3 Steps: Inspiration, Alignment, and Operations, An AI Adoption Framework

Lessons learned from frameworks and AI adoption guru, Liza Adams

As marketers, we are at a tipping point with AI. We want to drive efficiency and get better, faster, and smarter, but questions remain about how to do it ethically, safely, and inclusively. In a wide-ranging conversation with Liza Adams, we walked away with a step-by-step process for adopting and leveraging AI within your marketing team and influencing adoption across your organization. Liza has a three-step strategy to get you started. Starting with that framework in mind, we’ll give our take and tips on how to achieve responsible adoption through Imagination, Planning, and Execution.

Imagination

Start with Curiosity (and Inspire Others)

AI is exciting and fun to experiment with, but starting with a clear strategy can help drive adoption not only on your team but across the organization. Your strategy can take many forms, but you should consider the outcomes you want to drive.  Start with use cases where AI can add value, whether in content creation, customer analysis, or automating manual tasks. 

Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) is essential for cultivating a positive and inclusive work environment that sparks innovation with AI. As champions of DE&I initiatives, we are collectively responsible for promoting equal opportunities and driving adoption across all levels. By doing so, we not only empower the growth and development of our colleagues but also unlock the full potential of our collective creativity and decision-making capabilities. This is especially important in the era of AI, where inclusive access can amplify our collective impact.

Planning

Consider AI Use Cases That Will Support Your Marketing Goals

ICP & Customer Data: By analyzing data much more effectively than we can, leveraging data from G2 blogs or sales calls can be a treasure trove to build a personalization machine. Start by getting all your data sources and uploading them into AI. Be sure to provide context for what you’re looking to achieve. 74% of marketers* report improved customer engagement through personalized experiences. This is one of the fundamental reasons why some of our favorite technologies, like 6Sense, Demandbase, Terminus, and others, exist.

Enhance Content Creation: Content creation is shifting, 63% of marketers say most content in 2024 will come from Gen AI. As we learned from Nicole Leffer, start with existing content and upcycle to create fresh takes on existing artifacts.

Execution & Strategy

While inspiration and alignment are crucial, the ultimate success of AI adoption lies in effective AI operations. Liza highlights the need for responsible AI use and establishing guardrails to ensure ethical and secure implementation. This includes considering the implications of AI on jobs, data privacy, and the overall organizational structure.

Data is the fuel for AI. Assess the quality and availability of your data and invest in data cleaning if necessary. As the saying goes, crap in, crap out. To ensure the success of your AI project, it is crucial to start by assessing the availability of data, whether existing or new, as quality data is the key to unlocking AI benefits. Then, think about your infrastructure. With the surge in cloud computing capabilities, your AI council needs to decide about hosting, scaling options, and leveraging third-party platforms should be made to support the launch and scalability of the AI initiative effectively. By focusing on acquiring quality data and ensuring solid infrastructure, you’ll have AI Adoption on the right track at your organization.

Wrapping Up:

“With great power comes great responsibility” (thanks Voltaire, and Uncle Ben). Liza made a powerful statement: technology is a big part of this transformation, but the people and change management are even more important. As AI becomes more embedded in our org, think about how you’re going to upskill your team and whether you support diversity and inclusion with any of your efforts.

Until next time, let’s keep crafting the future of marketing together.