As consumer expectations shift, AI explodes and pressures mount, marketers can lead with optimism, or pull back in paralysis. LPK’s CMO, Valerie Jacobs, shares her POV with Entrepreneur on steering her consultancy and clients to new frontiers of success.
Asked by Entrepreneur to share the single greatest challenge she’s facing as Chief Marketing Officer at LPK, Valerie Jacobs says it’s really a fusion of forces: “Frankly, there is no one biggest challenge. We’re coming out of a pandemic, witnessing the emergence of AI—one of the most disruptive technologies in our lifetime—and doing that amidst global conflicts, divisive rhetoric, and another turbulent election cycle in the US.”
“I’m constantly thinking about how we can use AI [to gain] insights into the consumer journey that we’ve never had before.”
Harnessing AI in the Consumer Journey
Jacobs sees AI as a breakthrough for marketers everywhere, empowering them to know their customers or consumers more deeply and thoroughly: “It’s crucial that we keep our finger on the pulse to understand what’s happening in consumers’ lives—what they’re desiring, what’s changing—as well as our customers’ lives. What’s shifting in their business, and how can we help? I’m constantly thinking about how we can use new technologies like AI to stay even closer to our audiences and answer these questions, gaining insights into the consumer journey that we’ve never had before.”
“Algorithms are both flattening and quickening culture simultaneously.”
Prioritizing Trends + Future Fluency
Seeing the effects of algorithms on consumer engagement and understanding, Jacobs believes these new capabilities are right on time. “Algorithms are both flattening and quickening culture simultaneously, which makes for a really challenging landscape for consumer understanding,” she explains. “It’s vital to have a firm grip on emergent trends that are truly novel, relevant, and worth pursuing.” Jacobs believes that this “double vision,” in which businesses can monitor both consumer desires and customer needs in tandem, is vital to win in today’s landscape: “What our clients need more than ever is strong, future-fluent consumer strategy that can address both business needs and consumer desires.”
To read the complete piece, head over to Entrepreneur here.
