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What part should marketing play?

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What part should marketing play?

If you have an artificial intelligence program, you also have a committee, team, or body that is providing governance over AI development, deployment, and use. If you don’t, one needs to be created.

In my last article, I shared the key areas for applying AI and ML models in marketing and how those models can help you innovate and meet client demands. Here I look at marketing’s responsibility for AI governance.

So, what is AI governance?

AI governance is what we call the framework or process that manages your use of AI. The goal of any AI governance effort is simple — mitigate the risks attached to using AI. To do this, organizations must establish a process for assessing the risks of AI-driven algorithms and their ethical usage.   

The stringency of the governance is highly dependent on industry. For example, deploying AI algorithms in a financial setting could have greater risks than deploying AI in manufacturing. The use of AI for assigning consumer credit scores needs more transparency and oversight than does an AI algorithm that distributes parts cost-effectively around a plant floor. 

To manage risk effectively, an AI governance program should look at three aspects of AI-driven applications:

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  • Data: What data is the algorithm using? Is the quality appropriate for the model? Do data scientists have access to the data needed? Will privacy be violated as part of the algorithm? (Although this is never intentional, some AI models could inadvertently expose sensitive information.) As data may change over time, it is necessary to consistently govern the data’s use in the AI/ML model.
  • Algorithms. If the data has changed, does it alter the output of the algorithm? For example, if a model was created to predict which customers will purchase in the next month, the data will age with each passing week and affect the output of the model. Is the model still generating appropriate responses or actions? Because the most common AI model in marketing is machine learning, marketers need to watch for model drift. Model drift is any change in the model’s predictions. If the model predicts something today that is different from what it predicted yesterday, then the model is said to have “drifted.”
  • Use. Have those that are using the AI model’s output been trained on how to use it? Are they monitoring outputs for variances or spurious results? This is especially important if the AI model is generating actions that marketing uses. Using the same example, does the model identify those customers who are most likely to purchase in the next month? If so, have you trained sales or support reps on how to handle customers who are likely to buy? Does your website “know” what to do with those customers when they visit? What marketing processes are affected as a result of this information?

How should it be structured and who should be involved?

AI governance can be structured in various ways with approaches that vary from highly controlled to self-monitored, which is highly dependent on the industry as well as the corporate culture in which it resides.  

To be able to direct to the model development as well as its validation and deployment, governance teams usually consist of both technical members who understand how the algorithms operate as well as leaders who understand why the models should work as they are planned. In addition, someone representing the internal audit function usually sits within the governance structure.  

No matter how AI governance is structured, the primary objective should be a highly collaborative team to ensure that AI algorithms, the data used by them and the processes that use the outcomes are managed so that the organization is compliant with all internal and external regulations.

Here is a sample AI Governance design for an organization taking a centralized approach, common in highly regulated industries like healthcare, finance, and telecommunications: 

Image: Theresa Kushner

What can marketers contribute to AI governance?

There are several reasons for marketing to be involved in the governance of AI models. All of these reasons relate to marketing’s mission. 

  1. Advocating for customers. Marketing’s job is to ensure that customers have the information they need to purchase and continue purchasing, as well as to evangelize for the company’s offerings. Marketing is responsible for the customers’ experiences and with protecting the customers’ information. Because of these responsibilities, the marketing organization should be involved in any AI algorithm that uses customer information or with any algorithm that has an impact on customer satisfaction, purchase behavior or advocacy.  
  1. Protecting the brand. One of marketing’s primary responsibilities is protecting the brand.  If AI models are being deployed in any way that might hurt the  brand image, marketing should step in. For example, if AI-generated credit worthiness scores are used to determine in advance which customers get the “family” discount, then marketing should be playing an important role in how that model is deployed. Marketing should be part of the team that decides whether the model will yield appropriate results or not. Marketing must always ask the question: “Will this situation change how our primary customers feel about doing business with us?”
  1. Ensuring open communications. One of the most often neglected areas of AI/ML model development and deployment is the storytelling that is required to help others understand what the models should be doing. Transparency and explicability are the two most important traits of good, governed AI/ML modeling. Transparency means that the models that are created are fully understood by those creating them and those using them as well as managers and leaders of the organizations. Without being able to explain what the model does and how it does it to the internal business leaders, the AI Governance team runs the huge risk of also not being able to explain the model externally to government regulators, outside counsels, or stockholders. Communicating the “story” of what the model is doing and what it means to the business is marketing’s job.
  1. Guarding marketing-deployed AI Models. Marketing should also be a big user of those AI/ML models that help determine which customers will purchase the most, which customers will remain customers the longest, and which of the most satisfied customers are likely to recommend you to other potential customers or indeed churn. In this role, marketing should have a seat at the AI Governance table to ensure that customer information is well managed, that bias does not enter the model and that privacy is maintained for the customer.  

Read next: AI and machine learning in marketing: Are you deploying the right models? 

But first, get to know the basics

I would like to say that your organization’s AI Governance will welcome marketers to the table, but it never hurts to be prepared and to do your homework. Here are a few skills and capabilities to familiarize yourself with before getting started: 

  • AI/ML understanding. You should understand what AI/ML are and how they work. This does not mean that you need a Ph.D. in data science, but it is a good idea to take an online course on what these capabilities are and what they do. It’s most important that you understand what impact should be expected from the models especially if they run the risk of exposing customer information or putting the organization at financial or brand risk.
  • Data. You should be well-versed in what data is being used in the model, how it was collected and how and when it is updated. Selecting and curating the data for an AI model is the first place where bias can enter the algorithm. For example, if you are trying to analyze customer behavior around a specific product, you will usually need about three-quarters of data collected in the same way and curated so that you have complete as well as accurate information. If it’s marketing data that the algorithm will be using, then your role is even more important.
  • Process. You should have a good understanding of the process in which the algorithm will be deployed. If you are sitting on the AI Governance team as a marketing representative and the AI algorithms being evaluated are for sales, then you should familiarize yourself with that process and how and where marketing may contribute to the process. Because this is an important skill to have if you serve on the AI Governance team, many marketing teams will appoint the marketing operations head as their representative.

No matter what role you play in AI Governance, remember how important it is. Ensuring that AI/ML is deployed responsibly in your organization is not only imperative, but also an ongoing process, requiring persistence and vigilance, as the models continue to learn from the data they use.  


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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


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About The Author

5 steps to make the most of your reporting and

Theresa Kushner is passionate about data analysis and how it gets applied to today’s business challenges. For over 25 years she has led companies – like IBM, Cisco Systems, VMware, Dell/EMC – in recognizing, managing, and using the information or data that has exploded exponentially. Using her expertise in journalism, she co-authored two books on data and its use in business: Managing Your Business Data: From Chaos to Confidence (with Maria Villar) and B2B Data-Driven Marketing: Sources, Uses, Results
(with Ruth Stevens). Today, as the Data and Analytics practice lead for NTT DATA, Theresa continues to help companies – and their marketing departments — gain value from data and information.

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How To Combine PR and Content Marketing Superpowers To Achieve Business Goals

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A figure pulls open a dress shirt to reveal the term PR on a Superman-like costume, reflecting the superpower resulting from combining content and PR.

A transformative shift is happening, and it’s not AI.

The aisle between public relations and content marketing is rapidly narrowing. If you’re smart about the convergence, you can forever enhance your brand’s storytelling.

The goals and roles of content marketing and PR overlap more and more. The job descriptions look awfully similar. Shrinking budgets and a shrewd eye for efficiency mean you and your PR pals could face the chopping block if you don’t streamline operations and deliver on the company’s goals (because marketing communications is always first to be axed, right?).

Yikes. Let’s take a big, deep breath. This is not a threat. It’s an opportunity.

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Reach across the aisle to PR and streamline content creation, improve distribution strategies, and get back to the heart of what you both are meant to do: Build strong relationships and tell impactful stories.

So, before you panic-post that open-to-work banner on LinkedIn, consider these tips from content marketing, PR, and journalism pros who’ve figured out how to thrive in an increasingly narrowing content ecosystem.

1. See journalists as your audience

Savvy pros know the ability to tell an impactful story — and support it with publish-ready collateral — grounds successful media relationships. And as a content marketer, your skills in storytelling and connecting with audiences, including journalists, naturally support your PR pals’ media outreach.

Strategic storytelling creates content focused on what the audience needs and wants. Sharing content on your blog or social media builds relationships with journalists who source those channels for story ideas, event updates, and subject matter experts.

“Embedding PR strategies in your content marketing pieces informs your audience and can easily be picked up by media,” says Alex Sanchez, chief experience officer at BeWell, New Mexico’s Health Insurance Marketplace. “We have seen reporters do this many times, pulling stories from our blogs and putting them in the nightly news — most of the time without even reaching out to us.”

Acacia James, weekend producer/morning associate producer at WTOP radio in Washington, D.C., says blogs and social media posts are helpful to her work. “If I see a story idea, and I see that they’re willing to share information, it’s easier to contact them — and we can also backlink their content. It’s huge for us to be able to use every avenue.” 

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Kirby Winn, manager of PR at ImpactLife, says reporters and assignment editors are key consumers of their content. “And I don’t mean a news release that just hit their inbox. They’re going to our blog and consuming our stories, just like any other audience member,” he says. “Our organization has put more focus into content marketing in the past few years — it supports a media pitch so well and highlights the stories we have to tell.”

Storytelling attracts earned media that might not pick up the generic news topic. “It’s one thing to pitch a general story about how we help consumers sign up for low-cost health insurance,” Alex says. “Now, imagine a single mom who just got a plan after years of thinking it was too expensive. She had a terrible car accident, and the $60,000 ER bill that would have ruined her financially was covered. Now that’s a story journalists will want to cover, and that will be relatable to their audience and ours.” 

2. Learn the media outlet’s audience

Seventy-three percent of reporters say one-fourth or less of the stories pitched are relevant to their audiences, according to Cision’s 2023 State of the Media Report (registration required).

PR pros are known for building relationships with journalists, while content marketers thrive in building communities around content. Merge these best practices to build desirable content that works for your target audience and the media’s audiences simultaneously.

WTOP’s Acacia James says sources who show they’re ready to share helpful, relevant content often win pitches for coverage. “In radio, we do a lot of research on who is listening to us, and we’re focused on a prototype called ‘Mike and Jen’ — normal, everyday people in Generation X … So when we get press releases and pitches, we ask, ‘How interested will Mike and Jen be in this story?’” 

3. Deliver the full content package (and make journalists’ jobs easier)

Cranking out content to their media outlet’s standards has never been tougher for journalists. Newsrooms are significantly understaffed, and anything you can do to make their lives easier will be appreciated and potentially rewarded with coverage. Content marketers are built to think about all the elements to tell the story through multiple mediums and channels.

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“Today’s content marketing pretty much provides a package to the media outlet,” says So Young Pak, director of media relations at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. “PR is doing a lot of storytelling work in advance of media publication. We (and content marketing) work together to provide the elements to go with each story — photos, subject matter experts, patients, videos, and data points, if needed.”   

At WTOP, the successful content package includes audio. “As a radio station, we are focused on high-quality sound,” Acacia James says. “Savvy sources know to record and send us voice memos, and then we pull cuts from the audio … You will naturally want to do someone a favor if they did you one — like providing helpful soundbites, audio, and newsworthy stories.”  

While production value matters to some media, you shouldn’t stress about it. “In the past decade, how we work with reporters has changed. Back in the day, if they couldn’t be there in person, they weren’t going to interview your expert,” says Jason Carlton, an accredited PR professional and manager of marketing and communications at Intermountain Health. “During COVID, we had to switch to virtual interviewing. Now, many journalists are OK with running a Teams or Zoom interview they’ve done with an expert on the news.”

BeWell’s Alex Sanchez agrees. “I’ve heard old school PR folks cringe at the idea of putting up a Zoom video instead of getting traditional video interviews. It doesn’t really matter to consumers. Focus on the story, on the timeliness, and the relevance. Consumers want authenticity, not super stylized, stiff content.”

4. Unite great minds to maximize efficiency

Everyone needs to set aside the debate about which team — PR or content marketing — gets credit for the resulting media coverage.

At MedStar Washington Hospital Center, So Young and colleagues adopt a collaborative mindset on multichannel stories. “We can get the interview and gather information for all the different pieces — blog, audio, video, press release, internal newsletter, or magazine. That way, we’re not trying to figure things out individually, and the subject matter experts only have to have that conversation once,” she says.

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Regular, cross-team meetings are essential to understand the best channels for reaching key audiences, including the media. A story that began life as a press release might reap SEO and earned media gold if it’s strategized as a blog, video, and media pitch.

“At Intermountain Health, we have individual teams for media relations, marketing, social media, and hospital communications. That setup works well because it allows us to bring in the people who are the given experts in those areas,” says Intermountain’s Jason Carlton. “Together, we decide if a story is best for the blog, a media pitch, or a mix of channels — that way, we avoid duplicating work and the risk of diluting the story’s impact.”

5. Measure what matters

Cutting through the noise to earn media mentions requires keen attention to metrics. Since content marketing and PR metrics overlap, synthesizing the data in your team meetings can save time while streamlining your storytelling efforts.

“For content marketers, using analytical tools such as GA4 can help measure the effectiveness of their content campaigns and landing pages to determine meaningful KPIs such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, lead generation, and conversion rates,” says John Martino, director of digital marketing for Visiting Angels. “PR teams can use media coverage and social interactions to assess user engagement and brand awareness. A unified and omnichannel approach can help both teams demonstrate their value in enhancing brand visibility, engagement, and overall business success.”

To track your shared goals, launch a shared dashboard that helps tell the combined “story of your stories” to internal and executive teams. Among the metrics to monitor:

  • Page views: Obviously, this queen of metrics continues to be important across PR and content marketing. Take your analysis to the next level by evaluating which niche audiences are contributing to these views to further hone your storytelling targets, including media outlets.
  • Earned media mentions: Through a media tracker service or good old Google Alerts, you can tally the echo of your content marketing and PR. Look at your site’s referral traffic report to identify media outlets that send traffic to your blog or other web pages.
  • Organic search queries: Dive into your analytics platform to surface organic search queries that lead to visitors. Build from those questions to develop stories that further resonate with your audience and your targeted media.
  • On-page actions: When visitors show up on your content, what are they doing? What do they click? Where do they go next? Building next-step pathways is your bread and butter in content marketing — and PR can use them as a natural pipeline for media to pick up more stories, angles, and quotes.

But perhaps the biggest metric to track is team satisfaction. Who on the collaborative team had the most fun writing blogs, producing videos, or calling the news stations? Lean into the natural skills and passions of your team members to distribute work properly, maximize the team output, and improve relationships with the media, your audience, and internal teams.

“It’s really trying to understand the problem to solve — the needle to move — and determining a plan that will help them achieve their goal,” Jason says. “If you don’t have those measurable objectives, you’re not going to know whether you made a difference.”

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Don’t fear the merger

Whether you deliberately work together or not, content marketing and public relations are tied together. ImpactLife’s Kirby Winn explains, “As soon as we begin to talk about (ourselves) to a reporter who doesn’t know us, they are certainly going to check out our stories.”

But consciously uniting PR and content marketing will ease the challenges you both face. Working together allows you to save time, eliminate duplicate work, and gain free time to tell more stories and drive them into impactful media placements.

Register to attend Content Marketing World in San Diego. Use the code BLOG100 to save $100. Can’t attend in person this year? Check out the Digital Pass for access to on-demand session recordings from the live event through the end of the year.

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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

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Trends in Content Localization – Moz

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Trends in Content Localization - Moz

Multinational fast food chains are one of the best-known examples of recognizing that product menus may sometimes have to change significantly to serve distinct audiences. The above video is just a short run-through of the same business selling smokehouse burgers, kofta, paneer, and rice bowls in an effort to appeal to people in a variety of places. I can’t personally judge the validity of these representations, but what I can see is that, in such cases, you don’t merely localize your content but the products on which your content is founded.

Sometimes, even the branding of businesses is different around the world; what we call Burger King in America is Hungry Jack’s in Australia, Lays potato chips here are Sabritas in Mexico, and DiGiorno frozen pizza is familiar in the US, but Canada knows it as Delissio.

Tales of product tailoring failures often become famous, likely because some of them may seem humorous from a distance, but cultural sensitivity should always be taken seriously. If a brand you are marketing is on its way to becoming a large global seller, the best insurance against reputation damage and revenue loss as a result of cultural insensitivity is to employ regional and cultural experts whose first-hand and lived experiences can steward the organization in acting with awareness and respect.

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How AI Is Redefining Startup GTM Strategy

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How AI Is Redefining Startup GTM Strategy

AI and startups? It just makes sense.

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