Marketers have always been at the forefront of technological innovation from identifying ways to put new platforms to work to connect with buyers – think of television and social media — to the marketing stacks they use at work to organize everything from content to lead flow and qualification. Today, marketers find themselves at the beginning of a new era as AI moves from hype-cycle to execution in the field.
In a period of rapid change in any field – but particularly in marketing – collaboration is essential to navigating the opportunities and pitfalls of new tools and technologies. With generative AI tools like Midjourney, for example, collaboration between all parts of the marketing team from content producers to designers is essential. In the case of Midjourney, working in concert helps build better prompts that, in turn, produce richer images that convey the essential messages to capture audience attention and get them started on their buyer’s journey.
Collaboration is also essential when it comes to how to use these new tools. It’s certainly tempting to unleash generative AI tools and see what comes of their use and application. However, as with all new tools, there are always obstacles, challenges, and even legal issues to consider. With ChatGPT, for example, it’s important for marketers to consider to what degree it can, or should, be used as a content creation tool. Or should generative AI be used only for research?
For generative AI tools that create images, like Midjourney, the need to discuss how to use and deploy extends beyond agreement within a marketing team and has legal implications. While preliminary decisions have been handed down regarding the inability to copyright AI images, there are likely to be further challenges. Moreover, AI images that incorporate images created by humans create a separate body of legal issues, particularly for corporations. In other words, developing acceptable use policies that support marketers in their desire and interest in putting these tools to work, without opening the core business up to legal challenges, is essential.
As 2024 approaches, marketers are truly at the beginning of a new era, not only in how they engage with buyers, but also the tools they use to create and deliver content. While AI is often portrayed as removing the marketer from the work process, what it actually does is change the role of the marketer, and this applies to generative AI in particular. With generative AI tools the content and images that would have been created in silos can now be created collaboratively. This meeting of the minds – both human and digital – will likely result in a stronger marketing campaign that can be put into market more quickly, and deliver more insights, and ultimately identify more buyers ready to take the journey from prospect to customer.
