Every AI marketing company claims they can deliver "the right message to the right person at the right time." But as a consumer, I just see more targeted ads for things I already bought. Is there any company actually using AI to improve the journey, or is it all just better retargeting? I'd love to see examples of AI creating real value for the user rather than just annoyance.
3 answers
You’re describing "Bad AI." Real hyper-personalization should be invisible. For example, in 2023, I worked on an AI project for a travel site. Instead of showing ads for a hotel you just booked, the AI analyzed your destination and current weather to suggest "Rainy Day Activities" or "Top-rated packing cubes" for that specific climate. That is value-add. The problem is that many companies use "Off-the-shelf" AI that only looks at the last clicked item. True AI marketing looks at the entire path to purchase and tries to predict the next logical need in the user's life.
Does this level of tracking creep people out? I feel like there is a very fine line between "helpful" and "stalker-ish" when it comes to AI knowing what I might need before I even search for it.
True personalization should solve a problem. If the AI is just following me around the internet with a 10% coupon, it’s not smart; it’s just persistent.
Exactly, Mary. Persistence is the hallmark of legacy automation. Intelligence is knowing when to stay silent and when to offer a unique solution.
Charles, that's the "Privacy-Personalization Paradox." Our research shows that 70% of users are okay with data tracking IF they get a clear benefit from it. Sarah, to your point, the "already bought" ad is a failure of the frequency capping and exclusion logic in the AI. A sophisticated AI marketing company will set up "negative segments" so that once a conversion happens, the ads for that specific SKU stop immediately and pivot to a "cross-sell" or "loyalty" phase.