How Could Generative AI Transform Media Planning?

Not just for content creation, generative AI could soon optimize ad personalization, predictive analytics, and real-time data monitoring.

Generative AI, the advertising industry's buzziest buzzword, is emerging as a powerful tool that could potentially reshape the way we as advertisers strategize our campaigns.

But for media planners, it can be difficult to see how generative AI can actually help in day-to-day tasks. When you're constantly planning, launching, and optimizing campaigns, it's easy to dismiss anything that doesn't immediately improve efficiency or increase ROI.

But the truth is, generative AI is already proving its worth in media planning and will only become more important in the future. Initial findings show that when AI-based media buying is employed the ROAS can double or triple compared to previous efforts.

So:

How Could Gen AI Transform Media Planning?

Here are a few applications available TODAY that we're testing for our clients.

Enhanced Ad Targeting

AI's Deep Learning enables a breadth and depth of knowledge in how targeting is applied to ad campaigns. Instead of broad audience targeting segments like "in-market auto shoppers", AI unlocks the nuances of an individual's consumer journey and has a much deeper understanding of the context of the ad. It analyzes customer data and third-party signals to provide segmentation recommendations, making data-based strategies more effective and efficient.

Ad Curation and Creation

Generative AI can be used to create custom ads based on the viewer. This capability is so much more than the "dynamic" ads of the past. Imagine the ability to deliver custom video ads - yes, video! - informed by the viewer's demographics and location, and those decisions being made in real time and at a fraction of the cost of producing multiple video commercials for different markets/regions.

Improved Programmatic Campaign Performance

AI is driving improvement in programmatic campaign performance by powering recommendation engines based on past performance and enhanced audience targeting. Unlike its human counterparts, AI never sleeps. This makes real-time bidding and programmatic buys a breeze.

Automated Planning Documentation

The generation of crucial planning documentation such as investment plans, campaign parameters, creative assets, and media placement selection is being automated by AI, leveraging campaign-level insights in the process.

Data-Driven Virtual Assistants

Tools like Omni Assist provide data-driven insights, notifications, and recommendations throughout the planning and buying workflow, reducing discovery time and accelerating learning.

But as with any tool, generative AI is only as good as the data and inputs it receives. The onus is still on us to provide the strategy, prompts, brand information, and feedback to make sure the tech is working for us, and not the other way around.

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This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.