Will AI Reduce Marketing Team Headcounts?
You may have the rumor going around that AI will reduce marketing team headcounts.
Well, I’ve got a secret for you: it’s not necessarily true at your organization.
Here’s the truth.
The impact of AI on your marketing team depends on the “story” your leaders believe about AI.
Here’s what I mean…
Story #1: We can reduce our headcount with AI
It’s true that AI can help marketing teams get more done in less time. There’s no denying it.
Here’s the problem. Some leaders believe that AI can help them get more done with fewer people. They are unaware or indifferent to this crucial fact: swapping out humans for AI tools will inevitably degrade the quality of their team’s work.
This story is sure to trigger staff opposition. This resistance, coupled with the loss of creative human input, ultimately leads to fewer hours spent on less effective marketing campaigns.
Story #2: We can eliminate tedious and time-consuming tasks with AI
Here, the leadership’s goal is to free up staff to do more creative and high-value work. This story benefits everyone, which means staff is more likely to cooperate and the AI deployment is more likely to improve marketing results.
Without staff cooperation, the AI implementation effort is likely to overlook important process intricacies, undocumented processes, and workarounds employees use.
This story is better than #1, but it’s still missing something: guidance on what to do with the time saved.
Story #3: We can free up time for learning and experimentation with AI
These leaders decide upfront to reinvest the majority of time savings into staff training and R&D.
This story promises the best future for all stakeholders. Everyone benefits from the adoption of AI tools.
Leaders who believe this story ensure the full support of their staff. They commit to reinvesting the majority of their time savings into staff training and further human-centered improvements to your workflows.
As a marketer, you must take a hard look at the AI deployment efforts within your organization. If they are not human-centered, it may be time to find an employer who is investing in AI more strategically.
