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Design+ Generative AI’s impact on digital marketing

enhancing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as content must be vetted and approved at multiple stages
engagement, conversion rates, and return on investment before it even reaches the content creation department. For
(ROI). The primary objective is to provide actionable instance, companies such as IBM and Procter & Gamble
strategies that empower small businesses and individual utilize such intricate structures to manage their global
content creators to leverage these AI-driven tools marketing campaigns. These processes help maintain a
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effectively. By training these models to understand the consistent brand image across various markets, but they
unique esthetic of a brand, marketers can now collaborate also slow down the content creation process, making it
dynamically with GAI, making it not just a tool, but a difficult to respond quickly to market changes. This
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creative partner capable of generating ideas and concepts traditional approach contrasts sharply with the capabilities
that align seamlessly with brand identity. This relationship of AI in modern marketing, where the barriers to entry are
allows users to “pitch” ideas to the model, offering fresh significantly reduced.
perspectives and innovative concepts. Tools such as The advent of social media, smartphones, and the
ChatGPT and Grok, which provide real-time trend insights internet fundamentally transformed the marketing
and content suggestions, streamline this process further
by enabling users to conduct research, receive advice, landscape, forcing brands to adopt more responsive and
and optimize their content strategies. This study provides dynamic strategies. Unlike traditional media such as
step-by-step examples and instructions for how smaller billboards, newspapers, and TV ads, which were largely
enterprises and solo creators can harness the potential one-way communication channels, digital platforms
of the new technology, accelerating the creative process enabled a two-way interaction between brands and
consumers. This shift required brands to be more agile
and allowing them to produce personalized, efficient, and and immediate, in responding to consumer behavior and
innovative content at scale – ultimately leveling the playing
field with larger firms in the competitive digital marketing feedback. Social media, in particular, became a crucial tool
landscape. for real-time engagement, allowing brands to connect with
their audience on a more personal level and adapt their
2. Lowering the barrier to entry strategies based on real-time data. This new approach to
marketing meant that campaigns could be rapidly adjusted
In traditional marketing campaigns within Fortune or optimized, something that was nearly impossible with
500 companies, the process of developing and approving traditional media outlets, where content once published or
content is often complex and involves multiple layers of broadcasted was static and unchangeable. 15
oversight. These companies typically have a structured
hierarchy that includes an editorial board or content council, Moreover, integrating smartphones and the internet
a content lead, and an executive steering committee, among into everyday life gave rise to personalized marketing
other roles (Figure 1). Each group plays a critical role in strategies that were far more effective than traditional
ensuring that marketing content aligns with the company’s methods. Consumers began to rely on their digital devices
strategic goals and brand messaging. For example, an for nearly every aspect of their daily lives, from shopping
editorial board is responsible for generating content ideas to entertainment, which provided brands with a wealth
and ensuring that all content aligns with the company’s of data to tailor their messages more precisely. Unlike the
overall strategy. This board, which often includes key broad, impersonal reach of traditional advertisements,
players from different departments such as marketing, digital marketing allows for highly targeted campaigns that
product management, and regional teams, meets regularly could reach specific demographics based on their online
to brainstorm, plan, and review content. Their discussions behaviors and preferences. This capability made digital
help to break down silos within the organization and marketing more effective and cost-efficient, as brands
ensure consistency across all marketing efforts. The could ensure marketing budgets were spent to reach the
Managing Editor or Content Marketing Leader typically right audience at the right time. As a result, traditional
coordinates these efforts, managing the editorial calendar media began to see a decline in effectiveness and relevance
and optimizing content performance based on data-driven as more companies shifted their focus toward digital
insights. 12 platforms that offered greater flexibility and the potential
for higher engagement rates. 16
Following the input of the editorial board, the content
must pass through an executive steering committee. The The rapid rise of social media, smartphones, and digital
committee, which includes senior executives from various marketing fundamentally reshaped the landscape for content
parts of the organization, ensures that the content aligns creators, prompting them to adapt quickly to meet the
with broader corporate objectives and brand values. This industries’ evolving demands. While still essential, traditional
layer of oversight adds another level of complexity, as the skills such as photography, videography, and graphic design

Volume 1 Issue 1 (2024) 3 doi: 10.36922/dp.4776