By: Hanifa Sekandi
In a world where technology is the gateway to success, it is unsurprising that people are looking at the new kid on the block, AI. For some, this tool is controversial. It lacks the human touch, a true statement. People value connection, something that AI cannot replicate.
Regardless of these sentiments, it is a tool that must be understood even if you choose not to utilize it. So, what place does it have in beverage marketing? The place it holds for your beverage brand is up to you. Many marketing experts across industries have implemented AI software into their strategies to streamline processes. Some companies see it as a tool to cut costs—an excellent opportunity to allocate a budget to marketing initiatives rather than large marketing teams.
Although this new frontier is popular right now, this will likely level out. AI cannot completely replace an experienced marketing team, nor can it brainstorm creative ideas. But it can take your ideas and organize them. It can help bring the story together and devise a plan that is easy to digest across teams. However, there are limitations.
Before you consider using AI to market your beverage brand, it is essential to have a goal in mind. Why is this tool useful for your company? What gap is it filling? If you have been following along, we often mention the importance of understanding your audience and researching before you market your beverage.
Once you have solidified your why and brand messaging, the next step is who. Who is your consumer? How can you reach them? How do they make their buying decisions? The market research stage is fundamental to your long-term success. It precedes determining the what and how to market to your consumer.
AI & Market Research
Fortunately, many AI tools can help you conduct market research. With these tools, you can take a deep dive into your consumers’ behavior. AI software can analyze what actions your targeted consumer makes. It can also zero in on key demographic markers, such as age, gender, location and income. Brands can see who their competitors are and how their audience responds to their marketing initiatives—a great way for a new beverage brand to understand how they might measure up to the best. AI, if utilized correctly, can give brands a competitive edge.
With that said, there are downsides to using AI. One downside is that your plan can be widely used if you do not provide a detailed and concise query. You ask AI questions, and AI does its best to answer them. Generic questions get basic answers. The more details, the better. Avoid obvious questions that most people would ask.
For example, asking AI to help you by using generic market research strategies will not provide you with a customized plan exclusive to your brands. An example is asking an AI tool how to market to men who play hockey. Just asking about this demographic your competitor may be targeting will provide you with a basic strategy—a strategy that will be similar if several other brands ask the same question. AI is not the be-all and end-all. You cannot just sit back, let it do the work and then let the magic happen.
Marketing teams who have adopted this tool understand this quite well. They know the limitations of their teams and recognize the limitations of AI tools. They know how to cut through the marketing fluff with AI. AI helps marketers zero in on a targeted audience and highlight information that would take hours to uncover through conventional market research strategies. With AI, every stone unturned will be flipped over, revealing little marketing gold nuggets. Rather than focusing on just one aspect of your demographic, you may discover that your consumer is more than just a hockey fan. Their desire for a beverage is not isolated to watching the sport.
Discovering the complexities of your consumers will allow you to explore other ways to reach them. You do not have to spend so much time focusing on what your competitor is doing and trying to do it better. Your brand can do what has not been done yet, opening a new viewpoint of how this consumer is viewed.
Streamline Your Marketing Plan
What can you do as a marketing team? This is the first obstacle that needs to be tackled. Becoming a successful beverage brand still requires active participation. You will have to roll up your sleeves. You cannot close your eyes and hope that a few AI tools and strategies will do the work. When you hit the ground running, know your strengths and weaknesses. From here, you can discern where AI fits in and how it enhances your marketing goals.
Many people use AI to condense their marketing plans. A 30-page deck can be overwhelming. With the help of a good AI tool, you can break down your strategy into segments. Upload your document and select areas your team would like to focus on. You may also break your plan into segments that can be assigned to individuals on your team. AI can take a large-scale plan and turn it into actionable goals. This is where AI can shine.
An AI-generated workflow diagram provides a useful map to follow. As business picks up, it is good to know where you are heading since the unexpected is always at play in beverage marketing. There will be times when you need to pivot or modify aspects of your marketing strategies. What is important is that you do not lose sight of where you are going.
AI Can Automate Social Campaigns
Most brands have a love-hate relationship with social media. There are so many different platforms, and each one has different requirements. This is where AI can shine for many brands. Social media can be demanding, as it is a full-time commitment, particularly when trying to break a brand. Your team is small, and there is only so much one marketing manager can do. As of late, most social platforms have also implemented AI tools to help you with effective social media marketing. Yes, authenticity is always best. But if you are not a writing savant, a skilled video editor or cannot create a visually appealing post, there are AI offerings for this on most platforms. Smartphones are also useful for this because they offer AI tools for photo and video editing.
For example, AI-powered content creation tools like Blaze AI save you time and make it look like you’re an expert. These tools give you a framework to work with to get you started to support current efforts. Bigger brands can afford to hire a few social media managers, whereas smaller brands may have a marketing manager who is a jack of all trades. Unfortunately, this is not beneficial in the long run. An overworked marketing manager cannot be or do all things at once and will often miss marketing opportunities.
These AI tools can also assist with newsletters. Some people opt to use AI for blogs. This is one of those sticky areas. It is always a good idea to write your content in-house, particularly content that will live on your website. A human touch and authentic brand voice shine above all. AI tools can help you brainstorm ideas or create an editorial calendar but cannot replace a copywriter. Hire a copywriter, and this should be part of your marketing budget.
Simply put, people can tell. We are in an era of information overload. So proceed with caution when utilizing AI for content.
Your blogs are the only place where you can tell your story, something you know more than AI. Once you have your audience’s attention on social media, where are you directing them? If it is not the local beer store, it is your website. Consistent newsletters and blogs are a must for brands that sell beverages from their websites.
So, what’s the overall verdict of AI in beverage marketing? Err on the side of caution; do not overdo it. But give it a try and see where it takes your brand.
