Marketers urged to integrate AI, sustainability into their operations
MARKETING professionals will need to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability into their operations to remain globally competitive, an industry group said. “Our goal this year is to highlight the balance marketers must strike between the creativity of the human spirit and the capabilities of technology,” according to Kathy P. Mercado, president of the Philippine […]
Tomas Kauer 
MARKETING professionals will need to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability into their operations to remain globally competitive, an industry group said.
“Our goal this year is to highlight the balance marketers must strike between the creativity of the human spirit and the capabilities of technology,” according to Kathy P. Mercado, president of the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA), at a pre-event conference on Wednesday.
“By exploring how we can blend human insight with machine intelligence, we hope to empower our participants to develop strategic solutions for today’s complex challenges,” she added.
PMA is hosting the 4th World Marketing Forum and the 53rd National Marketing Conference on Nov. 6-7, which is expected to gather around 1,700 marketing professionals worldwide.
Donald L. Lim, the overall conference chairman, said the Philippines must develop a reputation for providing marketing services.
“I think it’s all about time that we learn, and hopefully start creating our own story,” Mr. Lim said.
However, he said that marketers have to contend with a rapidly evolving digital landscape, changing customer behavior, and new societal expectations.
“We’re already seeing that the landscape has been changing. So, how did the digital arena work? How can you teach a student to create a marketing plan when they can do a marketing plan through chat GPT in five minutes?” he said.
“Consumers are also changing in a way. They’re bombarded with messages, and they need compelling and personalized experiences all because of technology,” he added.
He said marketing professionals must have a deeper understanding of emerging customer needs using AI, automation, and data insights.
He said that adopting a sustainable posture is no longer optional for marketers.
“You have to integrate responsible action into marketing activities. However, the problem with sustainability is that it is expensive,” he said.
He said marketing professionals should make use of technology to make sustainability solutions profitable.
“It’s how you connect the two dots. Technology means using AI and any other adjacent tools. You have to embrace technology, harness creativity, and integrate sustainability in all your business practices,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
