AAM’s Media Mavens series features exceptional media professionals who have integrated trust and transparency into their careers to make a positive impact on their colleagues, companies and the industry.
We recently caught up with several mavens to get their insights on how they’re implementing AI. Here’s what they had to say.
Evaluation and Experimentation
Several mavens said they’re in the beginning stages implementing AI, with some evaluating the tools and experimenting to determine what would be a good fit for their businesses.
“We are currently developing a deeper understanding and experimenting with AI,” said Carey Witmer, executive vice president and chief revenue officer, a360media. “We know it can add value to many aspects of our business.”
Some have created internal working groups to determine next steps. Aaron Kotarek, senior vice president, audience and operations of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser/Oahu Publications, Inc., leads his company’s AI task force.
“We take great pride at OPI as it pertains to accuracy and credibility, and we do not want to risk our reputation in the communities we serve by executing something rash,” Kotarek said.
He added that part of this evaluation includes experimenting with AI in different areas. “Currently we use AI to create marketing and promotional campaigns, to write copy and for automated transcription.”
Research and Information
Another popular use of AI is for research. David Adelman, CEO, OCD Media, uses AI tools to provide information succinctly and quickly.
“I was on a call with a company a few months ago and I couldn't understand their business model,” Adelman said. “A quick search in ChatGPT gave me enough information to help me sound intelligent on the call, and I didn’t have to wade through pages of Google search results.”
Ryan Dohrn, president and founder of Brain Swell Media, uses AI to enhance his knowledge of clients and prospects. “I use Perplexity.ai for sales research to increase my point of relevancy with the clients and prospective clients.”
Dohrn adds that the tool works best when he provides it with detailed prompts. “Just like all machine learning models, you can teach it what you want and how to best help you.”
Increase Operational Efficiency and Productivity
One of the mavens’ biggest uses of AI has been to boost efficiency and productivity.
“We employ AI-driven solutions for our chatbot and to streamline reporting processes,” said Jennifer Bertetto, president and CEO of Trib Total Media and 535media. “Additionally, we are piloting Microsoft Copilot to optimize tasks like PowerPoint creation and report summarization across the organization.”
Bertetto added that everyone at her company will be involved in learning how to best use these tools. “To fully realize AI's potential, we are partnering with a consulting firm to redefine our workflows and empower our workforce with the necessary skills to thrive in this evolving landscape.”
Nicole Divinagracia, president of the Point of Care Marketing Association (POCMA), said her organization is committed to leveraging technology to optimize operations and enhance member engagement.
“To streamline our workflows, we employ AI-powered platforms like Monday.com to manage and track all our initiatives, which significantly boosts efficiency and productivity.”
Divinagracia added that her association also implemented Boardable, a board management software to enhance operations and communication across their committees and board of directors.
“By combining these AI-driven tools, we're able to optimize our processes, improve communication and deliver greater value to our members.”
Optimizing Content and Creative
Bertetto said another way her company is using AI is to enhance content and audience engagement.
“AI is instrumental in personalizing content recommendations, refining advertising strategies and driving overall business efficiency,” Bertetto said. “By harnessing AI's capabilities, we are committed to delivering superior content, fostering deeper audience engagement and ensuring sustainable growth.
Erica Krauss, senior vice president of media investment for Publicis Media, says her company is using AI in several ways.
“Creative development is a natural first step,” Krauss said. “But more than anything we are continuing to utilize AI to enhance targeting opportunities and optimizations within our media plans.”
