When AI Becomes the New Face of Your Brand

In the world of marketing, brand anthropomorphism can be a powerful mechanism for connecting with consumers. It's the tactic of giving brand symbols people-like characteristics: Think of Tony the Tiger and the Michelin Man. Today some companies are taking brand anthropomorphism to a whole new level with sophisticated AI technologies. Thanks to the simplicity of their conversational interfaces, it's quite possible that customers will spend increasingly more time engaged with a company's AI than with any other interface, including the firm's own employees. And over time Siri, Alexa, and Cortana, and their individual "personalities," could become even more famous than their parent companies.