You Don’t Need An A.I. Strategy. You Need A Strategy Powered By A.I.🦾

AI is the hot topic in marketing right now. James Tremain, Online Performance Director at The Specialist Works, delves into the subject and what Google's move towards automated advertising means for entrepreneurial brands.

With Google announcing the upcoming rollout of AI Mode for both Search and Shopping campaigns, it’s another chance to reflect on how clients can utilise AI learning and automation in ad campaigns.

AI and automation is a huge point of conversation and innovation in the industry but it’s not new news. It’s something that’s been underpinning targeting and optimisation across channels in the online media space for years. What is interesting is how technology is developing and advancing. And for us at The Specialist Works, the art of understanding what’s possible and how to harness the power of AI and automation to deliver maximum results for clients sits front and centre. 

Google is now expanding to AI Mode for Search and Shopping ads, where ads can be incorporated into AI-powered responses where relevant. This strengthens Google’s long-standing advice that the best content is that which answers your customers’ queries, and content relevance is clearly only going to become more important with time. Close monitoring of these longer-tail searches is going to be an increasingly integral part of Search strategy moving forward.

For advertisers, the increasing shift to AI can feel counter-intuitive. Wins in terms of time saving and deeper machine learning are often counteracted by a feeling of losing control. But as RSAs and Pmax have shown previously, this need not be a bad thing, if approached in the right way.

The ability to meet consumers where they are, providing answers to increasingly specific queries, should provide advertisers with efficiency gains through hyper-relevant and targeted advertising. Allowing AI to tailor ad copy and targeting should only enhance the levels of personalisation.

These updates have been on the roadmap for a while and it aligns with Google's general trend of pushing advertisers further towards greater utilisation of AI and automation on the platform.

As with all new product rollouts we recommend controlled testing as and when this becomes available so we can understand and quantify the impact on clients’ campaigns and their performance. Those that embrace AI and learn how to utilise it are likely to be ahead of the curve when it comes to driving results.

If you or your brand have any questions on AI and want to explore what opportunities are available to you, get in touch with your client director today.

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That’s it for this edition of The Specialist View. We’ll be back soon with more sharp thinking, fresh perspectives, and the kind of media intelligence that helps entrepreneurial marketers turn ambition into action – and impact. Because specialist work is what we do – and as a proudly independent media agency, we’re equally proud of the passionate specialists behind it. Their curiosity, craft and commitment drive everything we deliver, from smarter strategies to standout results. It’s this depth of expertise and energy that sets us apart – helping our clients move faster, think bigger, and demand more from their media.