This post was created in partnership with Adobe
In an AI-saturated world, brand teams are starting to ask next-level questions about how to scale creativity responsibly.
At the ADWEEK House Cannes Lions Sunset Series panel discussion, co-hosted with Adobe, panelists discussed the pros and cons of AI in brand marketing. The group also explored the endless possibilities that AI can unlock when used to enhance human stories and customer experiences.
Pull the appropriate AI lever
Hannah Elsakr, Adobe’s Vice President of Gen AI New Business Ventures, began the discussion with a marketing challenge. “Generative AI models are trained to arrive at an average value,” she explained. So what does that mean for brands looking to use AI to stand out from the crowd?
It’s important for forward-thinking brands to “understand what their special sauce is and make sure they can bring it to trusted models,” Elsakr added.
Adobe is working with Walt Disney Imagineering to do just that.
“We have 70 years of proprietary data that will help us continue to train these AI models and create something incredibly authentic for brands,” said Kyle Laughlin, SVP of R&D Technology and Engineering at Walt Disney Imagineering. “As we envision the future of theme parks, cruise ships, and hospitality experiences, people will pay for authenticity.”
Kate Fedischen, vice president of marketing transformation at DICK’s Sporting Goods, points out that AI doesn’t just make things faster. “We’ve learned that AI can help us achieve personalization at scale in ways that weren’t possible before. But I think it’s really important to have a purpose beyond that first.”
AI in creativity is actually “process engineering,” agrees Stefan Pretorius, chief technology officer at WPP. “It’s about using AI tools and models along with the creative tools that people have been using to tell stories, create content, animate and create videos, and edit. None of that has really changed.”
In fact, he said he was happy to see that the value of storytelling over AI was a major theme at Cannes.
Where AI shines
While this technology should not be seen as a silver bullet for brands, panelists agreed that AI offers an opportunity to improve processes and customer experiences.
