Anis Zantout’s Post

Goldman Sachs' recent report raises important questions about the actual benefits of artificial intelligence (#AI) investments. While it presents a thought-provoking perspective, it lacks thorough analysis in several critical areas. One major shortcoming is the insufficient exploration of the human element within organizations. The report fails to adequately address the repercussions of ineffective leadership, the increasing rates of employee burnout, and the unclear definition of talent and its importance in solving complex challenges. The fundamental issue lies in the inclination of businesses and leaders to implement AI as a superficial fix without addressing existing organisational dysfunctions. This approach is nothing more than treating symptoms rather than tackling root causes, potentially leading to further complications. Failing to Define what Talent is or including the deeper factors in human experiences exposes the already great unspoken risk that is existing in current business. Additionally, the report neglects a vital concept known as Conway's Law, which posits that AI systems will mirror the biases and dysfunctions of the organizations that create them. If an AI development company lacks awareness of its internal issues, it will struggle to comprehend customer needs or deliver effective solutions. This disconnect contributes to a growing sense of disillusionment, indicating that we may be caught in an AI bubble that is on the verge of bursting—much like a runaway train heading toward an inevitable stop. The commentary from The Drum further emphasizes the need to consider the current state of businesses from the perspective of employee experiences. Questions arise about the implications of significant workforce reductions and the exhaustion of low-hanging fruit from AI and generative AI technologies. Is this a conversation we should be having now? While it may appear to be an employer's market, the dynamics can shift rapidly. The contributors to The Drum article raise intriguing questions regarding their insights into talent complexity and whether they have a fluid talent complexity risk matrix to adapt to employee turnover and understand the reasons behind it. How effectively are they monitoring both their own well-being and that of their employees? Our experience, independent of sources like Gallup, confirms that 70% to 80% of employees are experiencing dysfunction related to stress and burnout. Additionally, there is a concerning trend of over-promoting individuals to leadership roles without the necessary skills or experience. Gareth Davies Jessica Vo Jeremiah Knight Meghan Labot Brian Yamada Stephen Ledger-Lomas Barney Worfolk Smith 🦩 Malcolm Poynton Jef Loeb Kate Ross James Calvert Nick Watts Hannah Baker Anis Zantout Matt Rebeiro Max Lederer Katy Hindley Pete Trainor Julie Michael Elliott Millard Jason Foo Nick Gallimore Katie Hankinson https://lnkd.in/dbb9k247

Embracing the Future🚀 The last 18 months have seen headlines across the marketing press dominated by AI and the opportunities it promises for agencies of all sizes. But is it all just hype? The Drum delves into this question, asking agency leaders whether their faith (and investments) have been well placed. Our CIO, Max Lederer, shares his perspective: “For us, AI is a game-changer. It enhances our processes by augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them. AI drives efficiency, streamlines workflows, and unlocks new realms of innovation. The true power of #AI is harnessed through the synergy of professional services and talented individuals. #Creativity and emotional connections, however, remain inherently human traits. Our strategy involves thoughtful integration of AI and continuous experimentation.” Read more in the full article.🚀  

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 While AI offers innovative possibilities for advertising, it also presents significant challenges that you should be aware of: 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀: People want personalized ads, but they also care about their privacy. Finding the right balance is tough, especially with all the rules about data protection. 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹: Sometimes, AI creates content that isn’t very good. If your ads don’t resonate with people, it could hurt your brand’s image. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀: AI is great at data, but it can’t replace the creative spark that humans bring. Advertising often needs that personal touch. 𝗕𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗜: AI can unintentionally favor certain groups, leading to unfair targeting. It’s important to check that your ads are inclusive. 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀: Investing in AI tools can be expensive. This might be a challenge for smaller companies with tight budgets. 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: It can be hard to tell how well your AI-driven ads are performing. You may need new ways to track their impact. By recognizing these challenges, you can better navigate the use of AI in your advertising strategy. Stay tuned for my next post, where I will share solutions to overcome these challenges. -𝗬𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗿, 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗔𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁

Is AI revolutionising marketing or just a costly distraction? Our MD and co-founder, Kate Ross, shares her insights in The Drum, responding to Goldman Sachs' latest report. Read her perspective on why agencies need to choose their AI investments wisely below. https://lnkd.in/eye3e5vp #genAI #socialmedia #eightandfour

Is Ai all hype? Maybe, depending on your expectations of what it can do. Happy to have provided my point of view on how agencies should be thinking about investment in Ai. Ai is sure to be a vital aspect of the progress of our industry, as new technology always has been, but betting on its ability to deliver increased revenue may an over expectation.

I'm sure we'll all look back and cringe at how we misapplied the term AI and lavished the industry with hot takes, and what my English Lit teacher used to describe as "rash generalisations." The hype cycle is real and intense, and the bandwagoning is next level. Here are some thoughts: 💫 Instead of just "tech adoption," think strategic adoption. What fits with business objectives? What customer need are we solving for? 💫 Can we augment existing capabilities versus starting something new? 💫 Where is the area of greatest opportunity for investment? What is the opportunity cost of not doing this? 💫 Ultimately, hold ourselves to the question: what will make our product (in our case, the work) better? (Spoiler alert: Yonder Consulting can help you find the answers to these questions.) 📖 Further reading - my good friend Rocio F. Brusseau is doing great work on AI ethics, a vitally important topic that should be a central piece of any new initiative. And Hock M. Ng is breaking down uses of GenAI in digestible forms, surfacing handy and simple references. ⏩ Let's fast-forward past the "will it work" phase and explore some "did it work" scenarios. I'm looking forward to seeing the outcomes of completed AI projects and initiatives, and the ways these tools have made us more collaborative, unlocked creativity, and opened up new opportunities we haven't yet predicted. Shared some thoughts alongside some other industry folks - https://lnkd.in/ePHe3us5

You hear this a lot on LinkedIn: "Brands need to adapt to the changes brought by AI." But most of the brands don't know how to do it right. 🔽 Here's the best way to address the rise of AI-generated content effectively: 1. Address risks directly with your audience. 2. Highlight the potential harmful consequences of AI-generated content. 3. Empower your audience with a diverse range of solutions. 4. Acknowledge the inevitability of AI in our lives now and in the future. 📊 It's estimated that by 2026, 90% of online content will be synthetically created using AI and generative AI. Amid this transformation, Dove is leading the way. 👉 Known for setting the standard for women's beauty through some of the most innovative and meaningful campaigns, Dove has launched a groundbreaking campaign to address the emerging impact of generative AI content on female beauty standards online. So, what makes Dove's campaign so remarkable? Addresses risks directly ↳ Dove doesn't shy away from the challenges posed by AI. Highlights potential harmful consequences ↳The campaign makes us aware of the dangers of synthetic content. Empowers the audience ↳ It provides diverse solutions for navigating the future of AI-generated media. Takes a proactive approach ↳ Dove leads by example, preparing for the inevitable integration of AI. Acknowledges AI's role ↳ It recognizes that AI is a part of our present and future. 🧠 Here's the reality: Both brands and consumers are still figuring out how to handle the rise of synthetic content. That's why it's crucial for brands to educate themselves and their audiences about AI-generated content, just like Dove did. The potential of AI is enormous and will reshape how brands interact with consumers. But what's just as important is that brands proactively educate and protect consumers rather than just leveraging AI for efficiency. 🫶 I loved Dove's campaign and the resources they've provided for those curious about this topic. What's your take on synthetic content and its risks? Let's chat in the comments! #GenAI

In today’s heady world of marketing, diversity and inclusion are no longer just buzzwords, they are a critical component for brands and companies to stay relevant and responsive to their customers’ needs and demands. Scienz AI #inclusivemarketing #marketingai #artificialintelligence #ai

Recently I was part of a roundtable discussion kindly organised by Kudosity, where I had the chance to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by AI for marketing and CX. With attendees from many different brands and industries, it was great to experience such a robust conversation around the future of communicating and building genuine connections with your customers using AI. Here are 4 key highlights from the discussion: 1) The need to lead by example: One thing everyone seemed to be in agreement on was the importance for leaders to set the tone for effective AI use – whether that’s demonstrating how to weave AI into our daily routines to boost productivity, writing better content, or using AI for automating meeting notes, suggested actions, and reminders – it’s vital that leaders signal to their people and organisations the importance of learning how to use AI. Once we become great personal users of AI, it’s much easier to envision effective AI solutions for our customers. 2) Most of us are still working it out: Another thing much of the group had in common was where we were up to on our AI adoption journeys – just getting started. Yes, AI has been around for a long time in one form or another, but for many of us we are only just paddling onto the recent wave of AI developments in marketing and CX – and that’s ok. In my opinion, we shouldn’t be racing to be the fastest adopters of AI, we should be aiming to be the fastest implementers of effective AI. 3) Get your head around the risks: AI can provide incredible time, accuracy and efficiency gains in many instances. It also comes with significant risks and has already proven to go spectacularly wrong for some brands. While the risks might seem common on the surface – privacy, cyber security, hallucinations, copyright – the way these risks will need to be managed will be different for all of us. I’d encourage you to talk with your IT and Risk teams on how to avoid things going wrong before you dive right in. 4) Avoid shiny ball syndrome: If ever there was a group to get easily distracted by new things, tactics, or techniques – it’s us marketers! Think metaverse, NFTs, etc. We can sometimes be quick to abandon our current tasks to go try this new thing, and although AI has shown to have some very effective uses in marketing and CX, and should undoubtedly be on your roadmap, don’t disregard your proven strategies and current plans chasing the shiny new AI ball. If you’re underway with the adoption of AI in your marketing or CX programs, I’d love to hear how it’s going. Comment below and share some examples, or other tips you might have.

Marketing is in the midst of an exciting transformation, fueled by the power of artificial intelligence (AI). AI's ability to analyze vast amounts of data is fundamentally changing how businesses reach and engage customers. One of the biggest impacts of AI is its role in understanding customers. AI can analyze data from various sources, uncovering hidden preferences and behaviors. This allows marketers to create a detailed profile of their target audience, informing everything from campaign strategies to content creation. Imagine precisely tailoring your message to resonate with individual customers – that's the power of AI-driven insights. AI's data analysis goes beyond understanding customers. It can also predict their behavior. By analyzing past actions and online behavior, AI can anticipate customer needs. This allows marketers to deliver targeted messages at precisely the right moment. For instance, AI can recommend a product to a customer even before they realize they need it, creating a seamless and personalized shopping experience. Efficiency is another area where AI shines. AI automates repetitive marketing tasks, freeing up marketers for more strategic and creative endeavors. Scheduling social media posts, optimizing ad campaigns – these are just a few examples of tasks AI can handle. Additionally, AI constantly monitors campaign performance, identifying what works and what doesn't. This real-time feedback allows marketers to fine-tune their strategies for maximum impact. The future of marketing is all about creating a relevant and engaging customer experience. AI is not here to replace marketers, but to empower them with the tools they need to achieve this goal. By leveraging AI's data-driven insights and automation capabilities, marketers can craft campaigns that resonate with their audience and deliver superior results. However, it's important to remember that AI is a powerful tool that needs to be used responsibly. Ethical considerations around data privacy and bias need to be addressed to ensure AI is a force for good in the marketing world #aimarketing #marketingai #ai