All in on AI: How AI is Revolutionizing Marketing

Join us for a FREE webinar on January 30, 2025 at 12 p.m. around this 2025 Marketing Trend + Insight.

Jennifer Spangler, Senior Account Director at Ideas Collide, will share her insights and knowledge around AI, including how your brand can explore tailored experiences to efficient campaigns and how AI is redefining modern marketing.

In this ever-evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform how brands connect with customers. From enhancing personalization and efficiency in marketing to revolutionizing search and expanding legislation, AI will still be the buzzword in the coming year.

Personalization at Scale

AI’s ability to deliver personalized experiences at scale is one of its most significant advantages. Traditional marketing methods often struggle to provide individualized experiences to a large audience. However, AI-powered agents and tools can analyze vast amounts of customer data to deliver tailored content and recommendations in real time.

For instance, AI can personalize email marketing campaigns by analyzing recipient behavior and preferences. This ensures that each customer receives content relevant to their interests, increasing engagement and conversion rates. Similarly, AI enhances social media interactions by suggesting personalized content and ads based on user behavior.

Efficiency in Marketing

AI is also transforming marketing efficiency. By automating various aspects of the marketing process, AI reduces the time and effort required to plan and execute campaigns. This helps brands respond quickly to market trends and customer needs, staying ahead of the competition.

For example, AI can automate the creation and optimization of ad campaigns, ensuring they reach the right audience at the right time. This not only saves time but also improves the effectiveness of the campaigns. By combining AI with your first-party data, digital marketing campaigns can serve a vast array of ad variants looking at imagery, copy, offer, landing page, timing and more, all while delivering the cost effectiveness of programmatic advertising.

AI-powered chatbots, whose skills are only growing, can handle customer inquiries, providing instant responses and freeing up human agents to focus on more complex tasks.

The Rise of AI Search

AI is revolutionizing the way customers search for and discover information, products, and services. AI-powered search engines and recommendation systems can understand natural language queries and provide more accurate and relevant results. This improves the customer experience by making it easier for them to find what they are looking for.

Platforms like SearchGPT and Perplexity.ai are becoming the new front door for product research and purchasing decisions, displacing traditional search engines like Google. In fact, Gartner predicts that we will see a 25% drop in traditional search volume by 2026 — and because of this, they also predict a 50% decrease in organic web traffic by 2028. Just as marketers had to adjust their content strategies to align with changes in Google or Bing algorithms, we now need to start adjusting for AI semantic search, such as Google Search Generative Experience (SGE). Unlike traditional keyword-based search, semantic search focuses on comprehending the intent and context behind a user’s query, leading to more intuitive and user-friendly search experiences. This new approach has been dubbed Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and will be a buzzword for 2025.

Marketers will need to adapt their traditional strategies to offset potential losses to revenue and leads by leveraging GEO, switching up channel investments, utilizing the hyper personalization that AI offers, and potentially re-examining traditional channels like email and direct mail.

Beyond Prompts

In 2024, AI was about understanding prompts and how we could use them to perform tasks like research or writing. As we move into 2025, the discussion will progress onto AI agents — programs that can engage with their environment, collect data, and independently decide what tasks are needed to reach your stated goals.

Legislation Around the Use of AI

From copyright to misinformation to data privacy, governments have started weighing in on the use of AI. In in the U.S. in 2024 there was a significant surge in AI-related legislation, often at the state level. Policymakers and regulators are grappling with how to govern this transformative technology, balancing innovation with consumer protection.

Copyright

The U.S. Copyright Office has stated that only materials created by a human are eligible for copyright protection, so AI-generated content does not fit that parameter. However, works that are based on AI-generated content and transformed with “sufficient” new creative expression can be an exception to the rule. In that instance, however, the copyright will only protest the human-authored aspects of the work. This is an important distinction — one that marketers need to recognize when they’re thinking of using that blog post written by ChatGPT or an image created by MidJourney.

Federal and State Regulations

In the United States, there is no comprehensive federal AI regulation, but several key developments have taken place at both the federal and state levels. The National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act coordinates the use of AI across federal agencies, emphasizing safety, transparency, and accountability. Former President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on AI outlines principles for safe and trustworthy AI development, including consumer protections and privacy.

At the state level, various regulations address specific AI applications. For example, Illinois’s Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act regulates the use of AI in video interviews, while California’s AI Transparency law is designed to inform users when content is AI-generated in an attempt to combat misinformation and deepfakes. The Colorado AI Act is one of the most comprehensive, focusing on high-risk AI systems and attempts to avoid algorithmic discrimination and mandates disclosures to consumers. These regulations aim to ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically.

International Reactions

The EU also launched its first ever legal framework on AI in 2024, which outlines requirements and obligations that developers and deployers have regarding the use of AI. It is the most comprehensive and ambitious AI regulation to date and melds with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) passed in 2018, which has implications for AI systems that process data.

Additionally, China is actively developing a robust legal framework for AI. And though it has not been enacted yet, there are already several regulations governing the development and use of AI technologies.

Data Privacy

Data privacy concerns and legislation are only expected to increase over the next few years as AI models require more and more data for training. Businesses need to keep reviewing their privacy policies to ensure that they are keeping up with data protection regulations. Brands that are seen as transparent and prioritizing user consent will play an even larger role in consumer choice.

Takeaways

By leveraging AI-powered agents and tools, brands will be able to deliver more tailored experiences, launch faster go-to-market campaigns, and create meaningful connections with their customers. As AI continues to evolve, staying informed about regulatory developments and best practices will be essential for leveraging its full potential.

Embracing AI is not just about staying competitive, it’s about driving growth and innovation in the digital age. By understanding and harnessing the power of AI, brands can unlock new opportunities and achieve greater success in their marketing efforts.

Here at Ideas Collide, we have embraced AI for years, starting with our partner Botco.ai. And we predicted its coming impact in our 2023 Marketing Trends + Insights report. If you are interested in seeing how AI can help your business grow, reach out today.

AI is also transforming marketing efficiency. By automating various aspects of the marketing process, AI reduces the time and effort required to plan and execute campaigns. This helps brands respond quickly to market trends and customer needs, staying ahead of the competition.