"Am I already behind?"
This is the question I get from almost every CMO these days when discussing generative AI. And it's understandable. Marketing is undergoing its biggest disruption since the rise of digital in the early 2000s. Back then, digital natives changed the game while incumbents that didn't adapt quickly were left scrambling.
Now, generative AI threatens to reshape marketing even more fundamentally. Creative production can happen in minutes instead of months. Consumer journeys are becoming hyper-personalized at scale. Innovation is accelerating as AI models process data and insights faster than any human team.
With the marketing landscape shifting so rapidly, even the most forward-thinking CMOs feel behind the curve. The good news is that while generative AI is progressing swiftly, the technology is still new enough that brands have time to adapt if they move swiftly.
Here are three steps you can take right now to start catching up:
#1 Experiment With Generative AI Capabilities
Rather than viewing generative AI as one monolithic technology, see it as a collection of capabilities you can mix and match. Run controlled experiments to see what moves the needle for your brand.
Some ideas:
- Test a generative AI chatbot on your website to handle common customer questions and take pressure off your human support team. Monitor whether it increases conversion rates.
- Use AI image, video or text generation to create a continual stream of fresh social media content tailored to your brand identity. See if it helps grow your follower count and engagement.
- Personalize your website layout, product recommendations and content for each visitor using their buyer persona and past site behavior data. Check if it lifts time-on-site, pages per session and sales.
As you run experiments, generative AI will get better at understanding your business needs and reflecting your brand voice. Small tests today set you up for bigger success as the technology matures.
#2 Prepare Your Data Infrastructure
One of the biggest generative AI misconceptions is that it runs on magic. In truth, like any machine learning tool, its output is only as good as what you put into it.
To train algorithms that uniquely reflect your brand, you need proprietary data — and lots of it. That means getting your data infrastructure up to scratch now by:
- Consolidating consumer data from all touchpoints into a central repository accessible to AI systems.
- Digitizing any remaining analog content or assets such as old campaign creative.
- Cleaning and organizing legacy data so algorithms can make sense of it.
- Setting up ongoing data pipelines from online and offline channels so your AI has a continual flow of fresh, high-quality training data.
This kind of data foundation takes significant investment. But brands willing to do the work now will reap major competitive advantage as their trained AI gets better over time while competitors struggle to catch up.
#3 Sharpen Your Brand Identity
A common early mistake brands make with emergent technologies like AI is chasing trends rather than sticking to their DNA.
Remember — your uniqueness is your strength. As AI makes it possible to spin up campaigns and content faster than ever, resist the temptation to blend in.
Be utterly clear on your brand identity — what makes you distinctive — and ensure your algorithms are trained to generate novelty that fits within those guardrails. Brands that rely on generic AI without constraints risk sounding sterile and homogenous.
This is also important as consumer attention reaches saturation. In a sea of AI-generated content fighting for eyeballs, brands that stand for something specific tend to shine through.
The Future Starts Now
Marketing is living through its "Crossing the Chasm" moment with AI. The incumbents that lean forward despite the uncertainty and confusion will be the ones leading their industries when the technology, and their mastery of it, hits an inflection point.
For forward-looking CMOs more worried about being left behind than getting ahead of their skis, the time to start taking experimental steps with generative marketing is now. Small tests today pay dividends tomorrow as AI becomes faster, smarter and more central to business success.
Brands that understand their strengths, invest in their data assets and judiciously nurture this powerful new set of capabilities will discover incredible opportunity to set themselves apart in a scramble to own the future.
Those that delay will look up and wonder how the world around them changed so profoundly seemingly overnight. Don't let that happen to you and your team. The future starts now.