More than 50 senior marketers convened at Deloitte’s Dublin offices for The New Media Playbook, an event co-hosted by Buymedia and Deloitte Digital. The gathering underscored how artificial intelligence is moving from buzzword status to practical tool in marketing organisations. With AI’s potential to revolutionise marketing strategies, the stakes are high for Irish and European businesses looking to maintain competitive edges.
### Bridging the Gap Between Interest and Implementation
The event highlighted a significant disparity between the enthusiasm for AI and its successful deployment in marketing. While 80% of marketers feel compelled to integrate AI into their strategies, only 6% report successful implementations. These figures, presented during the session, reflect a broader issue facing organisations globally: turning interest into tangible outcomes. Gartner research shared at the event indicated that one-third of organisations have yet to see measurable returns from their AI investments. The emphasis at the event was on current, actionable AI applications rather than speculative future uses.
### Reducing the Cost of Relevance
Dylan Cotter, Managing Director of Deloitte Digital and its creative agency ACNE, spoke on how generative AI is not merely a cost-saving tool but a means to enhance relevance. He highlighted that approximately 60% of ACNE’s imagery and film production now involve generative AI, enabling brands to create tailored communications for diverse audiences and customer segments. This shift from a scarcity to an abundance mindset allows companies to personalise at scale, moving away from broad campaigns to more targeted strategies. Cotter noted that generative AI’s real value lies in its ability to deliver personalised content efficiently, reshaping how brands communicate with their audiences.
### AI’s Role in Media Planning
Fergal O’Connor, Founder and CEO of Buymedia, focused on AI’s application in media planning and advertising. AI’s ability to process extensive data points across various channels can reduce biases that favour easily measurable platforms over potentially more effective ones. This capability aids marketers in making data-driven decisions, aligning AI investments with measurable business outcomes. O’Connor pointed out the increasing ubiquity of the term “AI-powered” and stressed the importance of demonstrating tangible value from AI initiatives to CFOs and executive teams.
### Implications for Irish and European Stakeholders
For Irish and European founders, engineers, and investors, the insights from The New Media Playbook offer several implications. The clear takeaway is the need to move beyond experimentation to practical application, focusing on AI tools that deliver measurable results. As AI technology evolves, the pressure to integrate effective AI solutions will only increase, highlighting the importance of strategic investments and partnerships. Additionally, the EU’s regulatory landscape, including the upcoming AI Act, will play a crucial role in shaping AI adoption, necessitating compliance while fostering innovation.
The next steps for stakeholders involve not only adopting AI technologies but ensuring these tools align with broader business strategies and regulatory frameworks. For those in Ireland and across Europe, the challenge will be to distinguish between AI solutions that offer genuine value and those that are merely riding the hype. By focusing on implementation and outcome measurement, Irish and European businesses can leverage AI to enhance competitiveness in an increasingly digital marketplace.