There’s a famous quote on LinkedIn from writer Joanna Maciejewska that perfectly sums up what most people want from artificial intelligence (AI):

“Do you know what the biggest problem with pushing all things AI is? Wrong direction. I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes.”

AI is considered a marketer’s swiss army knife, automating repetitive tasks and freeing up valuable time for strategic thinking. We love it because it provides more scale, more efficiency and more time to focus on the big opportunities. According to our research, 61 percent of Australian marketers have reported saving three or more hours when launching a marketing campaign with the help of AI. More than half (53 percent) also believe the most beneficial aspect of AI in marketing is copywriting for marketing materials.

AI essentially saves marketers time to focus on more important tasks like relationship-building with clients and customers. It also presents new opportunities for creativity, empowering marketers to prioritise innovation and revenue, leaving the traditionally time-consuming, ‘manual lifting’ tasks to AI. 

AI can greatly reduce the time it takes marketers to curate products for campaigns, solving the annoying issue for the end customer to get offered the very pair of shoes they just purchased. Marketers can create custom subject lines tailored to specific contexts, taking into account language preferences, natural language cues and desired creativity levels — all within the user’s omnichannel mix. Our research identified that 63 percent of Australian marketers agree that as well as saving time identifying the best subject line, subject lines written by AI get higher open rates, a benefit enjoyed by many global brands. Betti Bossi, part of Coop Group, is one brand currently piloting this solution.

SAP Emarsys has empowered thousands of marketers to innovate with Predictive AI for over a decade. Tools like the 1:1 product recommendation engine have used machine learning to better understand buyer behaviour and produce product recommendations to enhance marketing campaigns and make them more relevant and meaningful. Such tools help brands analyse their data and turn it into actionable insights, so they can continuously optimise customer experiences to drive loyalty and revenue. We continue to see Predictive AI as a powerful, essential solution that’s transforming the way brands connect with customers, personalise experiences and drive results.

Now we have Generative AI, which, for me, works hand-in-hand with Predictive AI as part of an omnichannel campaign, growing the areas where brands can better meet their customers. Generative AI helps save time by quickly creating relevant personalised, contextual content in those channels, saving marketers hours on tasks that were previously laborious, and therefore empowering them to focus on innovation, revenue and growth.

Our discussions with customers have highlighted their eagerness to use more natural language when asking questions within Emarsys. They often find it challenging to know exactly what to ask. For example, we are exploring how marketers will be able to use natural language to ask questions like, ‘What is my best performing campaign, segment, channel?’ This is very much a future state vision, which illustrates our ongoing efforts to innovate and automate manual tasks, making them more intuitive and efficient for our users.

Today, Australian brands like active apparel retailer Ryderwear are leaning hard into AI. Working with our customer engagement platform, Ryderwear managed to flip the revenue mix. 80 percent now comes from automation and 20 percent from campaigns – a complete reversal in  recent years. Cue Clothing and City Beach are embedding AI into their business models across the globe, using AI to supercharge the way they engage with customers. For example, City Beach won back 48 percent of its defecting customers within 90 days of using SAP Emarsys AI. Meanwhile, musical instrument manufacturer Gibson Brands Inc. embraced AI to grow agility and competitive advantage, achieving an incredible 46 percent uplift in revenue driven by automation in 2024, up from 10 percent when they started working with SAP Emarsys in 2022. Similar stories from other brands build upon an established history for SAP Emarsys in the AI space with AI solutions already used by customers like Brand Alley, Nike Hong Kong and PUMA.  

Our latest SAP Emarsys AI research shows 74 percent of Australian marketers agree that AI is essential to increasing customer engagement in 2024. In fact, three-quarters (76 percent) of Australian marketers are ramping up their investments in AI to boost customer engagement this year. Understanding the convergence of attitudes from consumers and marketers is imperative for retailers to get ahead of the competition. This shows AI is no longer an option, but a must-have for marketers.

Personalisation powerhouse

Perhaps one of the most essential use cases of AI in marketing is creating personalised experiences. It is impossible for any business to keep up with the growing expectations of consumers without AI. AI is essential in ensuring the brand stays ahead of the competition, empowering marketers to gather extensive customer data, and facilitating the creation of highly tailored one-on-one omnichannel strategies that can be automated and expanded efficiently.

AI also employs self-learning algorithms and predictive analytics to anticipate and forecast future events, enhancing the precision of customer behaviour prediction. This is indispensable when it comes to identifying the most relevant and personalised content for individual customers, along with the optimal timing and delivery channels to maximise effectiveness. Our research also backs this with 81 percent of marketers harnessing AI to identify new insights from their customer data that were previously undiscovered. Additionally, the technology can enhance customer profiles by generating predictive scores, indicating the likelihood of conversion, churn, or inactivity. 

Leveraging AI to automatically deliver personalised communications during these crucial moments in the customer journey can significantly impact whether a customer becomes a one-time purchaser or a long-term client. The good news is that with AI there’s no need to manually handle each interaction. 

Why marketers should embrace AI

With the success that brands have witnessed, it’s safe to say marketers understand the benefits of AI. In fact, 43 percent of Australian consumers support further AI integration into retail and 38 percent of consumers are optimistic about AI-powered retail. Seeing the positive results so far, it is clear to marketers that AI is essential to redefine the customer journey and experience.

AI is not a replacement, it’s a partner

Despite these benefits, some marketers fear AI will replace their jobs, but I strongly believe the opposite is true. AI excels at data analysis and automation, freeing up marketers to focus on the creative and strategic aspects of marketing, like developing compelling brand narratives and fostering genuine customer relationships. It is a solution to help marketers take charge of their campaigns and provide customers with a more personalised experience. However, it is crucial to find a balanced approach when leveraging AI to work efficiently. To do this, clear guidelines need to be established around AI being used in a relevant, reliable and responsible manner and providing adequate training for marketers on relevant AI tools. This way AI integration becomes seamless and marketers are clear on how AI can be used, ensuring efficient workflow. 

AI is revolutionising marketing, offering a powerful solution for personalisation, data analysis and automation. By embracing this technology and leveraging its capabilities strategically, marketers can create targeted campaigns, drive exceptional customer experiences and achieve significant business results.

Also, read the other two parts of Harris’ Marketing Mag exclusive three part series on AI.

Part two: An extensive guide on the future of AI in marketing.
Part three: The marketers’ roadmap for implementing AI.