70% of Marketers Feel Overwhelmed by AI Changes and More – The CMO Whisperer’s Friday Fast Five

Friday. Fast Five. Let’s go.    

 

  • 70% of Marketers Feel Overwhelmed by AI changes

Source: Search Engine Land  

Why you need to read it: If you’re picking up a trend with the FFF and my inclusion of AI-related articles, you’re not wrong. You need to read this particular piece because there’s a very good chance that if you’re in marketing you fall into the 70% of those feeling overwhelmed. And who could blame you? AI is literally permeating everything including the threat of jobs.  

What you need to learn from it: Monica Ho, CMO of SOCi put it perfectly and succinctly when she said the survey results are a “call to action for organizations to prioritize continuous learning and offer support to their teams. Otherwise, millions and billions invested in AI will be wasted.” It is not hyperbole that the amount wasted could go into the billions.  

Click here to read the full article. 

TL;DR: We need to better equip our marketing teams with the right AI training and resources. A better understanding of AI and its applications is pivotal to harnessing its capabilities for our marketing strategies and unlocking its full potential.”  

 

  • B2B Marketers: Seven Ways to Incorporate Emotion into your Marketing Messaging

Source: PRNewswire  

Why you need to read it: This just in, even though it reads business-to-business, B2B marketers are in fact marketing to fellow humans. Yes, I realize the massive sarcasm in my last sentence but it was called for as I truly do not understand why B2B marketers, in the year 2023, still don’t understand this massively obvious fact.  

What you need to learn from it: The writer believes emotion drives 80% of decision-making; data drives the remaining 20% when it comes to B2B buyers. Not sure I believe that as I tend to think that emotion drives 100% of the decision-making process but the bottom line is the key word is emotion. B2B buyers have emotions. Who knew?  

Click here to read the full article. 

TL;DR: “Make sure your content isn’t putting people to sleep. Go beyond traditional facts and figures with your content. Buyers, even knowledgeable ones, make purchases on emotion even if they don’t realize it.” 

 

  • What Wendy’s Global CMO Carl Loredo Learned from Taylor Swift 

Source: Marketing Dive

Why you need to read it: It involves Taylor Swift, hello! Aren’t we obligated to consume all content related to TS? Loredo uses a very interesting analogy comparing the singer’s 3-hour concerts to customer insight. “She is the definition of understanding the consumer, creating art and work that lines up to what that consumer needs, and then just going after it all.” 

What you need to learn from it: Wendy’s is applying what it has learned about consumer needs during a period that Loredo joked isn’t all “roses and unicorns” but marked more by inflation, COVID-related issues and high interest rates including providing the right engagement with consumers offering up the best experiences possible 

Click here to read the full article. 

TL;DR: Yes, brands can in fact learn something from the world’s biggest star at the moment.  

 

  • Creating an Engaging Customer Experience with an Authentic Brand Voice

Source: Retail Customer Experience 

Why you need to read it: While some marketers may ignore the importance of having the right voice of your brand, it can have a direct effect on a given brand’s success. And just so you know, when I say “voice” I mean literally the voice of a brand as in the voice customers hear on an automated line for example.  

What you need to learn from it: “To be authentic, not only should organizations choose the voice that best represents their demographic, they should also make sure their voice personas have a human touch that comes across with empathy. This could be an ideal place for personalized recordings, niche references, and honing in on the voice your customers relate to the most.” 

Click here to read the full article. 

TL;DR: 7 in 10 customers say they expect a conversational experience from the brands they interact with. To achieve this, retailers should strive for authenticity and personalization instead of generic, generalized responses. 

 

  • Why ‘Emotional Loyalty’ is the New Opportunity for Brands

Source: Marketing Week 

Why you need to read it: Well first off, the word loyalty. It’s a holy grail for any brand, at least it should be. However, when we start talking emotional loyalty, that then takes things to a whole new level because, as the writer points out, “true emotional connections between brands and customers boost revenue as well as retention.” 

What you need to learn from it: There are ways for brands to reach loyalty nirvana such as going above and beyond normal levels of customer care, which is a good way of showing customers they are truly valued by people who are willing to go the extra mile. Another way is by offering experiences not available to the “general public” (i.e., a meet-and-greet with an athlete).  

Click here to read the full article. 

TL;DR: While it’s possible to reach the level of emotional loyalty or “loyalty without reason” as one person put it, it is vitally important to remember that brands have a responsibility to maintain the same level of service and experience they provided that got them to that level in the first place.  

Did someone say emotion?  

At System1 we believe in one very, basic tenet: The more people feel, the more they buy. That’s why everything we do is rooted in emotion. We predict sales and growth impacts by measuring emotion, letting you make ads that entertain for commercial gain.