Will AI Replace Marketing

Amidst the buzz that AI might replace marketers, a nuanced understanding of its role in go-to-market (GTM) strategies is essential.

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AI doesn’t replace marketers; it redefines how GTM strategies are executed.

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AI helps average CMOs stay average.

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AI can perpetuate mediocrity if used in the wrong context; it makes forgettable work more forgettable. It can make standard operations more efficient, but without strategic human insight, it can lead to uninspiring and poor-quality GTM tactics (exacerbating the problem of more stuff being done and average GTM tactics being executed). For example, by using AI to churn out generic content, such as LinkedIn posts, blogs, outbound emails, or ChatGPT-written articles, your days (or at least your marketing’s days) are numbered.

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Examples of ways to stay average with AI:

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- AI as a Replacement: Assuming AI can substitute for human creativity can reduce strategic thinking in GTM.
- Content Recycling: Using AI to rehash existing content with poorly used prompts repetitively.
- Overdependence on Automation: Implementing AI without integrating human insights can render GTM campaigns ineffective.
- Misguided Strategy Automation: Relying on AI for strategic GTM decisions rather than as a supportive tool. For example, ask what works and what doesn’t, then follow that advice verbatim.

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AI helps CMOs and GTM teams be greater.

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Conversely, AI can substantially enhance your strategy and speed of execution with lean teams, enhancing both the quality and impact of GTM initiatives. Thoughtful integration of AI can help refine ideas and execute sophisticated GTM campaigns.

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Examples of effective AI integration in GTM:

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- AI as a GTM Buddy: Employ AI for continuous generation and refinement of GTM ideas. An extension of human greatness (not being told what to do).
- AI for GTM Insights: Use AI to assess potential audience reactions and adapt GTM strategies effectively.
- AI for GTM Quality Assurance: Leverage AI to test and refine GTM campaigns before launch, ensuring higher success rates.
- AI for Creative Exploration in GTM: Utilize AI to quickly explore and evaluate various creative approaches, selecting the most effective one for deployment. It makes masterful work more masterful.

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A GREAT CMO WILL SEE THEMSELVES AS LIABILITY INSURANCE OF AI. AVERAGE CMOS WILL JUST KEEP DOING MORE AND MORE WITHOUT CROSS-CHECKING AI'S OUTPUTS.

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Practical Action Steps

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The difference between using AI to maintain the status quo and employing it to enhance GTM strategies significantly is substantial. Making strategic choices about AI integration is crucial.

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As a VC investor or CEO, encourage your leaders to view AI as an enhancement to their GTM processes, not a replacement for human creativity. Focus on strategic integration where AI supplements and enhances human efforts.

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Action Steps for Promoting Strategic AI Integration in GTM:

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1. Educate and Train: Equip teams with the skills to utilize AI tools effectively. Focus on understanding AI capabilities and limitations.
2. Strategic Deployment: Encourage the use of AI in areas where it can provide significant advantages, such as content (but not generic use), data analysis, outbound research, strategic narrative development and customer insights, to inform and optimize GTM strategies.
3. Assess Leadership Quality: Regularly review the CMO's approach to AI integration within GTM strategies. Their approach to AI can clearly indicate whether you're dealing with an average or a great CMO / CRO. This assessment will help you know whether you have the right people.

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Promote an environment where AI is seen as a tool for enhancing human creativity and strategic insight, not replacing it. The final one is that although AI will drive automation (good), only those driving it in the right direction and using it with great human interventions will win.