The world of AI has been bubbling away for a decade, and while marketers might feel they’re starting to get to grips with it, this is just the beginning.
We’ve already witnessed the game-changing application of Generative AI in marketing – one of the most exciting developments for content creation in years. But if marketers are looking for a truly transformative application of AI, it needs to involve taking a walk down the hall to their CX department.
AI is fundamentally changing how we connect with our customers; how deeply we understand them, and how we can support them before they even know they need our help. That’s why marketing should be looking to their customer service operations if they want to market more effectively.
CX teams that are embracing AI and infusing it into their operations can develop a much clearer picture of their customers thanks to the data that AI is able to mine. And that is as much of a goldmine for marketing as it is for their CX colleagues.
The customer data that AI can unlock will help marketers achieve the hyper-personalisation of their dreams.
We know that 80% of consumers would be more likely to buy from a brand if it offered a tailored experience, and the customer service data that AI can unlock will help marketers achieve the kind of hyper-personalisation that they’ve been dreaming of, today. So how has AI helped CX teams take such a giant leap forward, and what does this mean for marketing?
Using AI-driven customer insights for hyper-personalised marketing
Creating hyper-targeted and personalised marketing campaigns means considering a myriad of consumer preferences and interests. And let’s face it, data on customers is not in short supply.
The amount of data organisations have on their customers is overwhelming – and only growing in volume and complexity as customer interactions increase across many different channels. The challenge is how to mine this mountain of information.
Enter AI, which is helping CX teams to get on top of and, most importantly, gather actionable insight from customer data.
AI can measure things like customer sentiment – creating a personalised profile of each customer, their intent and their needs. And AI doesn’t just analyse a few calls; it analyses every interaction, so this profile is more holistic and complete than ever before.
When marketers are able to get their hands on the powerful data insights lying at the heart of the contact centre and use them to interact with customers in a targeted and personalised way, it can transform brand and business strategy.
A transition from fear of AI to AI FOMO
For much of 2023, organisations have feared AI. But now this is shifting to AI FOMO. By using AI, marketers will be able to spend much less time mining and analysing their data, enabling them to spend more of it to create successful marketing strategies.
In the past, organisations have feared AI. But now this is shifting to AI FOMO.
Returning to the use case of Generative AI in marketing, a recent McKinsey report found that 75% of the value that Generative AI could deliver falls across just four areas: sales and marketing, customer operations, software engineering, and R&D.
Imagine if rather than fearing AI, marketers could supercharge the positive impact of AI by pairing the power of Generative AI to create content, with the power of AI-driven insights from contact centre data, to create truly personalised, targeted marketing.
Implementing the right tools
So, we’re all sold on AI’s potential to not only deliver a better customer experience through the contact centre but also have an extraordinary impact on a business’s marketing. What next?
Not all AI tools are created equal. Therefore, in order to reap these game-changing benefits, businesses need to invest in AI that is purpose-built for CX.
This specific AI is brand-aligned, based on customer data operationalised in all CX capabilities, and is secure and compliant. Only AI built with this context in mind will be able to understand subtle nuances in intent and perform accurate analysis.
With this secret sauce, businesses can use their data to optimise processes, drive growth, and connect their customer service with marketing to serve up powerful, hyper-personalised campaigns.
Until now, customer service and marketing have operated in silos, separate from each other, but AI has created a powerful gateway between CX and marketing. Forming a bond between the two divisions will truly put the customer at the centre.
To avoid missing out, the groundwork must be laid for an AI-backed framework now. It’s a very exciting time, and the opportunity is calling to those who are willing to seize it.
