Artificial Intelligence (AI) has certainly become a game-changer for channel marketers. AI technology can analyze vast amounts of data and generate insights that would take marketers months to complete. While AI makes it much easier for channel marketers to develop content and make creative recommendations, for example, AI cannot replace human interaction and engagement completely, and there are several reasons why the human touch is still crucial.
AI is a powerful tool for content development, but it cannot create content that resonates with human emotions. Emotions are a vital part of the human experience, and creating content that connects with people on an emotional level is essential for successful marketing. AI is unable to create content that evokes emotions, such as compassion, humor, and nostalgia, which humans are better at understanding and producing.
For example, let’s consider the Super Bowl commercial for Coca-Cola. The ad features a diverse group of people from various cultures and backgrounds, all singing “America the Beautiful” in different languages while enjoying a Coke. The advertisement is heartwarming and evokes emotions such as unity and inclusivity. It was a viral success, and millions of people shared it on social media. While AI may have analyzed the data and created a similar ad, it would not have been able to generate the emotional connection that the human-produced ad achieved.
Creative and Strategy Start with Humans
Human intervention is also important in channel program development. AI can automate tasks, but it cannot provide creative direction or develop an overarching program strategy. AI can analyze data and identify patterns, but it cannot create a marketing plan or develop a brand’s voice. Human engagement is crucial in identifying a brand’s identity, goals, and message. Once these are identified, AI can analyze data to identify trends and patterns that can inform marketing strategy.
For example, suppose a brand wants to create a marketing campaign to promote a new product. Human intervention is essential in identifying the product’s unique selling proposition, target audience, and messaging. Once these are identified, AI can analyze data to identify the most effective marketing channels, timing, and ad placement. AI can also provide insights into consumer behavior and preferences, but humans must interpret and apply those insights in a meaningful way.
Humans Understand Cultural Significance
AI also has limitations in understanding cultural nuances and context. Humans have a better understanding of social and cultural factors that can impact the success of a marketing campaign. For example, AI may not understand the cultural significance of certain colors or symbols in a particular region or culture. Humans can interpret these nuances and tailor marketing campaigns accordingly.
Moreover, AI has limitations in understanding the context of data. AI can provide data-driven insights, but humans can provide context and interpret the data in a way that is meaningful for marketing strategy. For example, AI may identify a pattern in consumer behavior, but humans must interpret that pattern and understand how it relates to marketing objectives and goals.
AI is revolutionizing the world of channel marketing, providing data-driven insights and automating tasks. However, human engagement and interaction are essential in channel marketing content development and program development. AI cannot create content that resonates with human emotions or provide creative direction and strategy. The human touch is crucial in identifying a brand’s identity, goals, and message. Moreover, AI has limitations in understanding cultural nuances and context, and humans have a better understanding of social and cultural factors that can impact the success of a marketing campaign. While AI can provide valuable insights, human interpretation and intervention are essential to creating successful marketing programs that resonate with a brand’s channel partners.
About Channel Fusion
For more than 20 years, Channel Fusion has been delivering strategy, customer experience and return on investment outcomes for brands and their channel partners with a wide variety of solutions and industry expertise. We continue to invest in the overall ecosystem of our channel marketing offering to ensure our clients can provide their channel partners with an optimal customer experience to drive results. Our core technologies and connected platform are supported by a team of customer-centric “Fusers.” Let us know if you’d like to learn more about how we deliver desired outcomes for brands and their channel partners.