The branding experience can be a challenge to get done right, as you need proper planning, a thorough understanding of your target demographic, and comprehensive market research. But today, we’ve found ways to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into our efforts, and the results are too impactful to ignore. A report from Adobe indicates that top-performing companies were twice as likely to utilize AI for marketing.
AI represents the use of machine learning and algorithms to allow a computer to function similarly to a human for a particular task. It’s seen tremendous progress in recent years, but can we really trust it for our important branding initiatives?
Why Does Branding Matter?
If you’re reading this article, you likely already know why branding matters to an organization, but let’s recap. A strong brand presence means:
+ Recognition in the industry. When customers and other businesses have a name and logo they can attach your accomplishments to, you make a name for yourself in your industry and place your firm as an established part of the field.
+ Consumer perceptions. Branding has a positive impact on your ability to find and keep customers, who are often willing to work with a name they know and trust.
+ Employee satisfaction. Even your own staff will find that working for a well-recognized brand is a satisfying experience. You are more confident in the purpose of your work as a result and feel more motivation to excel in the industry.
So what does AI do to accelerate the branding process and generate measurable returns? Much like how social media and mobile apps have become all the rage for businesses of all sizes and industries, artificial intelligence will be the next “hot topic” at the next corporate meeting.
So Why Use AI?
Business administrators have already been experimenting with artificial intelligence in branding, which sees significant adoption in marketing teams for large organizations. It’s actually part of a larger effort to make marketing more personalized, simple, immersive, and persuasive.
AI-powered technologies include speech recognition, problem solving, human-like communication, and accelerated decision-making, all of which can improve the brand recognition of a company that knows how to use it correctly. For instance, you can apply speech recognition tools and customer segmentation algorithms to create more positive customer service experiences. Market research automation can similarly help you decide on optimal pricing for your new products or services.
Best of all, you achieve all of these tasks more efficiently while taking them off the plates of your current human employees, who can then focus on more important or interesting parts of running the company.
The Current Challenges
What are some specific instances of businesses using artificial intelligence in their branding efforts? As a relatively new technology, AI is seeing more and more adoption in a variety of roles, but the current ones largely consist of:
+ Targeted advertising: Ever received product recommendations based on things you’ve already purchased from a business? You’ve seen AI technology in action in making those choices. Similarly, you might have received targeted advertising online based on your prior searching habits.
+ Communication: Ever seen a customer service chatbot on a website before? AI can quickly allow businesses to respond to inquiries and categorize support tickets without too much human input.
+ Market research: AI has been used to track trends in the marketplace and help companies understand where to take their branding work for best results.
+ Experiential branding: A marketing strategy that allows potential customers to interact with your firm in real-world terms. Examples include trade shows, special events, kiosks, sponsorships, and in-store live demonstrations.
AI is about more than just making chatbots for customer service lines. It’s about improving the brand experience for any potential customer that might come your way.
Best Practices
Staying competitive in future markets is all about adopting the new practices and tools that will boost your productivity above what you would otherwise accomplish alone. AI will play a large role in future business, but keep in mind these best practices before you jump in.
+ Don’t overdo it: A lot of companies make the mistake of trying to force AI into everything they do too quickly. It’s actually best to make incremental steps toward a more automated workflow, especially when it comes to branding.
+ Keep the human factor in there: AI can be powerful, but it’s still just a machine. Branding should aim to facilitate the communication between a business and its clients, as well as break down barriers between humans and machines for a seamless experience. Think about the personal assistant on your phone and how it transforms raw voice input into digital commands for the various online services you use.
+ Feel free to experiment: As with any emerging technology, firms should be encouraged to experiment, especially now that machine learning has become a commoditized service by itself. Cloud-based AI is now available through high-profile vendors like Microsoft with Azure and Amazon with AWS.
This ability to buy and sell artificial intelligence and machine learning “as a service” means that the end users here don’t have to worry about the technical implementation of the AI anymore. All these companies have to do is find ways to apply the technology to generate meaningful results.
Get More Traction From Your Content With Xhilarate
It’s no secret that AI will shape the future of many industries. However, companies must consider how these primitive forms of AI may impact the customer experience and their branding. AI is transformative by nature, but like any new technology, it must align with how your customers interact with your business. Are you looking to explore how new AI and automation technologies may impact your branding? Protect your brand from a poor customer experience by working with Xhilarate—Philadelphia’s top design agency.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about how you can blend the best of AI and branding to achieve digital success.
