A framework for using AI in marketing

In this Think with Google post, Marie Gulin-Merle (global VP of Ads marketing at Google) and Alison Wagonfeld (VP of marketing at Google Cloud) outline a framework for integrating AI into marketing. The framework focuses on using AI for measurement and insights, media and personalization, and creative and content. Key steps include leveraging first-party data for unique insights, implementing AI-powered campaigns, and utilizing AI to optimize creative assets. The article highlights successful case studies from companies like PepsiCo, Les Mills, and Vans. Google emphasizes the importance of cross-functional relationships, measurable results, and responsible AI use for successful adoption across organizations.

As the leaders of Google’s Ads and Cloud marketing teams — and as marketers ourselves — we talk to many partners and friends about AI in marketing. One of the things we hear most clearly is that people want to move beyond the hype to the how.

So, to help marketers get their heads around the opportunities and how to make the most of what AI enables, we’ve developed a framework for how to put AI to work in your marketing.

This article lays out essential actions you can take to get started and how to scale when you’re ready.

Investing in your first-party data strategy can give you a solid AI foundation and drive quick wins, growth, and efficiency for your business. Google’s AI-powered campaign products and off-the-shelf products and tools can help you achieve these benefits.

For those who want to do more, Google Cloud offers a powerful platform for broader AI transformation. That can include purpose-built solutions, like a custom creative studio or AI-powered predictive audiences and analytics, to give you a competitive edge.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to maximize what AI can do, our AI framework is a great resource to help you think about how to take advantage of using AI in your marketing, and to assess what you’re already doing vis-à-vis what’s possible.

The AI for Marketing Engine

Until recently, marketing practices followed a fairly linear path. We’d create content intended for a specific audience; publish it on the channels or platforms where our audiences were; measure its effect on marketing metrics (often only rough proxies for business growth); tweak it; then repeat the process.

Enter AI and a framework we call the “AI for Marketing Engine.” It’s premised on familiar marketing functions: creative, media, and measurement. These aren’t independent activities, of course. They’re increasingly interlinked, but they’re a useful way to categorize the opportunities AI offers.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Read more at Think with Google.