Unless you’ve been living under a rock since December 2022, you’ll know generative AI has exploded in the last few months.So much so even Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak are calling for a pause on anything more powerful being developed than Chat GPT-4!And whether you’re sick to death of hearing about it or are excited by what’s unfolding, from an agency account manager’s perspective I believe there are a couple of things that are important:
1. Be curious & stay informed
Given AI is going to affect all our lives whether we like it or not, taking an active interest in what’s happening and what’s available is going to ensure you stay current and up to speed in the creative industry.As the author of the book “Marketing AI” Paul Roetzer says “AI won’t replace your job but people who don’t use AI will be replaced with people who do”.Tips:
a) Attend “Introduction to AI for Marketers” live webinar on April 6th run by the Marketing AI Institute. It’s free, informative and will give you a comprehensive overview.
b) Keep an eye on tools most relevant to what you do as an agency. For example, since OpenAI launched their API, more and more apps/websites/software tools will have ChatGPT capabilities. Shopify is an early adopter so if you build e-commerce websites for your clients this is one to watch.
c) Test Chat GPT3 for free and use it in scenarios where you’re stuck. For example when drafting a client email, to help with client research or ideation.
d) Set up Google Alerts for relevant keywords. For example if you’re working in SEO then create an alert for “AI for SEO” so you receive the latest news
e) Be aware of how content-generating (text, images and video) tools work. For example watch youtube explainer videos on Jasper.ai, Writer.com, Runway and Open AI’s Dall-e 2 for starters.
2. Understand your agency’s POV on AI so you can respond to clients
The Drum recently published an article “Not every campaign needs to use generative AI, but how do you tell your clients that?”It’s a collection of quotes from agency leaders who have been responding to clients when they ask about AI. You can see each agency leader has a clear point of view.For example, one of my favourite quotes is:“We rarely guide clients away from the bandwagon, but instead help them understand how they can experiment, test and learn because what may seem like an overhyped new technology now will be instrumental to business success in the near future.” - Damian Ferrar, senior vice-president, innovation director and global head, Jack X at Jack Morton WorldwideGiven account managers are talking to clients on a daily basis and therefore could be the first to enter into a conversation about AI, I believe you need to be armed with the agency’s POV on AI so when it comes up in conversation you know what to say.If you say nothing, your client may conclude you are unaware of what’s happening, not interested or worse, behind the times.Tips:
a) Ask your agency leadership about its position on AI and if a client wants to understand how the agency is using it, how you can respond. For example one agency says “We have an internal taskforce watching what’s changing with generative AI. We will be periodically updating our clients on what’s possible and how we see it could help drive efficiencies, would it be useful if we shared updates with you when we have them in the future?”.
b) In an article entitled “The future of AI in client-agency relationships” in Marketing Procurement IQ” it encourages brands to ask their agencies questions about AI. It says “brand advertisers should ask the following questions to their agencies”:
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- Are you currently using AI or planning to do so? What are you using it for?
- What AI technology do you use, and how does it work?
- What policy do you have in place to ensure responsible use of AI?
- What specific training are you providing to employees?
- Can you provide examples of AI-generated content you have produced for other brands?
- How do you ensure that the content generated is original and not plagiarized?
- How do you ensure the content produced aligns with our brand voice and tone?
- How do you handle any necessary revisions or changes to the content generated by AI?
- How do you measure the performance and effectiveness of AI-generated content?
- Can you provide data and insights to support the ROI of using AI for content creation?
- What performance improvement are you hoping to achieve?
- What is your process for ensuring that what is produced complies with all legal and ethical standards?
c) Consider how your cost estimates could be more closely scrutinised in the future by ‘AI savvy’ clients (or Procurement) who perhaps are more aware that AI tools can save time and money. For example, Coca-Cola has a deal with Bain and OpenAI to enhance their marketing efforts. CEO James Quincey said: “We are excited to unleash the next generation of creativity offered by this rapidly emerging technology. We see opportunities to enhance our marketing through cutting-edge AI, along with exploring ways to improve our business operations and capabilities.” Coca-Cola has been a pioneer in using new technologies such as their NFT collectible launch in 2021. Could this be the start of more companies following suit?
