Applied Digital AI
Applied Digital AI
to Digital Marketing
Abstract. Based on the theory that both manual and cognitive tasks can be
replaced by Artificial Intelligence, this study explores, using a qualitative
research method, the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Digital Marketing.
An analysis of interviews with 15 experts from different industries related to
Marketing and AI shows that AI have impact in Marketing processes and the
impact will be bigger in the future. The study reinforces that many of the manual
and repetitive tasks of a marketer’s life can already be replaced by AI, and the
use of machines working together with humans are the key to better marketing
results. The challenges and ethical aspects that lead to a slow or non-adoption of
AI have been addressed, and one of the major obstacles is that humans aren’t yet
confident in technology and, they are not yet ready for this cultural change.
Based on these findings, business decision-makers and managers need to pre-
pare their companies and employees for the implementation of AI in Marketing.
1 Introduction
Artificial Intelligence is integrated into our lives, although many people are unaware of its
presence. This misconception is evident from the fact that only 50% of responses from the
PRNewswire (2018) consumer awareness study state that they have never interacted with
AI technologies and 23% are unsure whether they have ever interacted with AI. tech-
nology. There are many examples of AI that operate in the background of most modern
technologies (smartphones, computers, smart TV’s, etc.) revealing an apparent lack of
knowledge about what consumers think AI is and how AI is applied daily [1].
This paper presents the results of an exploratory study with a quantitative
methodology, based on 15 interviews with specialists, which provided a better
understanding of the impact of AI on digital marketing. The article presents the main
aspects related with Artificial Intelligence and Digital Marketing, the used methodol-
ogy, the analysis and discussion of results of the research and finally the study
conclusions.
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to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Á. Rocha et al. (Eds.): WorldCIST 2020, AISC 1160, pp. 158–169, 2020.
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Artificial Intelligence Applied to Digital Marketing 159
AI is present in the daily lives of people and businesses, an example of which are voice
recognition, image recognition and handwriting suggestions available on today’s
smartphones [2]. Kietzmann, Paschen and Treen (2018) report that in order to deepen
understanding of consumer decision-making, there are very useful AI systems for
marketers [3], of which the following points should be highlighted.
for the stated consumer needs, more efficiently than humans. In addition, the system
remembers everything that was previously calculated, storing all memories in a
knowledge base and uses machine learning to learn from your previous experiences
and problem solving (Big Data).
The more unstructured data a machine learning system processes, the smarter and
more insightful the subsequent positive results for marketers. Just as a bank without a
database cannot compete with one in which they are present, a company without a
machine learning (AI subcategory) cannot keep up with another that makes use of it.
While experts in the former write thousands of rules to predict what customers want,
second algorithms learn billions of rules, an entire set of them for each customer.
Machine learning is a new and bold technology, but this is not why companies adopt it,
but because they have no choice in relation to the benefits that technology offers [11].
Marketers use machine learning to monitor consumer behavior. Develop algorithms for
discovering websites visited, open emails, downloads, clicks, etc. They can also ana-
lyze how the user behaves across channels, which accounts they follow, posts they like,
ads they interact with, etc. [12].
Depending on studies and industry, acquiring a new consumer is between 5 to 25
times more expensive than maintaining an existing one. Because you don’t waste time
and resources looking for a new customer, the focus is simply on keeping the existing
customer satisfied. Machine learning through predictive models can help predict
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) and through clustering models make targeting more
accurate, fast and effective. CLV is the value of all a customer’s interactions with the
company over time. By focusing on CLV, brands attract more important customers,
encourage continued engagement, and increase audience retention. By analyzing pat-
terns and learning from data about past consumer behavior, machine learning can
predict the future value of a customer. It is a system that can make predictions, for
example predicting consumer retention rates. Consumer retention rate is the metric that
measures the percentage of consumers who break up with a business over a certain
period, or how long a user spends on a landing page. Machine learning gives the
marketer the information foreseeing possible customer abandonment, so marketers can
use strategies to keep them interested in the brand [13].
3 Methodology
This work is an exploratory and descriptive study on a specific theme. The method-
ology that supports the research is qualitative and, above all, descriptive. Based on the
context of the AI tools applied in marketing, presented in the previous points, this study
made an analysis focused on the perspective of the people who work with AI, although
consumers always assume themselves as central and structuring figures in research, due
to their constant relationship with them [14].
As this is an exploratory and descriptive study, intend to understand the strategies
of companies that use AI, the benefits, the challenges presented, the ethical issues and
to understand the impact that these practices are having on companies’ income. It is
considered relevant to understand which elements are considered essential for the
successful implementation of an AI strategy in Marketing, as this research aims to be a
162 T. Ribeiro and J. L. Reis
After collecting data obtained from the interviews with the specialists, data were
described and analyzed. The analysis was structured according to the research objec-
tives. First, the benefits of integrating AI into Marketing will be cited by respondents
and compared with data gathered from the literature review. Next, all factors that
influence the slow integration or non-integration of AI in Marketing will be collected
and described. It will then show how companies are using AI in their marketing
strategies, and whether SMEs are able to integrate AI into their Marketing processes
and finally will be made an analyze of the impact that AI has on marketing costs and
revenues.
164 T. Ribeiro and J. L. Reis
need to be aware of how companies and governments acquire and use data to determine
user behavior, such as purchases, recommendations, and voting decisions. Ethics and
digital privacy (General Data Protection Regulations - GDPR) are a concern of indi-
viduals, organizations and governments. People will be increasingly concerned about
how their personal information will be used by organizations in the public and private
sectors. For there to be confidence in technology, companies will need to proactively
address these issues. Transparency can do much to increase consumer confidence in AI.
By explaining how Artificial Intelligence algorithms use customer data to make their
decisions (when, how, and where the customer provided that data), it helps to build
confidence (Exp 1, Exp 3, Exp 4, Exp 5, Exp 7, Exp 9, Exp 10, Exp 11, Exp 12, Exp
13, Exp 14, Exp 15).
Another of the most mentioned aspects is data quality and what companies do with
data. Many companies have no idea where data is generated and what they can do with
data, they do not have data that has a unique view of customers and is properly
validated and sanctioned by the company. For AI to be successful, it requires large data
sets. However, most large companies have a lot of data locked in various marketing
systems they already use. The key is to be able to connect to systems, use this data and
unify it - since data is unified around individual customer profiles, AI can tailor
campaigns and marketing experiences specifically for everyone (Expert). 3, Expert 7,
Expert 10, Expert 12, Expert 13, Expert 14).
less expensive. This is because they will have their quality data and can easily develop
new solutions (Exp 12).
For most marketers, AI does not change the level of marketing spend. It simply
improves the performance of marketing efforts. It enables marketers to be more effi-
cient, it also allows brands to be more selective about the content they reproduce,
helping them prioritize content that is most valuable to their visitors. Most companies
maintain the same volume and marketing expenses but increase the accuracy of their
marketing efforts by being more targeted, faster and more effective, thereby delivering
better results (Exp 1, Exp 4, Exp 5, Exp 9, Exp 10, Exp 15).
With a well-implemented AI-based approach there will be cost savings, opti-
mization and increased ROI. As the Boston Consulting Group and MIT Sloan Man-
agement Review report found, companies that customize their communications can
increase their revenues by up to 20% and reduce costs by up to 30%. One of the main
technologies being used in this process is Artificial Intelligence [13].
Rumelt (2011) defines that there are three fundamental steps to a good strategy. The
diagnosis - where the business strategy is evaluated. Political orientation - where the
challenges related to governance, culture and ethics are perceived. Coherent action plan
- definition of aspects such as: resource allocation, implementation, purchase/build
decisions, processes, talent development/hiring/retention, change management within
the company related to people’s culture [15].
5 Conclusions
From the data obtained from both the consulted studies and the interviews carried out
within the context of this work, it is concluded that AI will have more impact on the
future of marketing and that even SMEs can implement AI. Companies that are cur-
rently conducting marketing activities without AI-based solutions must be prepared for
change. Developing training for a successful AI strategy in Marketing can only be
effective when there is strong technical (technology, data and processes) and organi-
zational (people, skill and culture).
The first step in any AI Marketing strategy is to review the company’s business and
communication strategy. Once the company’s business and communication strategy are
clear, the best use cases should be identified to help the company achieve its objectives.
That is, what are the problems the company wants to solve that with the help of AI can
help achieve the company’s strategic goals.
In the implementation phase, the company needs to think about how to turn its
artificial intelligence strategy into reality. Companies need to understand how AI
projects will be delivered; those responsible for each action; actions/projects that will
need external support. Companies must consider what technology is required to
achieve their AI priorities. Companies must understand and define whether it is best for
their business objectives, to have an AI team within their own company, or whether
will use solutions designed by other companies.
168 T. Ribeiro and J. L. Reis
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