AI-informed Marketing Strategies to Make Their Debut at Paris Olympics

London, UK, 23 July 2024 – Just over half (51%) of UK marketers have been using AI to plan and develop their marketing strategies around the Olympics. That’s according to new research from Optimizely, the leading digital experience platform (DXP) provider, which reveals that marketers are capitalizing on opportunities to use AI to improve digital experiences. 

Based on a study of 100 marketers and 1,000 consumers in the UK, the new research explores how marketers are using AI to plan and create content for major seasonal events including the ‘Summer of Sport,’ Black Friday and Christmas. It found that more than half (55%) of UK marketers are using AI to plan and test the best strategies for seasonal marketing. 

Optimization is driving this shift, with almost two-thirds (62%) saying that AI is now ‘essential’ to continuously optimizing their experimentation approaches. Specifically, marketers believe AI will lower the cost of experimentation (59%), increase the speed of experimentation (70%) and result in more accurate results (62%).  

Despite these benefits, the study also shines a light on how consumers in the UK feel about the increasing implementation of AI, particularly concerning their personal data. While a third (35%) of consumers are happy for marketers to use their data to power and train AI, 33% lack an understanding of how AI is being used to sell to them. And as AI implementation continues to rise, over two-thirds (70%) of consumers call for the technology to be more heavily regulated. 

However, if marketers are able to use AI to create a value exchange with consumers, it is much better received. Over half (54%) of consumers are happy for marketers to use AI if it is used to make content more relevant to them – highlighting the increasing demand for personalized experiences. 

“AI is a powerful tool to help marketers optimize their strategies, especially around major events like the Olympics,” said Shafqat Islam, CMO at Optimizely. “These types of seasonal events are extremely competitive, making it easy for brands to get lost in the noise. To gain traction, marketers must constantly test new channels, strategies and tactics to get noticed. AI is supercharging that process by making it possible for marketers to quickly test dozens — or even hundreds — of different approaches at any one time.

“However, for AI to be truly effective, it must be fully integrated into the marketing suite, from content generation to product recommendations. It must also meet strict compliance standards to achieve the balance of addressing both marketers’ needs and consumer concerns around the regulation and use of AI.” 

Optimizely provides powerful testing, AI-rich optimization and customer data capabilities to help marketers create and deliver 1:1 experiences that drive revenue and brand loyalty. To learn more about how Optimizely powers the entire marketing lifecycle, visit https://www.optimizely.com/products/