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Blog A CMO’s Perspective on AI Transformation in Marketing
Article

A CMO’s Perspective on AI Transformation in Marketing

General Assembly
November 25, 2024

Get exclusive insights in this blog penned by our very own CMO, Jourdan Hathaway

Nearly two years after ChatGPT’s initial release, no tech trend has continued to captivate today’s business leaders and workforce quite like artificial intelligence. As AI reshapes the present and future of work, organizations across industries are facing a crucial need to build, reskill, and enhance their workforce to keep up with these technological shifts. 

And at the forefront of all this AI-induced organizational change? Marketing. AI is redefining the marketing spectrum—from how we engage with customers to the way we manage campaigns, measure success, and much more.

How marketers are harnessing the power of AI

  • Enhanced features in existing marketing tools
    AI is seamlessly integrating into the tools marketers are already using, enabling us to do more, faster. Many leading platforms are rolling out AI-powered features that make processes more efficient and productive. For instance, Adobe Express now includes an AI image generator, and many project management tools come with embedded AI assistants. These assistants can automate everyday tasks like providing quick responses, creating summaries, completing fields, setting up milestones, and issuing real-time updates. Beyond just being more efficient, AI tools are now essential to achieving strategic objectives, from media buying and email automation to content creation.
  • Personalized AI applications for role-specific needs
    AI also empowers marketers to develop unique, role-specific solutions for their day-to-day challenges. By identifying time-consuming, repetitive tasks, marketers can leverage AI to free up time for higher-value work. For example, one team member used AI to reduce time spent on sifting through large .csv files to filter out spam leads by 85%—a process that included custom prompts and even automated Python scripts for data analysis. Another team member uses AI to draft initial requirement documents, and our content creators use AI to streamline their processes. This type of individualized application not only boosts productivity but also fosters creativity by allowing each marketer to tailor AI to their own workflow.
  • New marketing capabilities unlocked by AI
    AI is also opening doors to completely new marketing strategies and capabilities. Today, we’re able to deliver hyperpersonalized messaging at scale, tailoring offers, ads, and creative content in real time to meet individual customer preferences. Predictive analytics and machine learning models are also transforming customer insights by helping us anticipate needs, create smoother customer journeys, and make interactions more responsive. For example, we recently piloted an AI-powered admissions assistant that conducts initial student interactions through calls, texts, and emails. This technology ensures prospects receive accurate, timely responses, thanks to the integration of our own data to support consistent messaging.

Beyond productivity: AI’s role in cost efficiency

AI isn’t just about increasing productivity—it’s also driving cost efficiency. In our recent campaigns, we’ve seen an 18% reduction in cost per lead through AI-driven optimizations. By analyzing extensive behavioral and contextual data, AI suggests the best placements, creative approaches, and delivery times for specific audience segments, making campaign budgets work harder. This continuous optimization helps us to save time on manual analysis while improving results. However, the effectiveness of AI-driven optimization depends on two key factors:

  1. Quality data inputs: To build an effective AI model, it’s essential to have high-quality data from trusted sources. Precise targeting and clear customer profiles are essential for meaningful recommendations.
  2. Upskilled marketing teams: Marketers need foundational data analytics skills to understand AI outputs and trust the insights they generate.

Closing the AI skills gap in marketing

As AI becomes embedded in marketing, a significant skills gap has emerged. For sustainable success, we need to build a pipeline of AI-savvy marketing talent. Upskilling existing marketing teams is essential to stay competitive—and there’s also a need to bring in fresh, tech-savvy talent who understand how to leverage these tools effectively.

At General Assembly, we’re helping bridge this gap in more ways than one:

We’re committed to playing a leading role in developing a new generation of AI-ready marketers. And when we can help young talent from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented communities in tech gain the skills they need to thrive in today’s AI-driven marketing landscape (at no cost to them with programs like our Creative Skills Academy), it’s a true win-win.

Change in an ever-changing field

There’s no doubt about it—AI is redefining the marketing discipline, offering unprecedented opportunities to streamline processes, personalize engagement, and optimize budgets. And with all the opportunities come challenges—including the demand that marketers continuously evolve, learn, new skills, and adapt to a technology-driven world. 

But end of day, marketing has never been a field that’s relied on the status quo. And I’m excited to see what the future of our discipline holds. Because by smartly investing in both technology and talent, we can harness AI’s transformative potential to shape the future of marketing for years to come.

Looking to up your team’s AI game?

We have the AI training and tools your team needs to play at their peak. Check out our AI upskilling and education options for teams and get in touch to make it real. 

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