The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in the marketing realm isn’t merely a fleeting trend; it’s an evolution. Certain marketers, in particular, have been pivotal in driving AI’s integration and even able to position themselves at the front of the shift. They’re not only familiarizing themselves with the nuances of AI but actively becoming experts as well. The marketing profession, having already dabbled in AI for tasks such as personalization and automated customer service, seems poised for the next AI frontier: generative AI.

This new wave promises to reshape the competitive landscape, compelling marketing suppliers to specialize and cultivate a distinct expertise. However, with great power comes great responsibility; and safeguarding and data regulations are paramount. 

Right at the forefront of consumer research and understanding AI in marketing is expert, Dr. Denise Dahlhoff, Senior Researcher of Consumer Research at The Conference Board. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Lauder Institute for Management and International Studies at The Wharton School. Dahlhoff has decades worth of marketing and researching skills, and has contributed to research at the institution for more than 10 years. 

She detailed the ways in which marketers have utilized AI to expand their job roles, and their work is sparking a major shift in the use of generative AI.

Dr. Dahlhoff’s Thoughts on Young Marketers

“Marketing suppliers could develop deep expertise in using AI for certain applications such as generating specific types of content, marketers use AI as a productivity tool, for example, to summarize content, do the leg work, personalized content, and produce content faster. Junior and mid level marketers currently are the lead users of AI, according to our research. This group of marketers is the one most likely to advance their AI knowledge during work time, which suggests that AI is an important part of their job. They are AI expertise positions junior and mid-level marketers to help shape the evolution and adoption of AI in their organizations.

“It also sets them up to be great, reverse mentors for senior colleagues by sharing their AI knowledge with them. So, what does this adoption of AI tools and marketing mean for industry standards and best practices across the industry? Marketers have actually used AI for some time already for personalization and automated customer service for example, and therefore, the marketing profession may be further along the AI learning curve, especially junior and mid level professionals, who according to our research are the biggest AI users currently. As a result, there’s already a certain industry standard, when it comes to the use of AI.

Dr. Dahlhoff’s Thoughts on Generative AI

“What is more recent is the boom in generative AI, which could spark new competition to deploy it for various marketing applications. The companies that may benefit the most are those that are able to leverage generative AI, while controlling the quality of AI data sources, filtering out false information in deep fakes and respecting IP and other legal policies to not harm a brand’s reputation. As AI tools become more prevalent in marketing workflows and their efficiencies become commonplace, how will the competitive edge among marketing services and partners change and why? AI is a tool and asset that company, both brands and marketing service suppliers, can leverage just like data analytics, for example. The AI boom offers marketing services a new basis to differentiate themselves through novel and specialized users of AI.

“For example, marketing suppliers could develop deep expertise in using AI for certain applications, such as generating specific types of content or automated customer service that gets closer to the level of service provided by human service associate, or they could develop AI expertise for certain industries. This specialization could also help to develop expertise in managing the risk and constraints of using AI, including verifying data sources, double checking the content produced, and comply with applicable data regulation. The competition to utilize AI for business impact could boost marketing services, customer experience, and ultimately financial results.”