Using Artificial Intelligence to Revolutionize Advertising
Advertising is a combination of art and science, and for a small business competing with big brands, it can be hard – and costly – to develop ads that connect with consumers. But a team of researchers led by a Virginia Commonwealth University professor has developed a method of using artificial intelligence in ad creation, which could help level the playing field for businesses and lead to more targeted marketing to consumers.
Visual Stimuli in Marketing
Visual stimuli, such as color and size, are used in the vast majority of marketing experiments to reveal how consumers think and behave, said César Zamudio, Ph.D., associate professor in the VCU School of Business and a specialist in marketing analytics. Researchers have historically struggled to create high-quality ad images for experiments due to cost and quality issues.
Introducing RAISE Methodology
In a recent article in the Journal of Advertising, Zamudio and co-authors explored RAISE – Rapid Artificial Intelligence Stimuli for Experiments – as a new methodology to generate AI stimuli quickly, cheaply, and at high quality. By leveraging AI, businesses can test and refine visual ad ideas more efficiently and affordably, focusing on strategy, storytelling, and brand-building.
Benefits for Small Businesses and Consumers
RAISE can help small businesses create better ads without the need for large agencies, enabling them to compete with bigger brands in the advertising space. For consumers, AI-generated ads could lead to more relevant and personalized content that aligns with their interests, enhancing their overall ad experience.
Ensuring Ethical and Responsible AI Use
As AI becomes more prevalent in advertising, Zamudio emphasizes the need for transparent, fair, and responsible AI-generated content. To address these concerns, the researchers propose four AI safeguards to uphold ethical standards in the era of AI-driven advertising.
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