With AI and machine learning taking center stage in the minds of many marketing experts, some traditionally creative “pure” marketers may find their skill sets pushed to the background. After all, graphic design for print paraphernalia and logos can now be done with a couple of clicks online. Putting together an entire marketing campaign is now a matter of hooking a few software programs together and typing three or four adjectives into a query box.
Where is the space for traditional creative marketing in this new world of marketing technology? Let’s take a look at why you should let creative do its job even if you have the tallest, widest most incredible martech stack known to man.
Creative is Illogical
For all of the predictive marketing and behavioral data that AI can compile and react to, the fact remains that consumers are inherently illogical. This is especially true of smaller niche audiences with the freedom to pivot based on emotions or trends. The only thing that can truly follow a pattern of illogical human thought is another illogical human. You need smart creative’s to catch those data outliers and explain why they are there. Those outliers are usually comprised of your best customers!
Emotional intelligence plays a significant role in understanding consumer behavior, as it goes beyond straightforward data analysis. Creative marketers leveraging emotional insight can craft campaigns that resonate on an emotional level. This connection is often extremely valuable for engaging niche audiences, as it taps into their innate desires and emotions. By using empathy, marketers can anticipate consumer reactions, creating content that aligns closely with human feelings, going beyond the capability of any algorithmic prediction.
Creative is Unique
Yes, you can create a vector logo, webpage and even an entire marketing campaign with just a few clicks on a website. However, those products will look very similar to the current trend of logos, webpages and campaigns that are on the market today. This may work if you are massmarketing to a larger audience with generic products. If you must consider profit margin and ROI before anything, then you have a point in performing these actions. If you are trying to leave a legacy and build a brand, however, you need creative to do its job with unique, forward thinking designs and campaigns.
Authentic branding is increasingly important for standing out in a crowded market. Genuine storytelling captivates consumers, forging deeper connections through relatable narratives. Instead of following trends, brands that embrace their unique story and offer transparency often build trust and loyalty. Creative strategies that highlight a brand’s authentic identity make a lasting impression, encouraging consumers to advocate for and stay loyal to the brand over time.
Creative Builds Relationships
The savviest companies are using the martech stack as a low-cost way to bring new clients in for high margin creative services. Why? There is no way that a computer can create the same kind of relationship with the customer that another human being can. On the high end of marketing, clients pay for personal attention and customer service just as much as they do for graphic design expertise. Consider this before you drive all of those incredibly personable, warm people out into the cold in favor of a slightly better short-term margin.
Creative Gives AI its Data
Machines are learning our habits. It is scary just how easy our traditional thought patterns are to follow. However, AI has not progressed to the point that it can consider all of the audiences that you are looking to reach. You still need creative to serve as base of interpreting data for your AI driven algorithms. Interpreted from a worst-case perspective, this is employing a human to eventually replace himself with a machine. However, before you future-proof your company with tomorrow’s technology, you must present-proof it today with revenue that will get you to tomorrow!
AI technology offers valuable assistance with data analysis, allowing creative teams to focus on design and relationship-building tasks. This partnership enables a balance where AI handles repetitive tasks, providing insights for creative expression. The synergy between human creativity and AI insights leads to marketing strategies that incorporate the best of both worlds. By adopting AI to guide routine operations, creative teams can direct their energy towards crafting innovative campaigns that truly engage the audience.
Before you toss creative out the door and invests 100% of your marketing budget into the newest martech stack, consider that you may be making a premature move. The future of the marketing discipline is a hybrid strategy between traditional creative and marketing technology. No one really knows the share of the process that each side will hold. What is apparent is that no marketing company is making truly great product without creative on the payroll.
