Key Insights from Campaign's Tech Talks: AI in Advertising

Razorfish was proud to sponsor and participate in Campaign's Tech Talks: AI in Advertising, which provided an in-depth look into the intersection of AI and the greater advertising industry with insights from industry-leading experts. Anthony Yell, joined by Mastercard's Cheryl Guerin and Mailchimp's Jeremy Jones, discussed AI’s disruption to creativity, including its risks and rewards across teams, organizations, and clients. Their session highlighted how marketers would benefit from understanding both the potential and the limitations of AI, as the human element remains at the heart of a meaningful creative strategy. Additionally, the event delved into how AI is transforming the workforce, and shed light on the increasing concerns surrounding brand identity protection.

Below is a deeper dive into the 4 key takeaways from the session:

1. Harness AI effectively by prioritizing the human element and recognizing it as a creative tool, not a strategy. Marketers must understand the capabilities and limitations of AI in order to use it effectively. As Anthony Yell noted, “AI is a tool, not a strategy, created to enhance the creative endeavor and unlock greater creativity.” The human element is at the heart of a meaningful creative strategy and is necessary in making emotional connections that AI cannot.
2. Mitigate brand risks in AI adoption by implementing an AI governance framework. Protecting brand identity as agencies adopt AI technologies and execute campaigns on behalf of brands is a growing concern among marketers. Brands, agencies, and the wider AI industry must adopt an AI governance framework of organizational presets to up-level internally and across clients. Doing so will create a strong foundation for quality control, data privacy, and ethics. Corporations like Razorfish are already putting this responsibility into motion by taking an active stance to help create standards that will drive the responsible use of AI through startup organizations like Coalition for Content Provenance Authenticity (C2PA) and Content Authenticity Initiative. Publicis recently became the first holding company to join the C2PA as a steering committee member.
3. Prepare for the AI-driven future by leaning into AI platforms and tools. According to Matthew Renick of Korn Ferry, in Q1 of 2023, the adoption rate for marketers and advertisers actively using AI as part of their marketing execution was 19%. Today, it is over 56% and the next 5–10 years are expected to follow suit. Job roles within this industry will be reformatted to incorporate AI as required knowledge. Advertising professionals should lean into AI platforms as the future. Exploring these tools internally will impact the customer journey for our clients and their marketing strategies.
4. Embrace the AI revolution by gaining a hands-on understanding of tools and their broader applications. According to Yell, “The platform of an era is upon us.” The industry is leaning into the future, and organizations should embrace this shift by taking advantage of the rapidly growing AI marketplace. Having a hands-on understanding of these tools’ implications and broader applications will help level-up their organizations more effectively, and ultimately, enable new products and experiences that enhance client strategy.

Brands must embrace and effectively prepare for the AI-driven future — we're here to help. Contact us at hello@razorfish.com to schedule time to speak with our experts.