Marketing
The marketing power couple
Marketing expert Komaldeep Kaur Dhir sees AI and marketing as creative chemistry — one side brings the data, the other brings the soul.
Artificial intelligence has crashed into the marketing world, not with a quiet whisper, but the full force of a freight train. Its impact is undeniable: automating tedious tasks, crunching vast datasets in mere seconds, and scaling campaigns that once demanded an army of professionals. Yet, for all its impressive speed and reach, something fundamental remains elusive for AI: the human touch. It cannot feel, it cannot truly judge, and it struggles to grasp the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’. This isn’t a battle for supremacy; it’s a blueprint for a powerful partnership where human intuition elevates machine efficiency.
AI excels at the drudgery. It can segment audiences by behaviour, generate fifty headline variations in a blink, and predict future trends from millions of data points. Tools are already streamlining content operations, allowing brands to produce scalable material and free up creative minds for higher-level strategic thinking. Marketers are reclaiming precious hours, as machines handle the mundane tasks of format-shifting and metadata tagging. While the World Economic Forum forecasts the displacement of 85 million jobs by AI, it simultaneously predicts the creation of 97 million new ones, many within marketing. This is because the need for human-led strategy, machine oversight, and the interpretation of complex data remains paramount. The true victors in this evolving landscape are not the brands blindly embracing full automation, but those who understand where to draw the line.
Human eyes to glaze over
AI’s strengths lie in tasks that typically cause human eyes to glaze over. These include granular audience segmentation, real-time A/B testing, early identification of consumer behaviour shifts, hyper-personalisation of content, and the creation of thousands of tailored, bite-sized content blocks. Industry giants like Netflix, Amazon, and Coca-Cola leverage AI extensively, but crucially, they don’t operate on autopilot. Human teams are constantly fine-tuning the tone, scrutinising data, and steering the creative direction. AI can get you 90 per cent of the way there; that crucial final 10 per cent is undeniably human.
The human element in marketing remains non-negotiable. While AI can draft copy, it struggles to capture the nuanced context that makes marketing truly impactful. Great marketing resonates deeply, conveying a sense of understanding and empathy. AI, simply put, isn’t fluent in emotion. Human marketers remain the custodians of storytelling, weaving narratives that carry meaning and align with cultural sensibilities. A machine might suggest a campaign idea, but only a human can discern if it’s a tone-deaf misstep or a stroke of genius. Nike’s “You Can’t Stop Us” campaign, for instance, spoke to a collective global exhaustion – a sentiment a machine could never have truly grasped. Humans bring gut instinct, emotional depth, social awareness, and creative judgment to the table. Until machines can genuinely comprehend heartbreak, humour, sarcasm, and timing, they will always be playing catch-up.
Therefore, the narrative of AI replacing human creativity is misplaced. Instead, it’s redefining the creative role. The optimal approach is an “AI-human collaboration model.” In this synergy, humans brainstorm ideas, with AI providing iterative riffs. AI handles the scheduling and formatting of execution, under human supervision. AI crunches the numbers for analysis, while humans read between the lines. Finally, AI suggests refinements, with humans making the ultimate decisions. Brand marketing, which thrives on emotional depth and intuition, remains a human domain. Performance marketing, with its real-time bids and optimisation, is AI’s natural playground. Understanding these distinct lanes is crucial for success. The strongest brands will be those that integrate technology without sacrificing their inherent humanity.
Unchecked AI deployment
However, risks lurk in unchecked AI deployment. Automated content can emerge flat, lifeless, or even offensive, particularly if it’s trained on biased data. In sensitive sectors like healthcare or finance, this isn’t merely poor marketing; it’s potentially dangerous. Marketers must establish clear boundaries: is targeting always ethical? Does this copy inadvertently reinforce harmful stereotypes? Is this message truly aligned with our brand values? AI will not answer these questions; that responsibility rests squarely with us. Over-reliance on automation risks de-skilling teams, stifling creative instinct, and fostering blind trust in systems that are not fully understood. AI feels no accountability; humans do.
Ultimately, the future of marketing isn’t one where AI takes over, but one where it liberates us from the mundane, allowing us to focus on what truly matters: forging connections, building trust, and crafting compelling stories. The brands that triumph will not be those that automate the most, but those that feel the most human – because they intelligently wield AI as a powerful tool, not a debilitating crutch.
