Keeping up with the consumers.
In a previous issue of The Bolt, we discussed how AI can enhance productivity for marketers. This time, we are looking at AI's influence on consumer preferences and how brands are updating their customer journey to stay relevant.
TLDR: AI technology has led to three key shifts in consumer expectations: hyper-personalization, enhanced search experiences, and continuous content. Brands are encouraged to harness AI's power to keep their audiences engaged.
️⚡️️ Consumers are seeking hyper-personalization and relevance.
The game has changed and consumers are no longer satisfied with one-size-fits-all strategies. According to Salesforce's State of the Connected Customer, 73% of customers now expect brands to truly understand their unique needs and expectations.
Apps like YouTube and Netflix have set the standard in this regard. The moment you log in, they greet you with content recommendations, all thanks to predictive technology. It's like they're inside of their user's heads, anticipating their next move. Most recently, Instacart identified this desire for personalization and rolled out their "Ask Instacart" feature, which anticipates user preferences, reminds them of their past shopping, and encourages users to explore new products.
The lesson here is clear: as brands work to optimize their digital presence, they should embrace the power of predictive analytics to provide personalized product recommendations and meet consumers where they are.
️️⚡️️ Consumers are expecting an enhanced search experience.
Thanks to AI technology, search queries are evolving from keywords to conversations. Now consumers have the option to turn to AI-powered search engines to find the answers to their questions with voice, visual, and other enhanced search methods. According to UpCity, an eye-popping 50% of the U.S. population is diving into voice search daily through their mobile devices.
Major brands like Salesforce, Google, and Honeywell hopped on the bandwagon and implemented voice search. Pinterest also got the memo and launched a visual search option, Pinterest Lens, providing curated ideas inspired by the images that a user submits.
For brands out there looking to improve their consumers’ journeys, implementing next-gen search methods like image and voice search are worth testing out.
️️⚡️️ Consumers expect continuous content.
With the help of AI content creation tools, relevant and personalized content is being published more frequently than ever. Consumers expect and demand that their digital platforms feed their hunger for new and exciting content that are tailored to their preferences.
Last month, Google released their creative guidance tool in Video Analytics in Google Ads to help advertisers continuously create and post content that follows content best practices. The tool uses AI to quickly review video to make sure it includes the following elements: brand logo, voiceover, video duration, and optimized aspect ratios.
For brands looking to keep their audience engaged, it's high time to turn to the power of AI to churn out a steady stream of captivating content. So, get down to business, and make it rain content.
️As AI technology continues to expand, we encourage brands to embrace and integrate it into their marketing strategies to best appeal to consumer expectations. However, a calculated approach is essential. Before diving in headfirst, brands should assess if specific integrations match their objective and target audience.
At Ammunition, we are already strategically deploying AI into our client work through building chatbots backed up AI, using generative AI to mock up ideas faster, and more. The strategy team plans to continue to monitor AI technology to advise our clients on how to stay ahead in the race.
Lightning Round: Team Updates
️️⚡️ Ammunition welcomed, Project Manager, Lauren Klas, to the team.