In the last two years since the world began to adopt powerful tools like ChatGPT, the market for creating personalized digital experiences in marketing has completely changed. I want to say, completely. After 20 years leading a multinational consultancy, I realize that the idea that "content is king" is no longer enough to explain the changes in the sector. Content creators and writers need to relearn, requalify and reimagine the digital future from this moment
Believe me, I say this from personal experience. I commanded one of the first cyber warfare units of the United States Department of Defense, and the computing power available today to ordinary marketers is greater than what the world superpowers had a few years ago
This advancement is clearly reflected in the consumption data, according to the 2023 Adobe Analytics annual report, Black Friday shoppers, for example, spent a record US$9,8 billion in online sales in the USA, a rise of 7,5% compared to the previous year. Of this value, US$5,3 billion were spent on mobile device purchases. In Brazil, it is expected that this number will grow to around US$1,4 billion in 2024
And in periods like this, that influences the behavior of the public,knowing how to use the new features is essential to attract new customers, generate more sales and achieve business success.Customer preferences are changing faster than ever, and their expectations of what constitutes an excellent customer experience is an expectation they carry with them in every interaction they have. And with each brand they engage with
What is causing this change in the market?
The barriers to using the computational power of hardware, software, data and AI are disappearing faster than expected. Until recently, only the largest companies could afford the technology and the data scientists needed to provide effective personalization at scale
Today, with leverage opportunities in business, mainly in retail, on dates like Black Friday, knowing how to use technological resources wisely and strategically is essential, even for those who still do not consider themselves ready for AI and the new tools. In this way, there are four main pains that affect many marketers due to these changes and that need to be overcome to achieve success.
4 myths of AI and why they are wrong
So, here are the things that have changed and what this means for marketers around the world and why these myths are wrong
- We do not have enough data
- We do not have enough content
- The data we have is a mess
- We will never be able to share our data
- My company does not have enough data
Even with limited datasets, we can use AI to fill gaps and obtain more accurate estimates about customers. This means that medium-sized and B2B companies can offer personalized experiences based on customer profile data. Specifically, to delve into thedeep learningthat uses an advanced machine learning technique and neural networks to model complex patterns and make predictions with high accuracy, allows identifying patterns within the database. Already thetransfer learningit can also be explored as a technique that reuses insights from datasets generated in a specific task to improve performance in another related activity, allowing accurate predictions and providing personalized experiences, even when the data is scarce
AI can help you prepare and clean your data, enrich them and, in some cases, even filling in gaps if you do not have enough data
- My company does not have enough content
With so many AI tools available today, creatives and writers can create content at the speed of thought.If you have already used ChatGPT, you know it is possible to write a prompt and get a response, but with multimodal AI it is different. Nela, creators can provide a text prompt and ask the AI to produce an image or even a video. And that is what tools like DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion do
Tools like Adobe Experience Cloud offer AI-driven features, like Adobe Sensei, that automate a large part of the personalization process without requiring deep technical knowledge. He uses AI for predictive analysis, personalization and data insights. And with Adobe Firefly, you can create videos of people speaking any language on the planet simply by providing a script and a 3-minute video of the person speaking their native language.The latest version of Google Analytics (GA4) also uses machine learning to provide insights into customer behavior and has easy-to-use integrated clustering and prediction models
AI will not replace marketing professionals, but marketing professionals who know how to use AI will replace those who do not know
- The company's data is disorganized
One of the biggest challenges for companies is to make data useful for both humans and machines. With the growing market trend of becoming more data-driven and allowing both to improve their decisions, the rhythm is accelerated. However, when databases are implemented over the years, each team configures the system for their specific needs: marketing automation systems for marketers, financial systems for business and finance teams, the CRM for the salespeople.Like a machine, these systems often break and leak at the joints
The new category of software calledCustomer Data Platform(CDP) connects customer data silos, creating a unique and actionable view of each customer. This allows personalized marketing, precise segmentation and real-time decision making. By connecting these tools to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, email and SMS, the clients respond.
McKinsey reports that companies that excel in personalization generate 40% more revenue compared to their peers. A study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) found that brands that implemented personalization at scale achieved revenue increases of six to ten percent.
And like a ship, these systems break and leak at the joints. Companies that break down silos and create connected experiences for the customer outperform those that do not
- We cannot share our data
With global regulations such as GDPR and LGPD in Brazil, many companies feel that the ability to collect and share customer data is becoming increasingly restricted. However, a new category of software calledData Clean Roomallows sharing data with business partners in a responsible and ethical manner, about a third of marketing organizations in the US have already adopted this technology, according to a study by the Internet Advertising Bureau and MarTech
For example, imagine that a manufacturer wants to partner with retail stores and distributors that resell its products. Both parties enter into a legal agreement, establish rules about who can see the data, and place selected subsets of their data in the clean data room. None of the companies can see all the data of the other, but they can visualize the overlaps. Frequently, these data are anonymized
What do they do with these insights? We can create audiences for promotions, email marketing or offline campaigns. Furthermore, it is possible to better understand the efficiency of marketing efforts and enrich the information that both parties know about each customer
What do data have to do with content? Data has the power to help us create stories, and stories have the power to inspire us. Therefore, marketers say that "content is king", but the brands that know and interact significantly with customers are the ones that win
Today, modern marketing allows companies to know each customer and interact at the right time and place, with the right content. Many brands are taking advantage of the convergence between technology, hardware, software, data and AI. For example, Starbucks uses the AI platform Deep Brew to analyze purchase data and personalize offers and recommendations, considering factors such as weather and time of day
This approach works for both B2B and B2C. The intimate knowledge of each client and the ability to use that knowledge to interact in a relevant way are fundamental. Therefore, if content is king, the relevance is what makes him reign
In this new digital marketing scenario, it is clear that the integration of technology, AI and data are essential for creating personalized and impactful experiences. Brands that can understand and engage their customers in a meaningful way will be at the forefront, taking advantage of commercial dates like Black Friday to strengthen your strategies. The future of marketing depends on our ability to innovate and adapt quickly, using all available tools to turn data into relevant and engaging stories.
Thus, if content is king, relevance is what guarantees your reign
