{"id":113377,"date":"2015-06-04T16:04:00","date_gmt":"2015-06-04T21:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/in-marketing-automation-we-dont-trust\/"},"modified":"2024-12-21T05:55:04","modified_gmt":"2024-12-21T10:55:04","slug":"in-marketing-automation-we-dont-trust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/en-gb\/insights\/blog\/strategy\/in-marketing-automation-we-dont-trust\/","title":{"rendered":"In Marketing Automation We (Don\u2019t) Trust"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you noticed the fingertip speed and agility of a teenager texting or swiping through apps? The dexterity is mesmerising, like watching a spider spin a web.<\/p>\n

This is but one example (fashioning wheels and building fires are others) of how instinctively we use technology, and in this digital information age, there is so much technology to spin.<\/p>\n

Another instinct that seems to be sprouting from the fertile ground of digital technology is a desire to employ digital automation to make our lives easier and more efficient.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s especially true in the digital marketing sector, where we are now using software platforms and technology to distribute information through multiple online channels like email, social media, websites, paid media channels, and so on. The big change of late is relying on artificial intelligence to tell us what that message is and how we should express it.<\/p>\n

Said a co-founder of Rocket Fuel in a June edition of The Drum<\/a> \u2013<\/p>\n

\u201c…machines will need to be able to make the right decisions to construct a persuasive two-way conversation with a wide variety of audiences. They will have the intelligence to deliver many convincing messages, replies and retorts in realtime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with having an artificial intelligence come up with your strapline for you, the advantages of automation are greater efficiency, the cost-effective handling of repetitive tasks, and ultimately, better ROI based on time and labour saved.<\/p>\n

Despite these benefits, I believe it\u2019s risky for marketers to rely too heavily on automation to handle communication with audiences, and there are cautionary tales to back me up. Last year Facebook introduced the \u2018Year in Review\u2019 feature, which was meant to delight community members with an end-of-year photo celebration of all the great content they shared through Facebook. Here\u2019s a highlight:<\/p>\n

\"Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Similarly ill-chosen cover images — selected via algorithm — unfortunately graced the Years-in-Review of people who were grieving lost family members, as eulogised by someone with the moniker Redfellterrior on the Guardian: \u00a0\u201cStill waiting for Facebook to apologise to me for framing a picture of my late mum with dancing figures who looked like they were having a party.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n \n
\n
\n

\n Stay Forward <\/h2>\n

\n Get exclusive insights into digital
media's top-trending topics delivered
directly to your inbox. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\n \n