As artificial intelligence (AI) features such as machine learning and predictive analytics start to creep into all software, and every industry, how is it impacting the marketing function?

With our visibility into retail, banking and telecom industries, were seeing how AI is transforming all aspects of marketing, from smarter buying of online advertising, to predicting what each customer will want next to increasing share of wallet.

A recent global study by TCS, entitled Getting Smarter by the Day: How AI is Elevating the Performance of Global Companies, identified that almost a third of large companies are using artificial intelligencein marketing, in such areas as:

• Anticipating future customer purchases and presenting relevant next best offers
• Improving media buying
• Monitoring social media comments and brand affinity
• Tailoring promotions — online and offline
• Enabling dynamic pricing
• Automating the in-store selling function

For example, in Japan, Nestle is using robots at the retail store to ask people about their coffee preferences and answer product questions. The robots can even read peoples facial expressions and voices to determine how they feel, and change their responses accordingly!

Online media buying is another area where AI can make a big difference, automating what is now a labor intensive process rife with fraud.

But where we see the most promise in AI-enabled marketing is in the customer experience. We think that AI will completely transform the customer journey across industries, enabling consumers to interact with companies and brands in new and exciting ways. Were already seeing some of this transformation with our Digital Software & Solutions platform, which has AI integrated into some of its applications. This makes it easier for marketers in retail, banking and telecom to take advantage of this advanced capability. For example,

• AI will help telcos anticipate future customer purchases and automatically present consumers with highly-relevant offers and opportunities that cement their relationship
• Banks that harness AI will gain the advantage of faster digitization and provide customers with cross-channel, targeted, on-time products and services
• AI will help multi-channel retailers deliver a seamless brand experience spanning both the virtual and real worlds, bridging the two in the eyes of the consumer across all channels

Check out the full TCS Report- How AI is Elevating the Performance of Global Companies for more insights into how AI is changing businesses for the better.