Feeling overwhelmed by the rise of GenAI? Don't worry, you're not alone. As marketers, we must carve out our place in the world of GenAI. We're not left behind—we're right where we need to be.
In the inaugural post in this series, 'Making GenAI Work for Work: Nobody is Coming to Save You', we talked about giving ourselves the freedom to fail and to be fearless in discovering our value prop as marketers in the GenAI era. AI marketing experts are still a rarity. This is an opportunity for those willing to jump in and figure it out. In this post, we'll talk about the value of gathering these marketers together and forming a council, and you'll meet a marketer who's done it.
Observers aren't creating the future of work. Doers are. Creating a marketing AI council is a bold, doer move.
Unite the curious to merge passion with action in a marketing AI council.
Many organizations lack clear guidelines for tools and AI leadership, leading to independent exploration. A marketing team with diverse expertise can effectively lead AI initiatives. You'll get plenty of volunteers once people see an opportunity to channel their interest. Channel that into specific workflows, like exploring use cases (the topic of my next post) and writing ethical and legal guidelines.
Working collectively to achieve a mission as part of a marketing AI council can deliver business outcomes, such as:
You'll be ahead of the curve: pooling resources and expertise can provide a competitive advantage and position you as a leader in your industry.
You'll drive efficiency: a dedicated team focused on GenAI use cases, and legal and ethical guidance is a way to crowd-source expertise, thereby avoiding decisions made in silos.
You'll mitigate risks: the ethical considerations and risks associated with GenAI must be considered from the start. By consulting with legal, security, and IT and drafting guidelines, you're addressing these issues proactively.
Learn from Jessica Hreha; she's successfully done it.
Meet trailblazer Jessica Hreha, the Head of Integrated Marketing and Demand Content Strategy at VMware. Jessica founded VMware's industry-leading Marketing AI Council and regularly speaks on the topic. Be sure to follow her here on Linkedin. The VMware Marketing AI Council's charter is to educate and empower VMware marketers to use GenAI tools responsibly and effectively. Below are the steps of the VMware Council blueprint.
Gold Award Winner The VMware Marketing AI Council has won gold in the International MarCom Awards 2023 in a new category, AI in Marketing
Start small and iterate.
Once established, VMware's council shifted focus to applying GenAI. We pilot-tested tools across prioritized use cases, meeting weekly to share progress, refine solutions, and address issues in real-time via a dedicated Slack channel. At the same time, the council produced webinars on AI concepts and skills for the workforce. This approach enabled faster scaling of practical GenAI applications.
Find your niche within the council.
You may wonder where you fit in on a council. Begin by identifying your unique skill set and passion within the AI landscape. Are you adept at data analysis or thrive at strategic planning? Perhaps you excel in ethical considerations or have a knack for understanding emerging AI technologies. Assess the council's needs and spot where your abilities can be most impactful. Raise your hand and do it.
Creating a marketing AI council in your organization isn't about keeping up with the times—it's about shaping them. Whether you're a data whiz, a strategic thinker, or an ethical guide, there's a place for you on a marketing AI council. Keep Jessica's story in mind. She didn't wait for someone else to take charge. She stepped up, took the lead, and made a difference.
About me
As a B2B enterprise marketer, I'm on a quest to define our unique value proposition in the age of AI. I'm the writer and editor of The Strategist Blog, where I explore AI's power to transform content creation and empower fellow marketers to shape the future of their work. That future is human-first, AI-powered. Let's go!
More posts in this series
Making GenAI Work for Work: The ROI of REAL Connection
Making GenAI Work for Work: Find Your Use Case
Making GenAI Work for Work: Nobody is Coming to Save You
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