tasks, such as translation, text summaries, question answering and more. In particular, the ability to give the software assignments for writing articles received a lot of attention recently. Especially after some high school students were caught having their reports written by Ai.

ChatGPT can be used to generate content by entering a question or topic, then the tool generates text based on the patterns and information it is trained on. For your brand, ChatGPT can be used to generate product descriptions, blog posts and social media content, among other things.

For example, a fitness company can enter a question into ChatGPT such as "Write a caption for a post featuring a new workout device" and then ChatGPT can generate a catchy and engaging text that highlights the benefits of the new device and encourages people to try it.

It is important to note that the generated text may require some editing and proofreading before publishing, but it can save time and effort in creating content.

ChatGPT is a tool that can generate human-like text based on patterns and information it has been trained on.

Using Ai to create content

ChatGPT's results seem impressive at first glance, yet you notice a difference in human-generated text and ai-generated text. For example, the style of writing is bland. For example, if you want emotion added to the instruction, the ai mainly uses adjectives such as "wonderful," "amazing" and "tremendous."

This does not yet make the work of an author or copywriter directly replaceable by Ai. What is clear is that simple texts such as news releases, summaries and short reviews can now be drafted by Ai. Possibly with a little help from a human editor. This makes AI a useful tool for your content strategy.

Challenges implementing Ai in marketing strategy

The main issue is how you use the new developments. While it seems unlikely that Ai will take over the role of good writers, it can be a valuable addition to the tools you use now for writing, for example.

Ai's strength is that it can take over tedious work from people, such as researching, rewriting, generating ideas, translating a text into other words or summarizing a text. Ai is efficient at performing tedious writing and research work.

For content creation, you can put your focus on what you are good at and use Ai as a tool to make your work easier, more fun and faster. This way, you make the most of the advantages of Ai, combined with the power of a human touch.

It is not expected that Ai will completely take over the role of content creators and that Ai will become and remain more of a tool.

Future Ai

The future of Ai in marketing strategy and branding looks bright. Artificial intelligence can process vast amounts of data, analyze customer behavior and generate insights that can help companies create more personalized and effective marketing campaigns.

One of the key areas where artificial intelligence is expected to have a major impact in the future is personalization. By analyzing customer data, the software can help companies create personalized marketing messages that resonate better with customers. For example, an e-commerce company can use Ai to recommend products to customers based on their browsing history, purchase history and demographics. Similarly, a fitness company can use Ai to create personalized workout plans for its customers based on their fitness level and goals.

Another area where this will have a major impact in the future is that of content creation. Artificial intelligence can be used to generate high-quality content that is more likely to be shared and used. For example, an Ai content creation tool can be used to generate blog posts, social media content and even product descriptions that are more likely to be shared and used by customers. Still, the expectation is not that Ai will completely take over the role of content creators and that Ai will become and remain more of a tool.

All in all, artificial intelligence is expected to play a major role in the future of marketing strategy and branding. By analyzing customer data, generating insights and creating more personalized and effective campaigns, Ai has the potential to help companies create effective marketing campaigns and build stronger brands but to do so in conjunction with and driven by the human forces of empathy and creativity.

(Human) help with your strategy

Is Ai still too early for you or would you prefer a personalized outline of your brand strategy? Then we would love to help you! So if you need help with this you can always contact us.

Were you inspired by this article? Get to work on your online marketing.