Differentiating skills in the AI era

AI is taking centre stage and change is in the air. The challenge for marketers is to understand what needs to change and what should stay the same.

We gathered experts at our #NotInCannes event hosted at the Google offices to debate the marketer of future. Our speakers included Prerna Suri, VP, Communications, Asia and Middle East, Sony Music Entertainment, Dhiren Amin, Chief Customer Officer, NTUC Income, Krisha Dy, Brand Experiences Director, South Asean, Colgate-Palmolive, and with Sapna Chadha, VP, Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier, Google, asking the questions.

Significantly the debate took place in Singapore, which already has advanced legislation and regulation in the AI area, setting a global example and highlighting that the AI challenge extends beyond marketers and communications professionals to include legal and policy teams as well.

The panel first debated the role of marketing today – acknowledging that it does vary slightly from organisation to organisation – but primarily the key value lies in understanding customers deeply, better than anyone else in the organisation.

“Marketing’s impact on driving business growth is through being the owners of the customer needs within the organization. It’s to ensure that marketing has systems in place to understand, engage customers better and ensure their needs are at the heart of what drives the company’s product, pricing and distribution,” explained Dhiren.

Krisha said that “for a legacy brand like ours, marketing’s role is to drive continuous recruitment and create meaningful value. We are committed to building brand equity via ensuring relevance and superiority.”

Not every marketing team focuses solely on consumer needs. “Our campaigns serve our artists: we focus on supporting their unique needs and connecting them with fans,” said Prerna.

Upskilling for the future

All speakers agreed that AI will be integral to the future. Prerna noted that the next five years will focus on upskilling and constant learning. “It’s not too late to learn, but we must embrace the inevitable changes and become comfortable with them, educating our teams along the way,” she said.

It wasn’t just about waiting for firms to lead the change. Marketers must take personal responsibility to upskill. “Organisations must provide support in this space, but holding individuals accountable for their proficiency choices is equally vital. Without ongoing skill development, professionals risk becoming outdated as tools and workflows evolve,” Dhiren emphasised.

Krisha highlighted that the impact on daily work was already being seen. “By leveraging AI, we've evolved our needs for external support and now rather focus on high-viewability assets. Manual tasks for instance heavily reliant on Excel, like media bidding, are becoming outdated as AI in media buying is already taking precedence.”

But while some roles might come under pressure, humans will be essential for others. “Human oversight remains essential to ensure the reliability of technology and this is an area where ongoing support, whether internal or external, will be crucial,” she added.

Authenticity and quality will be key

Whatever messages people create and whatever AI processes are involved however, the communication needs to be authentic. “Authenticity is irreplaceable. This focus on authenticity is where our true value lies, showcasing our uniqueness and artistry beyond what technology can achieve,” said Krisha.

“That means going beyond simply embracing technology,” said Dhiren. “A marketers' craft is often given too little credit, with epitaphs being written for the function every time a major technological advancement happens. Good marketers excel in shaping propositions, build unique products and services, define the pricing and promotions strategy, identify and craft the best communication ideas that make the company’s offerings attractive to their customers. The function is like the concert master in an orchestra: guiding many subject matter experts internally and externally to bring their vision of the solution to life.”

So, how should we train future marketers? Prerna noted it’s not just about passing down knowledge; it’s a two-way process: “Younger generations are ahead of the curve with platforms like TikTok. They've exposed us to a world outside our traditional marketing strategies.”

Dhiren argued that senior marketers should teach new marketers the skill to spot excellence in crafting: “Help them invest their time in looking for the best-in-class products, promotions and communication ideas using the power of access that a digitally enabled world provides. The first step to getting better in crafting great marketing work is knowing what’s great. And that needs an investment of your own time.”

A section of that education could be taking part in creative juries as soon as possible. “The more work you see, the more you learn,” added Sapna.

And the critical part of the marketing craft that truly makes a difference is brief writing. “Young teams must focus on capturing insights effectively. This means clearly identifying the job to be done and meticulously dissecting briefs to produce outstanding creative outputs,” said Krisha.