Where AI and Marketing Collide: 2024 CX Predictions ACXIOM’S ANNUAL CX TRENDS REPORTWhere AI and Marketing Collide: 2024 CX Predictions2ContentsForewordIntroduction Trend 01: Shoppable AdsTrend 02: Proactive Customer ServiceTrend 03: Healthy Acquisition and RetentionTrend 04: Predictive PersonalizationTrend 05: Sustainable CXConclusionMethodology and Sample Breakdown030409192938465560CONTENTSacxiom.com/trendsWhere AI and Marketing Collide: 2024 CX Predictions3FOREWORDForeword: AI‑powered capabilities will supercharge CX in 2024Last year, when we launched our inaugural CX trends report, we looked at a few macro trends – automation, immersion, and intuitive tech – that are driving the customer experience revolution. This year, we’ve zoomed in on how AI is fueling emerging trends in the CX space. Given the recent AI hype, it’s easy to think marketers can sit back, put their feet up, and let the machines take the wheel. No need to be concerned with prospect acquisition or customer retention when new generative AI models can do it all for us, right? The reality is, of course, quite different. AI certainly has huge potential. Throughout this report you’ll discover numerous ways it’s being used to facilitate exciting new marketing capabilities. But there are no silver bullets – AI included. Keep in mind, AI is an umbrella term for a wide range of complex, data-driven technologies. Brands need to think carefully about how they harness its power, in conjunction with the requisite human expertise, to deliver real long-term value. This inevitably means starting with the customer. Rather than trying to force fit shiny new AI-powered tactics into their marketing mix, brands should be asking themselves how AI can help them understand their customers’ needs. That is what matters. Understanding enables meaningful, personalized experiences that meet those needs. Whether it’s the 45% of 35-54 year-olds that actually prefer messaging with a chatbot than with a human, the 66% of shoppable ad users who find the format useful for product discovery, or the 44% of people who are willing to pay more for sustainable products (and you’ll meet all of them later on), brands must understand and cater to the needs of the individual to deliver exceptional CX. AI provides the potential to do just that, if brands have the right infrastructure and expertise in place (spoiler alert – a strong data foundation is at the top of the list), the payoff is impressive. Here’s why – in a marketplace where brand loyalty can seemingly be swayed by a coupon, we discovered 73% of consumers are willing to stay with brands that deliver a great customer experience. In putting this report together, we wanted to tap into the experience, knowledge, ambitions, and concerns of brand marketers and their customers. We pinpointed five key trends that we expect to see developing ...
