Editor’s note: Brian Heikes is VP of product at mobile marketing firm 3Cinteractive, Boca Raton, Fla.

Today’s brands are looking to be current, relevant and timely in order to have the most impact on a target audience. With the help of the Internet, mobile devices and social media, brand marketers and researchers can create meaningful campaigns to generate more sales. Artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligence amplification (IA) are two technologies that can assist in improving outcomes.

AI and IA are pushing organizations to create content to pull in new consumers and continue enchanting the customers who have been there since the beginning.

AI vs. IA

Thanks to science fiction films, novels and comic books, AI and IA can be misunderstood concepts. No, this technology will not aid in the robot apocalypse, however it may help revolutionize business and customer service.

AI programming allows machines to mimic human conduct. AI empowers a computer to cooperate with humans without human assistance, allowing computers to work autonomously. By providing predetermined responses to simple questions and altering those answers based on past human interactions, AI programs are able to give humans more specific, accurate and personalized responses to the requests they receive. This innovation, as of now, is being utilized in popular products such as the option to like and dislike music on Spotify. Other popular products like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri also use the power of AI to assist their human counterparts.

IA, with respect to AI, has gotten less publicity. IA is the utilization of computers to improve or increase the knowledge and capacity of the human brain. While the human brain is impressive on its own, it is nearly impossible to access and use all of the information that the brain has ever received to make decisions. IA is commonly misunderstood, yet may have more of a day-to-day impact than AI.

An example of IA technology would be collecting market data and then analyzing that data to make the best decisions about how to allocate a brand’s marketing efforts. IBM’s Watson is one example of expanding the power of the human brain. The program works by delivering information upon request and altering that information based on the user’s preferences.

Despite the fact that these two innovations are comparable, there is a notable distinction. The separating component is the level of human contribution in every interaction. AI innovation works self-sufficiently, finishing the project at hand without the assistance of a human, while IA works with people to produce content with the input of creators. Occasionally the lines are blurred and the two technologies can work together to deliver the best possible answers for the user.

Tapping into AI and IA

AI and IA can be tapped into in order to better understand target audiences. Perhaps one of the most useful ways marketing researchers can use AI is through predictive technology. AI programs with predictive capabilities analyze data upon request about market segments and specific target audiences and deliver personalized information that can help researchers with tasks such as predicting churn, reviewing the results of a marketing effort, generating marketing recommendations and lead-scoring. The AI program does all of this by gathering, analyzing and then interpreting the data based on the specific filter and requests the user has selected. Algorithms then categorize the information based on the user’s instructions. The result is specific and personalized information that can aid researchers in the creation of personalized content.

Personalization is so key to the success of a brand. Rather than leaving marketing researchers guessing, AI can fill in the blanks and provide a more stable understanding of how much of an impact specific marketing tactics will make in the future.

IA is equally useful in enhancing marketing strategies. Good marketing is all about timing and focusing on the right audience. Therefore, the faster marketing researchers can gather research, the more relevant and impactful a brand’s marketing efforts will be. IA technology can produce the most up-to-date and accurate information based on the user’s request, allowing researchers to be as efficient as possible. An example of this would be using a computer with IA technology to quickly assess a large group of customer buying-preference data and then using that data to determine which products or services would perform the best if marketed to that audience.

New technology 

Both AI and IA are helpful technologies that brand marketers and researchers should consider using to build profitability, productivity and spreading of their content. With the help of new technology, brands will be able to more effectively market to the desired groups of consumers to produce more sales. Organizations that decide to utilize AI and IA may benefit from joining forces with the latest trends rather than resisting change. While these programs are still relatively new, they are sure to become staples in brand toolboxes within the next few years.