Don’t let your AI investment for advertising fall flat

Artificial intelligence is so often the main topic of conversation across industries now; it’s application more often than not presented as the solution to a vast array of challenges. Advertising is no exception. 

But AI is not a silver bullet; the tech’s capabilities, while incredibly powerful, are only effective if managed and implemented correctly. Without a clear understanding of what they want AI to do, brands risk their investments falling flat. And we’re not talking about ChatGPT and Midjourney here – these are toys that fail to target the precise challenges advertiser’s face.

AI is ready to not just improve but radically transform digital campaigns into a more creative, cost-effective, precise and adaptable advertising tool. Are brands ready to receive it?

How to implement AI properly

It’s important for brands to map out exactly what they expect from their AI investments. This tech has the power to pave the way for more impactful ads, across both creative and measurement, so having a clear roadmap is step number one. 

AI can aid campaigns from beginning to end, delivering creatives faster and more cost-effectively. It can be used to support the creation of targeted - and more engaging - adverts by analysing huge volumes of data from past campaigns to show when, where, and how ads are going to be most effective

Through AI, brands’ audiences are better targeted, engaged and measured, meaning the performance of the campaign can be more accurately judged against the original brief and the brand’s objectives.

AI tools can help assess how an individual consumer responds to an ad in its entirety. Measuring the level of engagement provides brands with a clear overview of users’ intentions and satisfaction with an advert – which ultimately helps generate better quality campaigns that meet and often exceed the desired objectives. 

Why AI enhances creativity, not hinders it

Since the explosion of gen AI, market perceptions are often limited to the more ‘basic’ applications. Applying generative technology to advertising is not just about regurgitating data; AI works by ‘thinking’ its way along every phase of a new campaign and using past stored data to optimise future projects.  

AI then applies its learnings to help achieve optimum campaign performance right from the outset. This includes generating more practical briefs in less time and fuelling ideation for a brand’s ideas and assets. Outcomes can be best matched against briefs to define success, supported by creatives that drive better engagement and adhering to simple or complex brand guidelines. Campaign management becomes more effective and less time intensive for teams, who can then focus on more strategic, value-add activities throughout the process. 

And investing in AI means brands witness these benefits in real-time, not just during the set-up phase. AI follows consumer behaviour, constantly analysing and interpreting audience intentions and engagement to ensure brands get the most out of every campaign. AI can then optimise adverts from the moment they are live.

Where AI has the biggest impact is in areas measured by quantitative metrics. Advertising is therefore perfectly primed for AI intervention – but humans shouldn’t be left out entirely.

When brands should favour human creativity

The benefits of AI in advertising are unquestionable, but it isn’t the be all and end all. Human creativity is still fundamental to successful ad campaigns, especially when it comes to setting and hitting KPIs, and identifying audience nuances.

After all, AI automation doesn’t replace human creativity - it complements it. 

Finding the right balance between human and AI is vital to futureproofing a brand’s campaign strategy, with AI analysing the creative assets, ideas and guidelines and recommending the best application for team consideration. 

The trick to elevating above the noise of the market is to ensure every ad campaign aligns perfectly with the brand’s target audience. This means prioritising quality over quantity, which AI is primed and ready to support with. 

As long as brands map out clear objectives, conduct research into the different technological applications, and strike the right balance between human creativity and AI, they will very quickly see huge improvements in the management and performance of ad campaigns. 

Ian Liddicoat is CTO at Adludio