The Evolution of Productivity
I’ll begin by transporting you back in time. Thirty years ago, the first spreadsheets and word processors were on the verge of being released. The next major productivity revolution is being anticipated by the whole economic community. At the time, it was promised that we would all spend significantly less time manually calculating numbers, writing, and making slides. And now, thirty years later, the promise has really materialized.
Since I only work two days a week, we all have a ton of free time. I am, of course, joking. Thirty years later, the truth is that we don’t work any less; instead, we create longer Word documents and PowerPoint presentations with fifty slides instead of six. And as a consultant, I say that.
Additionally, our decision-making processes have become far more complex due to the sheer amount of data we now have to process. And why is that important today? Because generative AI is emerging and becoming embedded into the core of organizations, revolutionizing the way we work. This will be the next major productivity transformation. So the real question is, how do we position ourselves to take full advantage of this productivity revolution?
The Impact on Marketing
As a marketer who has spent my entire career in marketing and advising marketing professionals, I recognize that marketing is one of the top functions that will be impacted by AI. Some studies suggest that the productivity increase in marketing due to AI could be as high as 50%.
With such a high potential for automation, we have to ask: How can marketing seize this productivity opportunity? This question is not just relevant for marketers but also for business leaders and consumers alike.
The Transformation of Marketing
It has long been believed that marketing is a very creative, right-brained job. What does that signify? It indicates that marketers have succeeded by comprehending the feelings of their target audience, developing ideal items, producing powerful messaging, and delivering it at the ideal moment.
However, in the past 15 years, with the rise of digital marketing and analytics, marketing has evolved beyond its creative roots. New specialized skill sets have emerged, such as digital marketing and marketing technology expertise.
Now, with generative AI, we are seeing a transformation at the very core of marketing activities. A recent study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Harvard found that even in its current form, ChatGPT improves the right-brain performance of marketers by 40%. Imagine what that number will look like in a year or two.
The Future of Work for Marketers
So what will marketers do with all the extra time AI provides? More yoga? More family time? Will companies allow their employees to work less? Or will companies replace large portions of their marketing teams?
I believe none of these scenarios will fully materialize. If we do not actively steer this productivity revolution, marketers will simply invest their extra time in what they already do best—creating more content and generating more ideas.
For customers, this has both beneficial and detrimental effects. Better personalization results from more content. Imagine getting a completely personalized email from your favorite business that includes pictures of individuals your age and gender, things that genuinely interest you, and even a chatbot that speaks to you like a human.
However, there is a downside: content overload. Many of us already feel bombarded by repetitive marketing messages. Now, imagine if this volume of content increased exponentially while also sounding eerily similar. This lack of diversity in messaging is a real concern, as generative AI is trained on existing content, limiting the divergence of ideas and leading to what I call the “grand equalization of marketing.”
The Solution: Building a Left AI Brain
So how can marketing departments ensure they use AI effectively without losing their creative edge? The key is to develop a “left AI brain” while also preserving the best right-brain creative talents.
What Does It Mean to Grow a Left AI Brain?
Companies need to strategically reskill and reorganize their teams by embedding AI-powered decision-making into the heart of marketing operations. This involves:
- Building teams of marketing data scientists and engineers who create predictive AI tools.
- Using AI to analyze marketing performance and predict outcomes.
- Identifying which creative elements resonate most with audiences.
- Understanding consumer behavior across different channels and touchpoints.
One consumer goods company I recently worked with, for example, established a left AI brain advantage. We worked with them to develop AI tools that were used throughout the company. Every marketer was able to comprehend customer behavior, forecast the sales impact of their activities, and obtain profound insights into the most successful creative methods thanks to these technologies.
The result? A powerful feedback loop that continuously optimized marketing campaigns, supported by a team of over 30 AI-driven marketers who built, customized, and disseminated these tools.
The Risk of Over-Reliance on AI
However, merely having AI-powered tools isn’t enough. There is a risk that brands will become too dependent on AI, leading to a homogenization of marketing efforts. If AI-generated content dominates the field, brands will lose their unique voice and struggle to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.
A Harvard study found that when teams over-rely on generative AI, the divergence of ideas drops by 40%. This means fewer groundbreaking innovations and fewer unique creative insights.
Protecting the Right-Brain Creative Edge
Companies need to find their most innovative and creative workers—those that constantly question the status quo—in order to mitigate this risk. Instead of depending on AI to come up with unique ideas for them, these people need to be carefully retrained to use AI as a tool for inspiration, quick prototyping, and scaling their effect.
Maintaining a balance between AI efficiency and human creativity is essential. The best marketers will be those who:
- Use AI to analyze trends and enhance their creative process.
- Maintain human-driven idea generation to preserve brand identity.
- Experiment with AI-assisted tools to scale their best concepts.
How to Prepare for the Future
So what should marketers do in this new AI-driven era?
- Identify Your Strengths: Are you more creative, or are you data-driven? If you excel in creativity, cultivate that skill and refine your human touch. If you are more analytical, focus on growing technical skills and predictive AI competencies.
- Embrace AI Without Over-Reliance: Use AI as a tool for efficiency but not as a crutch for original thinking.
- Invest in Reskilling: Companies should invest in AI education and training for their employees to ensure they stay competitive in the evolving landscape.
- Protect the Brand Identity: Ensure that marketing efforts remain unique and avoid falling into the trap of generic AI-generated content.
Final Thoughts
The advent of artificial intelligence is changing marketing as we know it. Marketers may leverage AI without compromising the core of their brand by carefully combining AI-driven tools with human innovation. Now is the moment to adjust and clarify your role in this fascinating change, regardless of whether you are a data-driven strategy or a creative visionary.
Every marketer must now choose their brain—will you cultivate your creativity, or will you master AI-driven analytics? The future belongs to those who can successfully do both.
Thank you for reading!