From Attention-seeking to Attraction-building.

How AI is changing advertising for customers.

Disclaimer: This article was not written by AI.

As the realization of AI settles in and its impact on marketing and advertising continues to advance, we need to understand what it means in the eyes of the customer.

Over the last 20 years, with digital, CTV, eCommerce, and social growth, advertising has relied heavily on capturing attention through intrusive ads backed by heavy media frequency. 

With AI and the ability to make every ad highly relevant to the individual, the focus can quickly shift toward personal and emotional attraction. 

From Attention-Seeking to Attraction-Building: 

The traditional approach to advertising often involved interrupting the consumer experience with disruptive ads. Whether it was a TV commercial, a full-page magazine ad, or a native or influencer ad on social media, the primary goal was to grab attention. With AI's intervention, advertising becomes more personal, subtle, and tailored to the interests and preferences of the customer.

Is the image of person with flawless skin in a beauty ad real?

This shift from attention-seeking to attraction-building creates a possible win-win situation for advertisers and consumers. Advertisers can achieve better conversion rates, and consumers are presented with ads that align with their desires and needs.

But don't get excited just yet:

As AI becomes more integrated into advertising, it has also started to play a role in generating visual content. AI-driven tools can design images, write copy, and create ad campaigns (the debate is still around the quality of the campaign).

While this offers unparalleled convenience and speed in the creative process, it raises important ethical considerations.

One such concern is transparency. Brands must be forthcoming about the use of AI-generated content in their advertisements. Consumers have the right to know whether the images they encounter result from human creativity or machine algorithms. Disclosing AI-generated content establishes trust between brands and consumers and prevents any potential backlash due to perceived deception.

And is the image of a person in the ad with flawless skin real?

It's not what we want to deliver. It's what customers expect.

As AI-driven advertising gains momentum, there are several challenges that brands and marketers must address.

We must be ready to deliver as customer expectations grow for improved personalization. While there is no one-size-fits-all, the budget percentage split between media and creative/content in a marketing campaign is approximately 70/30 (higher media budget for a response campaign, higher creative budget for a brand campaign). 

With AI and personalization, should the budget be higher for content in future years?

Another challenge is the ethical use of AI in advertising. As AI technologies continue to evolve, there might be instances where AI-generated content crosses ethical boundaries or perpetuates biases.

Brands must actively monitor and review AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with their values and principles.

Targeting is also an issue. I occasionally watch Roblox videos (specifically Brookhaven) on TikTok with our daughter. And I am purposefully logged in under my account (she does not have an account). The ads I receive are now very different since my Roblox-watching has commenced.

Despite these challenges, the future of AI-driven advertising holds enormous potential. Ignore it at your peril.