Using AI in Advertising

Advances in the capabilities and scale of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are fundamentally altering advertising; marketers have access to a new era of data-driven personalization and automation. In this article, we’ll explore how teams are using AI in advertising. We’ll look at how this technology is transforming the industry and dive deeper into one of the most exciting applications of AI.

How AI Is Changing the Advertising Industry

AI is rapidly creating new possibilities in how brands target consumers and create and deliver their ad content. While the possibilities of AI in advertising is nearly limitless, today’s marketers are focusing on harnessing AI’s potential in enhancing location-based targeting, predictive advertising and customized content generation.

Predictive advertising

Predictive analytics is a collection of sophisticated analytical methods that use AI and other big data technologies to predict the likelihood of a specific event occurring. Predictive advertising describes the application of predictive analytics to advertising. It combines data analysis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statistical models, using consumer data and contextual data to improve targeting, engagement and ROI. 

Content generation

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence used to generate unique text, image and audio data. Applied to advertising, generative AI can be used to create customized content, including ad copy, commercials and product descriptions tailored to engage specific audiences. While a relatively new practice, AI-generated advertising is likely to grow as more early adopters experiment with its potential. 

Location-based targeting

AI is now being used to expand the scope of location-based targeting. For example, by using AI-powered travel pattern analysis, advertisers and marketers can better understand customer travel routes for mobile advertising placement.

How Predictive Advertising Is Applied

One of the most popular applications of AI in advertising, predictive advertising holds a myriad of opportunities since it can be applied in so many different ways. Here are a few practical examples of how advertisers are using predictive advertising. 

Click-through rate prediction

Advertising teams use predictive models to gauge the probability that a user will click on an ad. Using sophisticated machine learning models and user data from multiple sources, click-through rate prediction enables teams to optimize ad placements and ad content to boost user engagement.

Conversion rate prediction

Closely related to CTR prediction, conversion rate prediction attempts to predict the likelihood that a user who clicks on an ad will actually take the desired action, such as completing a purchase or signing up for a service. Leveraging CTR prediction can improve customer lifetime value and reduce churn.

Sentiment analysis

Sentiment analysis identifies and characterizes the opinions and feelings behind user-generated content, such as social media posts and online reviews. Accurately understanding the viewpoints and emotions of specific target audiences helps advertisers craft their messaging accordingly.

Advanced customer segmentation

Predictive segmentation divides a customer base into distinct segments based on their propensity to take specific actions. These actions may include the likelihood to make a repeat purchase, increase spending or disengage with the brand. This approach differs from traditional approaches to segmentation, which groups customers using attributes such as demographics.

Recommendation systems

Recommendation systems employ predictive analytics to suggest products or services to users based on a variety of metrics, including demographic data, purchase history and interactions such as impressions, clicks and likes. Advertisers use these systems to display more relevant ads to users as they navigate online, driving higher rates of engagement and increasing conversions.

Common Predictive Advertising Models

Let’s look under the hood at the predictive models that power predictive advertising. Here are five of the most common models that advertisers are using to improve their results.

Propensity models

Propensity models are used to predict the likelihood that a visitor, lead or customer will take a specific action. Propensity models empower advertisers to accurately predict behavior so they can create optimal conditions for the desired action. Advertising teams use propensity modeling to predict a range of metrics, including the likelihood to purchase, engage or churn.

Clustering models

As the name implies, clustering models group people, products or other things based on shared characteristics or attributes. Using clustering, predictive analytics algorithms can segment customers based on a near-infinite number of variables. In advertising, clustering models are frequently used to categorize people based on behavior or product or brand preferences.

Neural networks

Neural networks are a type of AI that attempts to mirror the way the human mind makes connections between data sets. Neural networks play an important role in predictive advertising, helping advertisers optimize ad placement and delivery. By analyzing customer response data, neural networks can automatically adjust ad placement, frequency and messaging in real time to maximize the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

Anomaly detection models

Anomalies are data patterns that don’t conform to the norm. In an advertising context, the identification of these outliers helps advertisers quickly adjust advertising campaigns that are not producing the expected results. Examples of anomalies may include a sudden increase in a campaign’s cost-per-click (CPC), increased page exits or lower-than-expected user engagement on a landing page.

Forecast models

Forecast models combine historical data with other data sources, such as weather, price changes and shifts in consumer sentiment to predict future demand for specific products or services. AI-enabled forecasting algorithms provide a more accurate picture of demand than traditional forecasting techniques, which are based solely on historical data. 

Realize the Promise of AI in Advertising with Snowflake

At the intersection of data-driven decision-making and AI, predictive advertising has become an indispensable tool for advertisers, helping them anticipate trends, tailor messaging and craft campaigns that resonate. Snowflake is built for AI, providing a central location to access all relevant data and an elastic and performant multi-cluster compute architecture that can meet the resource demands of today’s most robust AI initiatives. With Snowflake, advertisers can unlock the true potential of AI in advertising.

Learn more: Using Snowflake and Generative AI to Rapidly Build Features