Artificial Intelligence to Shape the Future of Brand Communications

By Ashu Kajekar, CEO at 7EDGE

We all know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) making significant contributions towards enhancing the quality of customer relationship management (CRM) among large organizations. But how about AI in brand communications? Well, it is a fact that AI is all-pervasive and will greatly shape the future of brand communications, particularly among organizations that are automating many of their auxiliary functions and services.

By Ashu Kajekar, CEO at 7EDGE

Businesses and AI

Let’s first understand how relevant AI is for businesses today. AI is an umbrella term that refers to the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computers. These processes could be learning (acquisition of information and rules for using the information), reasoning (using the rules to reach approximate or definite conclusions), and self-correction. In addition, there is machine learning, which provides computers with the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed. Natural language processing (NLP) is another ability of a computer program to understand human speech as it is spoken.

Consequently, machine learning algorithms are being integrated into analytics and CRM platforms to uncover information that helps businesses serve their customers better. Chatbots are incorporated into websites to provide immediate answers to customer queries. For instance, IBM Watson understands natural language and responds to questions. In the healthcare sector, AI analyses patient record data to form a hypothesis. Likewise, in education, AI automates grading and gives educators more time. AI can assess students and deliver learning content relevant to their needs, helping them work at their own pace.

AI and Brand Communications

With AI becoming such a powerful tool for businesses in different industry verticals, it should not be a surprise if it takes up a key role in brand communications. For instance, many organizations are using AI to create automated media lists, disburse press releases, and even develop media coverage reports. Additionally, AI now generates content for press releases apart from other routine PR and marketing materials. Many people aren’t aware that AI is already affecting news shown on our Facebook feeds.

The future impact of AI on brand communications is tremendous considering the technological advances. For example, Narrative Science, a natural language generator, has an ability to produce written stories within seconds based on analytics. AI can use data from Google Analytics and write sentences like: “New users spent 16 fewer seconds on your site than returning users did last month. This could indicate that your new users didn’t find the information they needed or came to the site expecting something else.”

There is no doubt that AI will help PR companies process their data at a rapid speed and improve their services. With real-time data being used as an asset, PR professionals are positioned to provide customized content to their audience. This helps them eliminate time being wasted on content that won't be received well by their audience.

With Natural language processing, publishers too will have the capabilities to understand the content users’ view, anticipate their propensity to engage with articles in the future, and present a customized content experience that increases in relevance, and effectiveness, over time.

Adopting AI and adapting to AI

Instead of fearing AI, communication firms should embrace the trend and experiment with recent stories that match big data analysis. At the same time, to ensure that communications don’t run off-track, an elevated level of human input will still be important. AI doesn’t replace humans but supplements human knowledge and experience. AI isn’t going to replace marketing communication teams but will make them more efficient. The result is a more evolved human experience for everyone involved.