Data and technology, there is no escape

Data and technology, there is no way around it. This phrase is nothing new, but by 2024, according to several trend studies I’ve read, it will be even stronger within the communication and marketing process. All the studies I read at the end of 2023 and at the beginning of 2024 point to these two pillars as essential for more assertive communication.

When we look at the last 5 years, we understand that we are in the era of Digital Transformation, or at least we should be, where organizations that want to stand out need to understand that technology is what will direct the business, in fact, it already does so, however , whoever plays the role of strategist needs to understand that data is the necessary support for technology to fulfill its role, it seems easy, but it is becoming more complex every day to make this union.

People who work in the brand market, especially in the strategic field, have already understood that people’s behavior is becoming more selective every day, and we owe this to the computer we have in our hands: smartphones.

It is thanks to these devices, that today, people are more aware and thirsty for information, it is thanks to them, that people go to the shopping mall searching for the product they want to buy in the car, it is thanks to them, that people, within the store are seeing their favorite influencer talk about the product, or the competitor, to make the purchase decision.

In fact, until you find the influencer who will best talk about your product, and with the audience that is relevant to your brand, you need to bring data and technology, there is no way around this, you need to be increasingly close to your audience, understanding behaviors and that’s why technology is there, to collect as much data as possible so that communication is as assertive as possible.

The role of brands

It’s becoming clearer every day that branding has changed – a lot – over the years. Branding, which in essence is the set of actions that brands take at all points of contact with the consumer, is increasingly aligned with the brands’ purpose and, of course, how this will be communicated to the general public.

Once this audience is understood, brands can speak more and better to each person in an increasingly individual way. If before, e-mail marketing was the only form of this communication, today, generative Artificial Intelligence is opening up new possibilities in new channels.

We must think about different applications of generative Artificial Intelligence, I understand that this must be fed by machine learning models, which in turn are based on complex algorithms pre-trained on gigantic amounts of data, analyze this, we are talking about data for leveraging technology, therefore, the title of this article makes perfect sense: Data and technology, there is no way around it. And there really isn’t!

According to Alexandre Scaglia, from Amazon, “Generative AI will revolutionize the economy, the way we work and, of course, communication. However, it is essential to closely monitor its development and seek to understand how to make it part of everyday life, without falling into seemingly easy traps that compromise the quality of what we do”, and in fact this is a great reality that we are seeing daily. No wonder, all the studies I read about trends for 2024 point to generative AI as one of the main ones.

The Boston Consulting Group, had a study published in Forbes magazine, pointing out trends for the future, including the year 2024, obviously, in which the following conclusion was drawn: “to be an industry leader in five years, you need have a clear and compelling generative AI strategy today.” Data and technology, there is no way around it, we are seeing it before our eyes, and it is not just the Pope wearing a white blouse for a fashion website campaign, it is communication that is increasingly focused on needs.

We must understand that this technology, like so many others, will create and transform jobs. I always cite the example of when I told my father, in 2002, that I wanted to be an information architect. I, a 3rd year advertising student, thought I wanted to change course, when in fact no, this is one of the professions that emerged with the Internet, and consequently with data and technology, and here putting only Artificial Intelligence in the center, will bring about this transformation with the growing need for new skills and roles. AI is increasing productivity and transforming the nature of work.

Communication needs to change

The conclusion of the study published in Forbes is in line with what Gabriela Simões, director of GSK Brasil, says “We observed a large amount of data and insights available that should be used in order to meet individual preferences and offer relevant and personalized content. Artificial intelligence will be the star of the show, refining communication strategies and offering customized experiences”, according to the executive.

AI should be the star of the show, but we need to understand the insights that only data will bring to our daily lives, it is a technology that is not limited to just studying data that already exists, but helps brands create new and more and more originals very quickly, which should help in the communication process.

Thinking has never been a part of marketing, but before, the amount of research was limited, the technology that exists today did not exist, everything was based on a few responses from some research groups – Focus groups – and observations from marketing professionals and agencies in the During your walks through the streets, today, it is possible to have a gigantic amount of data, sitting in the pool at your home with just the smartphone in your hands.

Faced with this new scenario, it is necessary to understand that the world is becoming more agile every day, even in journalism we see this, there is no more time to waste, information comes and goes at a frightening speed, if you, for example, stay for 2 hours Without watching Twitter, you will miss a series of topics and will be, momentarily, an outdated person. That’s strange, isn’t it? But unfortunately it is a pure reality.

“Acting in a scenario with increasingly intensive use of Artificial Intelligence X the need to humanize business strategies and, consequently, communication”, is what Vanessa Gordilho, director of Vibra, says. Humanizing communication is a topic that is not being debated today, but needs to be used more. The Storytelling that brands talk about so much needs to move from the field of guesswork to the field of data as a basis, and another fundamental point is that humanizing the brand is not, by far, putting an image of a person or having Magalu in your website, this is an important step, but it is not the only one, and for this reason, data is fundamental in the day-to-day running of any strategy.

Data and technology, there is no way around it, after all, it is data that “needs to come from precise capture, providing personalization and engagement with the brand, intelligence in the creation of pieces and campaign performance”, as Beatriz Cabral, director of GOL/Smiles, points out , it is necessary to change the way of communicating, every day that passes, we have more brands looking at the fashion influencer and putting a large amount of money in their hands, which causes a large spike in access to the website, on the day of the post , but then there is no continuity.

The data needs to bring the relevance of communication at all points, for example, understanding whether it is really worth investing a huge amount in influencer A or B, or whether it is better to work on the message in several others, as Beatriz herself points out as a path for GOL/Smiles in the coming years. Data helps to bring topics that can be co-created between brands and influencers and that better engage on Social Media.

Data and technology, there is no escape

This is a fact that is very well detailed in this article, I hope.

The use of data and technology is not something that we started debating “yesterday” in the marketing universe, but at least a decade ago, I remember when, in 2013, the NRF talked about Omnichannel and the use of data was already showing itself. extremely important for this technology, we are starting 2024 and the topic still seems to be on the rise, and look how interesting, Omnichannel is nothing more than the use of data with technology.

Digital Transformation, another topic that has gained a lot of strength in recent years, even with the NRF giving it strength, includes Omnichannel, in my view, as one of the initiatives under the umbrella of this concept, Digital Transformation, and if you look at it calmly, all initiatives, like Omnichannel, are the sum of data and technology for a greater good, such as the development of products, services, communication and consequently the strengthening of brands, not just digitally, but in all environments.

*Felipe Morais is Director of FM Consulting in Planning