Advice for blending AI with human talent to generate better marketing outcomes.

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is exploding. Seventy-three percent of U.S. companies use artificial intelligence (AI) in some aspect of their business. In 2023, generative AI production use increased nearly fivefold, experimenting increased by 70%, and planned use in 12 months increased by 157%.

But did you know that AI can play a significant role in audience segmentation?

For brands looking to deliver personalized experiences, as well as publishers or data aggregators looking to monetize data, audience segmentation is essential for connecting with customers in a meaningful way.

By personalizing the way your organization connects with different audience segments, you’ll be able to increase customer engagement and improve return on investment.

An opportunity for today’s market

Despite its benefits, audience segmentation is currently a time-consuming manual task for many companies. The repetitive nature of the work makes it ripe for automation.

That’s where AI comes in. It is a powerful tool for audience segmentation that helps:

• Efficiently analyze and uncover patterns in customer data
• Predict customer behavior with research-driven persona profiles
• Produce more granular, accurate and customizable segmentation
• Identify new prospects with a high probability of conversion
• Forecast anticipated customer lifetime value
• Increase productivity through automation

In the post-cookie world of digital marketing, AI innovation offers a way to reach your customers and remain ahead of the competition. With purposeful AI adoption, marketers and publishers have the opportunity to be on the leading edge.

And now is the time to tap into this technology: 62% of customers are now open to companies leveraging AI technology to improve customer experiences.

How to leverage artificial intelligence

As more marketers and publishers adopt AI technology, it’s important to understand that AI is an umbrella term encompassing many distinct technologies.

Think of AI as your toolkit. Based on your organization’s segmentation objectives, you’ll want to choose the right AI tools for your needs. These can include:

• Natural language processing (NLP): analyzes unstructured text data to interpret consumer interests and behaviors
• Machine learning (ML): uses algorithms to discern patterns, categorize customers and predict future customer needs
• Predictive analytics: uses ML and statistical models to discover meaningful patterns in data, track trends and forecast future value
• Robotics: automates repetitive administrative tasks in audience segmentation
• Automated planning and scheduling: develops customized schedules using automation

Beyond the actual technology, the most important tool in your toolkit is human intervention. AI works to its full potential when it is set up with proper guardrails.

Responsible AI practices

You’ve heard the saying: With great power comes great responsibility.

AI unlocks immense potential for understanding and targeting specific audience segments. But we have to utilize this technology in a responsible, ethical manner.

At its core, ethical data usage follows four key principles: control, transparency, integrity and accountability. We need to respect consumer privacy, avoid biases and establish consistency in our segmentation.

When creating a framework based on responsible AI principles, organizations have to consider:

• Privacy and compliance when collecting data
• Regulations for consumer consent, transparency and permission-based usage
• Protecting personally identifiable information, including health and finance data
• Organizing data for segmentation in a way that avoids biases or faulty generalizations
• Establishing clear, consistent taxonomy guidelines

The potential of AI is only as powerful as its framework. By setting guidelines that honor user rights, your organization will be able to leverage powerful AI tools — while also maintaining consumer trust and your brand reputation.

Activating AI’s potential

At Corbus, we’ve helped clients employ AI for audience segmentation. It’s a complex process that involves identifying data sources, establishing a technology infrastructure, analyzing the data, and activating systems for personalized engagement across touchpoints.

While integrating AI into your business may still be a relatively new concept, we are a knowledgeable partner that can guide you through this process.

To learn more about harnessing the power of AI, download our white paper Leveraging AI for Audience Segmentation, authored by Betty Rodriguez-Hakes, Director, Digital Media Solutions at Corbus.

Inside, you’ll find actionable information on audience segmentation, how AI can improve this process, and responsible AI adoption practices.

This white paper covers:

• The key benefits of audience segmentation
• How AI can efficiently analyze customer data to produce more accurate, customizable segmentation
• The different AI models, how they work and the types of audiences they can create
• How AI represents a toolkit — with organizations taking responsibility for setting clear objectives, understanding context and being mindful of legal implications
• The importance of leveraging AI responsibly, including the need to understand privacy laws and how to safeguard against future restrictions
• How to implement a strategy that leverages AI for audience segmentation in your own organization