Just over half (51%) of UK marketers used AI to plan and develop their marketing strategies around the Olympics.
This is what a study by Optimallya digital experience platform (DXP) provider, which reveals that marketers are capitalizing on opportunities to use AI to improve digital experiences.
According to a study of 100 marketers and 1,000 consumers in the UK, the new research explores how marketers are using AI to plan and create content for major seasonal events including the Summer of Sport, Black Friday and Christmas. It found that more than half (55%) of UK marketers are use AI to plan and test the best seasonal marketing strategies.
Optimization is driving this shift: Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents believe AI is now “essential” to continuously optimizing their experimentation approaches. Specifically, marketers believe AI will reduce the cost of experimentation (59%), increase the speed of experimentation (70%), and produce more accurate results (62%).
Despite these benefits, the study also sheds light on UK consumers’ perceptions of the growing use of AI, particularly when it comes to their personal data. While a third (35%) of consumers are happy with marketers using their data to feed and train AI, 33% do not understand how AI is being used to sell them their products. And as AI use continues to grow, more than two-thirds (70%) of consumers are calling for the technology to be more heavily regulated.
However, if marketers are able to use AI to create a value exchange with consumers, this approach is much more welcome. More than half (54%) of consumers are happy for marketers to use AI if it is used to make content more relevant to them, highlighting the growing demand for personalized experiences.
Shafqat Islam, CMO at Optimizely, said: “AI is a powerful tool to help marketers optimize their strategies, especially around major events like the Olympics.
“These types of seasonal events are extremely competitive, making it easy for brands to get lost in the noise. To gain traction, marketers must constantly test new channels, strategies, and tactics to get noticed. AI accelerates this process by allowing marketers to quickly test dozens, if not hundreds, of different approaches at any given time.”
“However, for AI to be truly effective, it must be fully integrated into the marketing suite, from content generation to product recommendations. It must also meet strict compliance standards to strike a balance between meeting the needs of marketers and consumer concerns about regulation and the use of AI.”
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