The Impact of AI on the Promotional Products Industry

By Jim Hollis 

The name on everyone’s lips these days is “AI.” It feels as though everything is powered by AI, has updates that feature AI or are just a straight-up AI product. The thing is AI isn’t taking over the world, it has just been harnessed to help better the consumer experience. One of the biggest issues as a consumer or product brand is when you reach the final stage of the buying cycle and there are suddenly too many options. Think about the number of times you’ve ventured into the mac and cheese aisle at your local grocery store and suddenly there are seven different “white shell mac and cheese” options, all with different fonts, colors, highlighted nutrients and fun facts. And you think to yourself, there has to be a better way to compare all of the options at once … to help decide what is the best for your price point, nutritional needs or any other factors.

AI can be strategically tailored to filter through content to help narrow down options no matter the topic. It breaks down broad searches and offers up more simplified results often tailored to the user’s needs. It can push your needs to the top of the screen, highlight major sections of a document that are relevant to you or show you comparable alternatives. Most importantly, AI can save an immense amount of time. No need to sift through products, websites and varying Google searches to find all the possible options to then have to sit and compare for hours or days. When used properly, AI can cut all of the extra work out to open up free time to focus on boosting sales, improving marketing and responding to customer needs.

When AI is used in marketing campaigns it can segment audiences based on their preferences, demographics and purchasing history, allowing marketers to craft targeted messages that are more likely to engage and convert. This is paired with AI’s ability to analyze data and predict customer behavior playing a pivotal role in enhancing the overall customer experience. When AI is balanced with real life it can create a personalized customer experience where consumers feel that their interactions are efficient, accurate and most importantly not shuffled off to “some robot.” This balancing act provides a sense of connection on a deeper level with the consumer which is ideal for current and future sales.

Recently some of the most common and known AI products are the infamous AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants. These AIs provide instant support and assistance, guiding customers through their buying journey on the spot. These tools can answer queries, recommend products and even complete transactions all in real time. This level of responsiveness and personalization helps build trust and strengthens customer relationships, making the shopping experience smoother and more enjoyable. It’s important to not rely on AI chatbots to take over customer needs. There should always be an option to speak with a representative to ensure customer satisfaction. A poor experience with a chatbot could leave customers feeling disconnected from a brand. Representative contact can be listed as a second but less instant option to let customers know that they do have options. However, for simple and non-complicated issues, the chatbot can free up hours of customer service work.

Embracing AI in marketing is no longer an option – it’s a necessity for businesses looking to stay competitive in today’s digital landscape. By leveraging AI’s capabilities, marketers can navigate the complexities of the modern market with ease and achieve unprecedented levels of success. By leveraging AI, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction, improve engagement, and drive sales. One of the largest benefits of using AI is the immense amount of time that is freed up. AI allows the saying “work smarter, not harder” to reign true in everyday life. The other beauty of AI is that it can be integrated into businesses as fast or as slow as consumers and owners would like. No need to turn everything to AI-powered engines and products if that does not resonate with your consumers, but look into implementing AI on the back end to help make business flow and sales soar.