AI Is Transforming Media Forever, Here's How Marketing Plays a Role

AI Is Transforming Media Forever, Here's How Marketing Plays a Role

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, AI is revolutionizing various industries, including media. The creative nature of media companies presents a challenge when it comes to monetizing their work, as the creative act itself is inherently unpredictable. As a result, media businesses are constantly seeking ways to de-risk their creativity, employing strategies that may flatten the upside but significantly dampen the downsides.

One effective de-risking strategy is to summarize other people's work. It is often easier to summarize something interesting than it is to create something original from scratch. By summarizing existing content, media companies can provide valuable insights to their audience while minimizing the risk of producing content that may not resonate. This approach allows them to leverage the success of others and capitalize on already proven ideas.

Another de-risking strategy is to find a content arbitrage. This involves taking a piece of content that has performed well elsewhere and reformatting it to suit a different audience. For instance, early Buzzfeed discovered that by rewriting popular Reddit posts as listicles, they could reliably achieve viral success. By repurposing content in this way, media companies can tap into existing trends and capitalize on what has already proven to be engaging to a different audience.

Creating a format is another effective way to de-risk creativity. Formats provide structure to the creative process, making it more akin to filling out a Mad Libs than performing alchemy. By adhering to a specific format, media creators can streamline their content creation process and reduce the complexity that comes with longer, more in-depth pieces. This approach allows them to produce content more efficiently while still maintaining quality.

Sequels also offer a de-risking strategy for media companies. By remixing something old instead of trying to come up with something entirely new, they can mitigate the risk of producing content that may not resonate with their audience. This is a common practice in Hollywood, where sequels are often produced to capitalize on the success of the original. Similarly, media creators can leverage the familiarity of existing content to engage their audience and minimize the risk of producing something entirely novel.

Interviewing people is yet another de-risking strategy that media companies can employ. Engaging in an interesting conversation and summarizing it can be easier than generating new ideas from scratch. By interviewing knowledgeable individuals and sharing their insights, media creators can provide valuable content to their audience while minimizing the risk of producing content that may not resonate.

While these de-risking strategies have traditionally benefited human creators, they also make it easier for AI to automate content creation. Summary-based media products, shorter pieces, and content arbitrages are all well-suited for automation. This shift towards automation means that individual writers will have more leverage to create their own media products, as the cost structure will resemble that of software rather than traditional media. This allows writers to devote more time to research and gather new facts, enabling them to produce longer and more compelling articles that are less amenable to automation.

However, there are also risks for writers who currently produce de-risked types of editorial products within larger companies. As AI continues to advance, there is a possibility that these roles may become more automated, putting writers at risk of job displacement. To mitigate this risk, it is crucial for writers to embrace these AI tools and leverage them to create high-quality work that stands out from automated content.

In conclusion, AI is transforming the media landscape, and marketing plays a crucial role in this transformation. By understanding the three domains of marketing - brand marketing, growth marketing, and product marketing - media companies can effectively de-risk their creative endeavors. Brand marketing helps establish an emotional connection with customers, while product marketing communicates the value and differentiation of the organization's offerings. Growth marketing, on the other hand, focuses on acquiring and retaining customers through targeted strategies.

To adapt to this evolving landscape, here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Embrace AI tools: Incorporate AI tools into your creative process to enhance efficiency and productivity. These tools can assist with summarizing content, identifying content arbitrage opportunities, and automating certain aspects of content creation.

2. Focus on differentiation: As AI becomes more prevalent in content creation, it is essential to focus on producing unique and high-quality work that stands out from automated content. Invest time in research and gathering new facts to provide valuable insights to your audience.

3. Leverage marketing strategies: Understand the intersections between brand marketing, product marketing, and growth marketing. Align your audience, channels, messaging, and value propositions to amplify your impact and drive growth.

By embracing AI tools, focusing on differentiation, and leveraging marketing strategies, writers and media companies can navigate the changing landscape and continue to create impactful and valuable content for their audience.