October 31, 2023
Here’s what’s on my mind this week:
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- The Growing Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Marketing
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- AI-Driven Content Generation
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- AI’s Role in DTC eCommerce
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- Spotlight on Aidaptive
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- DTC Brands’ Strategic Imperative
Let’s dig in:
The Growing Impact of AI in Marketing
I’ve been in digital marketing for 13 years, but the scale and degree AI has transformed industries across the board is absolutely awe-inspiring. I still remember the feeling of perpetual dizziness when marketing automation and brands like Hubspot and Marketo were just beginning to go mainstream. In 2011, ChiefMarTec published its first “Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic” showcasing a measly 150 brands. By 2018 that number had ballooned to nearly 7,000, and finding solutions for me and my clients felt more challenging than ever. But that pales in comparison to what AI has done. AI has brought more change to the marketing landscape in the last five months than the previous five years combined. With a 270% increase in AI adoption in marketing over the past five years, we’re looking at a tectonic shift. If AI isn’t a part of a DTC brand’s marketing strategy yet, they’re getting left behind. But it’s never too late to catch up!
AI-Driven Content Generation
Everyone knows content remains king, but that’s a bit of an understatement in this industry. In truth, DTC brands are analogous to media companies that monetize by selling physical products instead of content subscriptions and ad space. The need for engaging, quality content has never been greater, and generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALLE have become invaluable assets for marketing teams. I watched with careful excitement as my team boosted our customer engagement rates by a staggering 47% after integrating AI into our organic social workflow, and doubled our creative production without adding to or straining human resources. While there are still a lot of misconceptions and ongoing debates surrounding AI content, I think it’s time for DTC brands to rethink their content strategy if they’re still relying solely on human-powered content. The key is to leave in a human element and empower marketing teams to leverage AI to be more productive and efficient. To believe that AI will replace great copywriters and creatives, and automate content production is to misunderstand generative AI, which could lead to absolute catastrophe.
A Better Use for AI in DTC eCommerce
When we go beyond generative AI and into predictive AI, things get really exciting. Predictive analytics, personalized experiences, automated customer service—you name it, predictive AI can enhance it and help DTC brands make better, more informed decisions. In the agile world of DTC eCommerce, predictive AI is so much more than a tactical add-on to your Shopify store; it’s a game-changer. Larger brands have been quick to predictive AI, often in tandem with strategic initiatives. Curiously, though, smaller DTC brands seem to be leaving it on the table despite the fact that it’s incredibly accessible. To understand why, I had the good fortune to sit down with Rafael Granato, the Head of Marketing at Aidaptive.
Spotlight: Aidaptive
In this rapidly evolving landscape, platforms like aidaptive.com stand out. This predictive AI platform for DTC eCommerce specializes in personalizing shopping experiences, and brands using it are enjoying phenomenal bumps in conversion rates, AOV, and LTV. Even with modest numbers, I would still expect to see anywhere from 10x to 20x ROI on a solution like Aidaptive. So I was shocked to learn that many of the CEOs of smaller brands they speak to balk and have trouble seeing the value.
My first thought was that CEOs of smaller brands may be experiencing sticker shock due to the anchoring effect of Shopify. When Shopify Plus costs $2,000/mo and the bulk of the apps that can get tacked onto it range from free to a few hundred bucks per month, a predictive AI tool that costs as much as the entire platform the brand is built around might seem ludicrous. But the more we talked, the closer we got to what I believe is the root cause of the objections coming from smaller brands. Smaller DTC brands often don’t have a strategic initiative.
Strategic Initiatives in DTC eCommerce
People often use the terms strategy and tactics interchangeably. I won’t get into the difference between the two or vent about the prevalence of the mistake that may one day rewrite the dictionary the same way the misuse of the word “literally” did. But I will say I’ve always thought of strategy as a hypothesis and the execution of that strategy as active experimentation.
If strategy is a hypothesis, then a strategic initiative is the compass that directs a brand’s execution and testing of that hypothesis. It’s the guiding light for the countless decisions CEOs and marketing executives have to make every day. Without it, brands can easily find themselves directionless, falling prey to shiny object syndrome, or worse, walking away from opportunities that feel like a distraction at the time. For DTC brands, there are two crucial types of strategic initiatives: strategic marketing initiatives, and strategic growth initiatives.
A strategic marketing initiative might focus on enhancing customer engagement and personalization. An obvious example is integrating Aidaptive into your Klaviyo flows to offer more personalized product recommendations and deliver discounts only to those that need one to close the deal. On the other hand, a strategic growth initiative could center on expanding into new markets or launching new product lines. A brand looking to tap into the eco-conscious market might design a comprehensive marketing campaign to highlight the sustainable benefits of its products. Generative AI tools like Aidaptive can then tailor product photography and product descriptions in real-time to appeal to eco-conscious visitors without alienating the core customer base. Whether it’s part of a strategic marketing initiative or a strategic growth initiative, a tool like Aidaptive becomes a no-brainer rather than an over-priced add-on.
What is Your Brand Leaving on The Table?
Bringing clarity and direction to these initiatives is where the role of a Fractional CMO becomes invaluable. A Fractional CMO brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective, often enabling DTC brands to identify gaps in their strategy or discover new opportunities they may have overlooked. They act as a catalyst, driving brands to optimize their marketing mix, enhance their tech stacks, and streamline marketing operations. For smaller DTC brands that may not have the budget or need for a full-time CMO, a Fractional CMO provides the expertise and insights of a seasoned professional, without the long-term commitment and heavy compensation package. This allows brands to be agile, pivoting their strategies based on market trends, consumer behaviors, and emerging technologies.
If you’re a DTC brand aiming to stay ahead in this dynamic landscape, it’s crucial to have a clear strategic initiative in place and the right expertise to guide it. Predictive AI tools like Aidaptive can be game-changers, but only when used within the framework of a well-defined strategy. If you’re interested in trying Aidaptive, Rafael is offering a free 90-day trial so brands can see for themselves what predictive AI can do for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Last year was tough for a lot of us, so if you’re hoping for better results this year but are banking on the same strategy, Rafael and his team can help ensure it has a greater impact.
