AI For Marketing - More Or Less
If you think you're behind with integrating generative AI into your marketing approach - well think again. If you're even thinking it through, you're well ahead of the game.
It’s Monday, Robert here - and it’s time for TCA’s LENS.
Where’s Kate!! The world seems to be in a bit of an uproar about the status of The Princess of Wales. Things only got more frothy over the last week following the discovery that a recent photo had been doctored.
For the moment, it’s certainly drowning out the “where’s my AI” pleas that seem to be all over social media. Every other post is either a humble-brag about how AI is saving their proverbial marketing world, or a complaint about how it’s not reallllly all that and a bag of chips (sorry folks - that’s a GenXer reference there… Know your GenX meme…. )
Anyway….. Before we get to the rest of the best….
<quickly puts on sales hat>
Hey there we’ve recently upped our whole service offering. TCA provides all kinds of new content and marketing services now. Simply said: we’re here to roll up our sleeves and help you with your marketing and/or content challenges as a fractional partner. We can not only help you roadmap your approach, but we can serve as a fractional member to get it implemented, managed and measured. Check this out if you want to learn a little more. Or, hey, send us a message and let’s set up a call. Spring has sprung and we’re ready for new clients.
<removes sales hat>
Okay… in today’s edition.
AI For Marketing - More Or Less
Sam Altman creates clickbait?!? I’m shocked.
Liquid Death proves that brand is the most valuable thing
Let’s roll….
ZOOM LENS: AI FOR MARKETING - MORE OR LESS
Are you thinking about AI for your marketing approach.
Well let’s dispel a myth going around right now. You are not behind if you haven’t fully integrated generative AI into your marketing or content strategy.
Few companies have integrated, and far fewer have it all figured out.
I was watching this video last week and I was struck by something Anthropic co-founder Benjamin Mann said at a recent conference:
“The largest companies in the world, including tech, banks, retailers, etc., are moving forward with this technology. One large bank we were talking to came to us and they said, ‘We’ve been talking to everyone in the company, and we have over 500 different use cases that we want to apply large language models to.’ That’s really incredible — and they don’t even know where to start.”
Benjamin Mann, Co-Founder Anthropic
Let’s be clear: Going to a technology provider with 500-plus use cases for the application of any technology is not just useless; it’s counterproductive. It reminds me of the wasteful early days of enterprise content and marketing software when shiny, demo-driven features drove tech decisions. It didn’t matter that your company couldn’t produce enough content or data for things the tech could do (like personalization). It was new and the demo looked amazing, so you developed a use case and purchased it.
AI For Marketing: Is it ‘do more with less’?
Meanwhile, people talk about AI for marketing as a way to “do more with less.” How many times over the last 20 years have content and marketing teams heard that phrase? It’s like a drumbeat in our ears now.
And it never seems to matter whether budgets are going up or down. The only nuance is which word to emphasize — more or less.
Are you asked to do more stuff with fewer resources? That’s being creatively productive. Or are you asked to milk more results from fewer capabilities or resources? That’s being more efficient.
Ultimately, those are the questions to ask as you apply an AI for marketing strategy.
Almost every time we’ve done a get-ready-to-be-ready-for-AI audit with content and marketing teams, it has turned out that the best use cases add capabilities while taking the same (and sometimes more) resources. In other words, the company will add AI technology to make things possible that it couldn’t previously do. The least valuable use cases replace human talent with AI.
The tension of what to emphasize in “doing more with less” is subtle but important to get straight.
Check out the rest of my article here.
Have an awesome week.
WIDE ANGLE LENS: MARKETING SNAPS
Let’s get it all in frame. Shall we?
🧑🏭 95%+ - The amount of work done by agencies and creative services teams that Sam Altman predicts will be handled completely by AI.
Uhhhh…. yeah, so should we just fold up our tents and go home. While I totally understand why Sam said it - here’s why I think quotes like that are so dangerous.
💰 $1.4 Billion - The the total valuation now of Liquid Death the canned water brand after it announced a new $67million investment. Just remember something. It’s. Canned. Water. They’re selling canned water called Liquid Death - and sold $263 million worth last year. Differentiated product? Ha! It’s all brand.
💳 67,000 - The number of new orders for Cash App’s new glitter debit card in the first 24 hours. Damn. They had a big presence on TikTok. This uh… TikTok content thing just might, you know, be a thing.
LENS FLARE: - TCA Events & Happenings For You
Our Content Orchestration Webinar Is Available On-Demand
If you missed our live webinar this month - the replay is now up and ready for you. TCA’s Cathy McKnight has an awesome in-depth interview with Liana Cave, Hilton’s Director of Content Orchestration. They talked about how Hilton has pivoted their content strategy over the last few years, and some of the key lessons learned for you to build greater speed, consistency and a seamless content supply chain in your business. Check It Out
Don’t Miss Our Upcoming Webinar
We’re going to be talking about the new ways you might engage with temporary strategic content and marketing talent (yeah, we know it’s kinda meta). This month’s webinar is: Unlocking Immediate Expertise and Boosting Long-term Team Talent with Fractional Expertise. We’ll have some best practices for sure.
LENS CAP: Let’s Finish With A Flourish
As you enter what may be challenging times with the application of generative AI, you may see executives, colleagues, or even yourself tempted to transition away from measuring your ability to create more value and toward doing more things as inexpensively as possible. This transition sometimes comes with a preface, “Don’t worry, it’s just transitory. We’ll be back to growth soon enough.”
But don’t behave illogically — make sure you’re not institutionalizing bad content experiences. A much wiser approach is to redouble your creativity as you face the reality of fewer resources.
You might learn not to focus on “do more with less” but rather on achieving “less is more.”
It’s your story. Tell it well.
Again, if you need some help - we can help you sort that out - let us know.
Our aim is to help you build YOUR internal capabilities, not have you rely solely on ours. Talent. Training & Trusted Insight.
See you next week.
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