ChatGPT has been a trending platform for artificial intelligence (AI) and has many people wondering if AI will take their jobs. Certainly, AI can’t take a CEO’s job, can it? When you run a successful advertising agency or full-service marketing agency, you’re irreplaceable … aren’t you? I mean, who needs human effort, business acumen and good old-fashioned hard work when you have AI on your side? I think I can now just sit back, relax and let the machines do all the heavy lifting. Who needs to think when you can have a computer do it for you?
The answer, for better or worse, is that AI can be an amazing tool for an advertising agency or any business, but it can’t fully replace a CEO … yet.
How Artificial Intelligence Plays a Role in Agency Work
AI has the potential to improve profits by automating some repetitive tasks that would historically be eat up staff time. Some of this we’ve seen for years already. Whether you’re using Mailchimp for an email campaign or QuickBooks for accounting, some software can automatically send email reminders, lessening the manual labor to personalize follow-up communications. Things like chat assistants are now filters for clients or customer requests, which can be a double-edged sword, as they lessen the human touch that can convert leads to clients.
Similarly, the administrative utilization of AI analysis has already been tested. For example, we can see the number of people who opened emails in Microsoft Office; who is online on Teams or Slack; and accounting platforms like Workamajig can run financial reports that used to take hours in a matter of minutes.
In our field, AI has arguably been used to track advertising, social media, public relations and marketing efforts for years. Whether it’s Sprout Social evaluating social metrics, MuckRack measuring PR campaigns or Google Analytics checking out website traffic, AI can understand what campaigns are performing well and which ones need to be improved. So, if you’re an agency owner who is already using these platforms, you’ve already dipped your toes in the artificial intelligence universe.
Artificial intelligence also has the power to automate some human resource functions, such as recruiting and onboarding. AI-powered software can analyze resumes, conduct initial interviews and even manage payroll. However, a machine can’t replace the “human” part of “human resources.” While businesses are still hiring people and not robots to work at their company, I believe the HR function will still be essential.
Where Artificial Intelligence Falls Short
AI, though, is not a silver bullet to all the problems the C-suite faces. You need to have a solid strategy, a well-rounded management team and a creative workforce to be successful. The shiny new AI tool won’t make it all fall into place. Your team needs to understand consumer behavior, target audiences and industry trends to move the needle.
Just remember, with AI, you can finally say goodbye to hard work, critical thinking and human interaction.”
When I asked ChatGPT to give me a sarcastic answer about how AI can run an advertising agency, it wrote, “It’s like having a crystal ball that can predict the future and make all your decisions for you. It’s just too bad that it can’t also make coffee and do your laundry, but hey, you can’t have it all. AI is the solution to all your problems and will make your business profitable overnight, as long as you don’t have unrealistic expectations or anything like that. Just remember, with AI, you can finally say goodbye to hard work, critical thinking and human interaction. So, go ahead, give it a try and watch your profits soar … or not.”
It’s fun to see that artificial intelligence can have a sense of humor, which you do need when you’re a CEO, too. For the time being, The Motion Agency will be exploring all that AI can do from an administrative function and on select client work. However, the people are the true engines behind our company. They are the ones who live up to our values, keep clients happy and make my role as the owner enjoyable—not ChatGPT.
