The augmented marketer: What degree of humanness will be in the marketing of the future?

We are in the age of digitization. According to a study, around one-third of the marketing budget in the DACH area already goes into online marketing activities today – a trend that is increasing (Namics, 2019). Even with digitization, personal contact is essential since qualities like humanness and empathy strengthen the customer relationship. Experts say that in the future, marketing will be in the hands of the augmented marketer: Networked AI software, platforms and workflows will offer companies the opportunity to create harmony between man and machine.

Key points:

• AI tools automate and accelerate individual processes, giving marketers more time for creative and innovative marketing.
• Harmony between man and machine will be an essential part of marketing in the future if you want to offer your customers a convincing customer experience.
• AI and Big Ops facilitate highly personalized customer journeys that significantly enhance the customer experience.

The marketing of the future: AI-based automation frees up time for creativity and productivity

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how quickly people’s habits change, what important role digitization plays in our daily lives and how quickly we need to adapt. Store closures and lockdowns created a boom in e-commerce, and businesses had to develop new and digital ways of interacting with their customers due to contact restrictions.

Nevertheless, it is not only the pandemic that poses challenges for marketers: There are new technologies and marketing trends to assess and apps, artificial intelligence (AI) tools and Big Ops to grasp, link and use effectively. You will not be able to pour all your energy into creative and innovative campaigns and offer your customers customized and magical moments until all this is in place.

Among other things, the marketing of the future will be accompanied by the following trends:

• The use of Big Ops (Big Operations) for the purposeful orchestration and effective use of collected data
• The use of AI tools and apps for automation and personalization
• Harmony between man and machine

The interaction of apps and the automation with rich data through Big Ops simplify data management processes. Using AI-based software such as a Customer Data Platform or a CRM system for the professional management of leads and customers, or an Artificial Intelligence Platform for data analysis and customer segmentation will help you find out more about your customers’ behavior patterns and create delight with personalized content. From a human perspective, you will win over your customers mainly with appreciation and empathy.

Empathy and AI: Creating harmony between man and machine

There is no question that technology is on the rise and that artificial intelligence is indispensable in marketing in the future to streamline and automate individual processes (e.g., in the areas of data management, customer experience and customer relationship management). Nevertheless, the human factor in the customer relationship is and remains more important than ever.

Convenience and speed are essential customer needs when they make purchases. At the same time, however, customers also want “someone to talk with” if they feel that it adds value. Assistance with decision-making, individualized offers, jointly proposed solutions, and personalized customer support on an equal footing all significantly benefit customers.

However, to ensure that humanness does not fall by the wayside despite the use of intelligent software, companies need to learn to understand the new technologies and use the various interactions effectively:

• Person-to-person (e.g., through phone calls, video calls, e-mails, chats, messaging, point-of-sale advice or on-site visits)
• Man-to-machine (e.g., a chatbot in an online shop where a salesperson can intervene if a customer needs help)
• Machine-to-machine (e.g., search engine optimization, where there is an automated information exchange between different kinds of software)

There is no doubt that creating harmony between man and machine will be an essential aspect of marketing in the future. With the help of the right software, you can achieve synergy between artificial intelligence and personal customer contact – the age of the augmented marketer has thus begun. Software solutions provide detailed customer data and information that will help you create a unique experience for your customers.

The result: The marketing of the future - the age of the augmented marketer

The fact is that artificial intelligence automates and accelerates many processes and helps marketers focus on essential areas: creativity and customer support. New marketing technologies give you extensive knowledge about your customers. If you use this data effectively, you can act and react with a human touch, engage your customers in a personalized manner or surprise them spontaneously – the synergy between artificial intelligence and human empathy creates the workspace for the augmented marketer.