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Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work

The evolution of marketing and creative organizations in the era of AI

By David Iscove, Sue Wolski

Originally appeared on ANA.net

The rise of digital technology has played a significant role in shaping the future of marketing and creative work. The proliferation of channels and the need for automation to use those channels have become crucial for businesses to effectively connect with their customers. On the consumer side, the popularity of digital media has led to a greater demand for personalized customer experiences — 80 percent of consumers in a 2018 Epsilon Research study that surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults say they are more likely to shop brands that offer a personalized customer experience (CX).

Together, the rapid adoption of digital technology and digital media have made data a vital asset to marketers in understanding customer behavior and delivering personalized experiences. And in the era of AI, marketers with robust data programs are likely to find themselves in a uniquely ideal position.

AI has a crucial role in the future of marketing and creative, enabling businesses to gain in-depth customer insights, deliver personalized experiences, generate compelling content, and drive exceptional engagement. As AI continues to advance, marketers and creative professionals must embrace its potential and build teams to leverage its capabilities to remain competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

The Changing Organization

The changing work in marketing and creative organizations comes with a change in needed skillsets, process, and organizational structure.

The traditional siloed structure and method of working is giving way to more cross-functional teams. Disruptive models break down barriers between expertise to enable personalized, seamless experiences. Teams cross boundaries and are formed around customer needs and journeys, with diverse skillsets working together fluidly.

Collaboration between marketing, data science, design, and technology is essential. Delivering personalized experiences relies on the integration of creative abilities, analytical insight, technical implementation, and user experience sensibilities. Breaking down walls between these domains creates a unified focus on the customer.

Agile methodologies and a culture of continuous learning become vital in this new working relationship. The pace of change demands iterative delivery models versus rigid, sequential workflows. Teams must be dynamic and responsive, pivoting based on customer data and market conditions. A flexible, growth-oriented mindset that prioritizes rapid experimentation and skills development is required.

Other disruptive models coming to fruition in the work environment include the hub-and-spoke model with a central CX team (the hub) working with business units (the spokes) to drive customer focus across the organization; customer advisory boards consisting of customers who provide regular feedback to advise CX improvements; and a new chief customer officer or customer experience officer role that leads an enterprise-wide CX strategy with execution from the top down.

Role Transformation

Generative AI is changing the landscape of content creation, with marketers and creative professionals experiencing several transformative changes in their roles.

First, generative AI enables marketers and creatives to produce content faster, reducing the time required for manual production. This allows marketers to meet the increasing demand for content in today's fast-paced digital environment.

Second, generative AI opens up new possibilities for creativity. AI-powered creativity tools such as Adobe Firefly, which Adobe positions as a natural extension of tools like Photoshop and Illustrator, introduce a new level of creativity to marketing operations and content creation. These tools can deepen the customer experience by helping to generate innovative ideas. They empower marketers and creatives to untether creative thinking and experiment with new concepts.

Generative AI inverts the composition of agency workforces, shifting from production-heavy teams to more senior creative roles paired with AI tools. Roles expected to thrive include creative problem-solvers, such as creative directors, strategists, and writers who can effectively ideate and direct AI in a creative manner; prompt engineers and AI trainers who are responsible for optimizing AI outputs; and experts in strategy, data, and digital marketing who understand customer insights and conversion.

Strategies for Success

As AI technology continues to evolve, it is important for marketing and creative professionals to embrace it as a tool to enhance their work by looking for opportunities to automate repetitive tasks, leverage AI-driven analytics for deeper insights, and use AI-powered tools to optimize campaigns and personalization efforts. By embracing AI, teams can free up valuable time and focus on strategic thinking, innovation, and creativity. There are a number of ways to prepare for and optimize AI:

  • Foster a culture of continuous learning. The rapid pace of technological advancements requires marketing and creative professionals to constantly update their skillsets.
  • Build cross-functional teams. Collaboration is crucial. Break down silos and foster collaboration between marketing, data science, design, and technology teams.
  • Focus on CX. In an AI-driven era where personalization is key, prioritize delivering exceptional customer experiences.
  • Stay agile and experiment. The future of work demands an agile mindset and a willingness to experiment.
  • Invest in creativity and innovation. While AI and automation can enhance efficiency, it is crucial to continue investing in creativity and innovation.
  • Maintain data privacy and ethics. With increased personalization and AI-powered analytics, brand teams will need to prioritize data privacy and ethical practices.
  • Adapt to changing consumer preferences. Brand marketers should keep a finger on the pulse of evolving consumer preferences and behavior to stay ahead of the curve.

By implementing these strategies, marketing and creative organizations can thrive in the future, leveraging AI and personalized customer experiences to deliver exceptional results. To drive growth, brand teams must stay adaptable, keep learning, and embrace the opportunities that the evolving landscape brings.

David Iscove leads the technology consulting practice and Sue Wolski leads the creative operations consulting practice, both at Cella by Randstad Digital, a partner in the ANA Thought Leadership Program. You can connect with David and Sue at d.iscove@cellainc.com and s.wolski@cellainc.com.