Artificial Intelligence in Marketing Thesis Paper

When I wrote my undergraduate honors thesis on AI in marketing back in 2018, I set out to understand the complexities of AI as a technology and field of study, and how brands and marketers can make use of such a powerful tool. Now, over half a decade later, AI has seen widespread adoption with the explosion in popularity of OpenAI's ChatGPT and countless other LLM's.

Despite the rush to adopt AI, brands have faced many complications in reaping the reward of such a promising technology. Brands and marketers must learn to identify effective use cases for AI and understand how to properly implement it on the ground level in order to fully see its benefits.

There are many important issues that need to be addressed before AI is extensively implemented, including the potential for it to be used maliciously, its effects on job displacement, and the technology itself.

The recent progress of AI in marketing is indicative that it will be adopted by a majority of companies soon. The long-term implications of vast implementation are crucial to consider, as an AI-powered industry entails fundamental changes to the skill-sets required to thrive, the way marketers and brands work, and consumer expectations.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a burgeoning technology, industry, and field of study. While brands and marketers have begun implementing AI into their tech stack, the technology's full potential has yet to be tapped into.

Introduction

As we move towards greater adoption of AI-based technologies, brands and marketers must understand how to properly incorporate and apply AI to their specific use-cases and workflows.

Scope and Methodology

Backstory

A brief history and origin story of AI.

Consumer Perceptions

How do people perceive AI currently? What are the brand safety implications of using AI for marketing?

Defining Artificial Intelligence

Key AI terminology and vocabulary to know.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

Narrow AI

Machine Learning (ML)

Deep Learning (DL)

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Signal Processing

AI In Marketing Today

How are brands currently using AI in marketing today? What are some examples of how AI can be applied to marketing?

1:1 Marketing

How AI enables hyper-personalization, or 1-to-1 marketing at-scale.

Levels of AI Implementation

A framework for analyzing the varying degrees in which companies are implementing AI currently, from off-the-shelf AI products to full-scale deployment.

Programmatic Advertising

How does AI affect programmatic digital advertising? The impact of AI on Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and more.

Transparency , Distrust, and Fraud

Omnichannel Marketing

Retargeting

Organizational Structure

How companies are structuring their teams to enable successful AI projects.

Image Recognition and Computer Vision

A look at various applications of AI image recognition and computer vision models in marketing.

Social Media

Segmentation and Targeting

Facial Recognition

Interactive Marketing Through Biometrics

Analytics

Creativity

Applications of AI for creative use cases in marketing.

Personalized Narratives

Localization

Audio Generation

Image Curation

Augmentation

Data Synergy

Chatbots

How AI-powered chatbots can be used in marketing, eCommerce, and customer service.

Customer Service

eCommerce

Personal Assistants

Chatbot Management

Personalized UI and UX

Using AI to deliver personalized digital experiences.

Voice

Applications of AI for voice, such as Amazon Alexa, Apple's Siri, Microsoft Cortana and more.

Personal Assistants

Advertising on Voice Assistants

Impact of Voice on SEO

Shopping Using Voice

Automated Phone Calls

Pitfalls of AI and Areas of Improvement

What are some of the main weaknesses of AI in its current state? How can AI be improved?

Malicious AI

Job Displacement

Underlying Technology

Where Marketers Should Go

How can marketers adapt to an AI Marketing landscape? How can brands and non-programmers get started with AI? Learning how to incorporate AI into workflows without replacing jobs.

The Individual's Perspective

The Brand's Perspective

AI Readiness Framework

Implementation

What are the steps for implementing AI? What are the prerequisites for a successful AI launch? Understanding how brands can properly identify good use-cases for AI.

Requirements

Organizational Structure

Long-Term Implications

How will AI affect marketing long-term? What changes might we see as AI becomes more widely adopted? How does the relationship between brands and consumers change in an AI Marketing landscape?

Impact of AI on Consumer Behavior

Increased Importance of Brand Purpose

Human-Centered Technology

Conclusion