Artificial intelligence in marketing: risks and areas of application

Artificial intelligence has long since reached marketing. The potential applications are diverse. However, there is also a great deal of uncertainty among marketers, as shown by an online survey conducted by MK Marketing & Kommunikation at the end of July. 64.7% of respondents believe that artificial intelligence is particularly useful for the targeted display of online advertising. However, marketers also see great potential in personalization and individualization (62.8 percent) as well as in the automation of processes (58.8 percent).

What are the biggest dangers of using AI in marketing? The marketers surveyed are particularly concerned that empathy could be lost (67.7%). However, cyber attacks (61.3 percent) and a general loss of control (54.8 percent) are also a cause for concern.

"Many people simply don't have the imagination for what AI will bring"Opinions on how artificial intelligence will influence marketing vary widely:"AI can help to ensure that marketing can be tailored even more precisely to customer needs and wishes: Products, offers, prices, etc. However, this does not automatically make customer relationships more personal and individual; rather, their mass occurrence can only be better economized."Dirk Zimmermann, X [iks] Institute for Communication and Service Design"Essential, but artificial intelligence will not replace human intelligence per se."Christian Kleiner, marketinghub AG"AI will gradually be used in various marketing modules and will play a more or less important role for companies depending on the individual response."Christina Engel-Eisbach"Due to the digitalization and standardization of manufacturing processes and their sales markets, the "biomechanical" marketing person is losing more and more influence on marketing. Consumer profiling allows automated approaches. But who knows, is this just the opportunity for marketing to reinvent itself in the future in an empathetic way without data?"Hans-Peter Scholl, Cognita AG"If human intelligence uses artificial intelligence intelligently, it will help to increase efficiency in some areas of marketing."Peter Sigel, Monto Advertising Agency AG"It is to be feared that in future, more and more individual inquiries to help desks with AI will be answered automatically, without empathy and without understanding the actual customer's concerns, with meaningless "standard statements"."Fredy Zurflüh, cce-partner"Artificial intelligence will influence all key areas of daily life: transportation, energy supply, health, food production, etc. In this respect, the use and control of artificial intelligence is not just an issue in marketing, but in our very existence. The central question will therefore be: How do we ensure that A.I. benefits humanity and does not lead to the knockout of our civilization."Adrian Schaffner, evoq communications, Zurich"Artificial intelligence will be able to better target customers and their needs through learning algorithms."Jasmine Brönnimann"It will revolutionize and completely change everything. Many people simply don't have the imagination for what's coming with AI."Dieter Stuber, JUTZLER AG"In a first phase, standard processes in marketing are supplemented by AI, thus relieving the burden on marketers. In a second (integrated phase), AI also learns to deal with process-related workflows, either actively or proactively. AI networks sales/marketing/purchasing/logistics/ better, possible performance/savings can be played out faster/more efficiently, the market is becoming damn fast. Everyone in the industry can benefit from AI. A (higher) specialization will quickly take shape in the market with regard to the increasing complexity of the tools to be used. The overarching marketing manager, marketer and product manager will be (better) supported in their work and decision-making by specialists, AI and tools. However, AI will not replace "the" idea, innovation, time cycles, etc. of the marketer, which is an important part of success."Daniel Fankhauser, Freelance