In our last issue, we explored how online experiences are increasingly personalized to meet and anticipate users’ desires and requirements. Much of this customization is enabled by our next trend:
Artificial Intelligence: The good, the bad, and the misspelled.
AI has had a significant impact in recent years, and its integration into marketing is expected to continue growing through 2025. With its extensive capabilities, AI can be used by marketers for both positive and negative purposes. As consumers encounter AI-generated content, they are also forming their own opinions about what they consider “good” and “bad.”
AI Ad Process Integration
The integration of AI significantly streamlines the process of creating digital ads.. Marketers can use Google’s AI tools to test different ad creatives, optimizing their performance based on data and trends. These tools experiment with various combinations of images, headlines, and descriptions to discover the most effective ad sequence. While consumers may not be aware, these AI tools operate behind the scenes to create tailored ads that resonate with their interests.
Our Thoughts
Google’s use of AI in ad placement and creation offers great benefits for cost-conscious digital marketers looking to enhance their advertising effectiveness. This technology allows marketers to compete on a level playing field for ad placements. While these advancements are helpful for advertisers, those concerned about privacy may have reservations about how their data is used in crafting these algorithms, which can result in a sense of being manipulated.
AI-Generated Content Integration
For a successful ad campaign, Google mandates various images, headlines, and descriptions. Marketers are increasingly using AI not only to arrange and combine these creative elements, but to generate the assets themselves. By harnessing AI, they can automate the creation of images and text for their advertisements.
Our Thoughts
Although AI can save time and resources by producing creative content, it still struggles with crucial elements of creativity: emotion and ethics. While such content can help fill advertising needs, consumers are often able to sense a lack of authenticity from brands. Therefore, it’s essential to leverage AI effectively in digital advertising while ensuring it does not overshadow the core values of creativity and integrity.
Ethical Usage of AI
Consumers are increasingly aware of the content they engage with and want to know a brand’s values and ethical practices before investing. They prioritize information on inclusivity, sustainability, and transparency. Creative, strategic, and emotional content boosts engagement and click-through rates while effectively representing the brand.
This ethical focus in AI usage affects both major brands and independent artists. For example, pop singer Kesha faced criticism for using AI-generated cover art for her single “Delusional.” Critics argued that she should connect more authentically with her audience rather than rely on cost-effective AI art, which also suffered from flaws like misspellings and warped visuals that compromised quality.
Our Thoughts
Like AI-generated Google ads, these methods can be more affordable in the short run. However, when ethics are ignored and authenticity is absent, consumers tend to have a negative perception of brands. Offering transparency, such as clarifying how consumer data is used and presenting authentic content, fosters the trust that users expect from brands.
Comments on Kesha’s Instagram post criticize her use of AI. Many users point out flaws in the image and express a desire for her to collaborate with a real photographer and artist, especially since she identifies as an independent artist.
Key Takeaways
The use of AI goes beyond mere personalization. It will continue to be integrated into the digital marketing process, helping marketers save time and money while delivering effective advertisements. However, marketers should proceed with caution in their use of AI, as it can easily cross ethical boundaries and strip ads of personality and emotion.
Up Next
In our next issue, we’ll explore how incorporating video content into digital media has transformed brands and what exciting trends we can look forward to in 2025.