Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: Asking the Wrong Question May Easily Lead to a Failure

The marketing world is profoundly transforming by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its core strategies and processes. Marketers increasingly turn to AI tools to enhance their decision-making, optimize campaigns, and unlock new opportunities.

To begin, let's delve into statistics. In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, attitudes towards AI are shifting dramatically. Recent data reveals that a staggering 50% of marketers are convinced that insufficient AI adoption is a significant impediment to realizing their professional objectives, according to a 2023 report by Mailchimp. Furthermore, a resounding 88% of marketers believe that their organizations must ramp up their utilization of automation and AI technologies to meet customer expectations and remain competitive in today's fast-paced market. These findings underscore the growing recognition of AI as a game-changer in the marketing world, with 54.5% of marketers anticipating that AI will play a pivotal role in greatly enhancing their marketing efforts. Perhaps even more intriguing is that a substantial 71.2% of these professionals are confident that AI can outperform humans in various aspects of their jobs. As marketers increasingly embrace the transformative power of AI, it is evident that a new era of marketing innovation and efficiency is on the horizon. Will it?

However, amidst the excitement, marketers must address crucial considerations and potential pitfalls. In this article, the founder of Startupbrand DNR Marketing Agency, marketing expert, and Vilnius University lecturer Aurelija Šilinskaitė explores one of the most common mistakes that marketers make, especially those new to AI, should be aware of as they harness the power of machine intelligence in their marketing endeavours.

Asking AI the wrong question or incorrect briefing may lead to failure. One common misstep is failing to ask the right questions when using AI for data analysis. “For example, identifying potential defectors instead of determining how to retain customers through promotions. Social media or digital campaigns could go wrong if the right goal is not specified," emphasizes experience Vilnius University lecturer and marketing professional Aurelija Šilinskaitė.

Suppose a well-known fashion retailer utilizes AI to boost its social media engagement and increase brand awareness. Its team formulates the task for AI to maximize likes and shares without considering the actual business goal - increasing sales. The AI diligently analyzes engagement data and recommends posts that significantly increase likes and shares. The retailer's social media presence will skyrocket, but sales won't. The problem is that the posts generating the most engagement are often about unrelated topics or trends, resulting in a large but uninterested audience. While the AI succeeds in increasing brand visibility, it fails to attract the right audience interested in purchasing the retailer's products.

The same principle holds for content generated by AI. Several factors come into play when assigning specific tasks to AI tools for content creation, such as visuals, videos, or similar media. However, the primary rationale is consistent with what was previously discussed. Providing a precise task establishes a well-defined objective for the AI, ensuring a thorough comprehension of the content's intended purpose. This clarity ultimately contributes to creating content that aligns seamlessly with its desired message or purpose.

As an illustration, when utilizing Midjourney, one of the most widely used AI content creation tools, it is essential to adhere to a specific approach when instructing the platform to generate a visual from a given prompt. Simply requesting a depiction of a “blond woman walking in the park” will not yield the desired outcome. To achieve the desired result, it is imperative to specify a range of attributes, including gender, character traits, emotions, location, artistic style, colour palette, mood, tone, rendering techniques, lighting conditions, camera angles, and photographic settings. I highly recommend joining the Midjourney Prompt Tricks community on Facebook, as it has proven to be an invaluable resource for actual content projects. Within this group, members exchange insights freely and offer real-time support, making it a valuable hub for those seeking guidance and collaboration in AI content creation. There are also more AI tools to explore for content creation besides Midjourney - feel free to try Dalle, Adobe Firefly, Jasper art, stability or others.

Yes, it’s essential to grasp how the AI tools work. Still, it’s even more important to understand that any misalignment leads to a waste of marketing resources and a missed opportunity to drive actual business growth if we don't identify the business goal correctly or follow the specific formulas AI loves. I suggest prompt creators consider using ChatGPT, which can effortlessly generate numerous prompts once you clarify the structure and ensure its understanding.

So, clarity is what AI tools like. Setting clear, business-centric goals and vision when utilizing AI in marketing campaigns is important to ensure the technology is used effectively to achieve the desired outcomes. Misaligning objectives can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities. In conclusion, AI is a powerful ally in marketing, but success requires a strategic approach and an understanding of potential pitfalls.

By aligning objectives, recognizing the value-cost balance, leveraging granular predictions, and fostering collaboration with in-house teams of the companies, marketers can unlock AI's full potential and navigate the evolving marketing landscape with confidence. The journey to AI-driven marketing is ongoing, and those who start developing their strategies today will be better positioned to harness its current and future capabilities.