Why marketers need to be obsessed with AI and machine learning in 2020 – and what can be done

As we edge ever closer towards the beginning of a new year, the next 12 months are set to provide an extraordinarily challenging time for marketers – but it's certainly not'doom and gloom' by any means. Not only will they be expected to seamlessly tackle the increasing volatility, data regulation and apathy towards traditional marketing methods, but they must do it all alongside having a clear, robust and forward-thinking strategy, in order to thrive. At the heart of such a strategy – and any business' plans – needs to be a serious commitment to data and digital via machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). ML and AI can already provide organisations with extraordinary insight into their competitive landscape, current performance and resource allocation. And, in turn, marketers can leverage these insights – along with many others – to radically improve performance. Microsoft has reported that early adopters of AI for business in the UK have already seen a 5% improvement in productivity, performance and enterprise outcomes, compared with those that have not explored its growing range of capabilities.