The effectiveness “revolution” is colliding with the AI-spawned efficiency uprising and it’s leapfrogging the early consensus on AI use cases in marketing around automating personalised content and communications. So much so Mark Ritson choked on his Wellfleet oysters when Jon Lombardo and Peter Weinberg told him they were leaving top jobs at LinkedIn-backed thinktank, the B2B Institute. Then they told him why. Ritson promptly joined their venture, along with what Weinberg calls “the advisory board to end all advisory boards”. Thus the synthetically-enhanced AI marketing outfit Evidenza was born. The founders claim their new piece of “synthetic customer” tech – which starts with creating AI copies of target customers – creates 95 per cent accurate customer responses. I.e. it mimics company CEOs, CFOs, CTOs, CIOs, CROs and the rest with strong correlation to the real thing. Those customers are really hard to find within B2B markets, which is why research is so expensive and takes so long. EY’s CMO – and a long list of others – verify that claim, because they’ve tested it head-to-head. “It can imitate essentially anyone by gathering and synthesising massive amounts of data,” per Weinberg. Evidenza claims it can also synthesise marketing strategy, science and the “pantheon” of effectiveness gurus, like Byron Sharp, Jenni Romaniuk, Karen Nelson-Field, Les Binet and Peter Field. Which means marketers can ask them what they ‘think’ of their plans. Evidenza has already cloned Ritson to deliver “a finance friendly marketing plan that used to take months in minutes”, per Lombardo. “Well, maybe a day.” Weinberg acknowledges cussing is a challenge. But they are actively debugging.
Author: admin
Synthetic customers meet synthetic CMOs (and CFOs): Evidenza clones Sharp, Ritson, Binet & Field to build annual marketing plans in minutes; Mars, EY sign-up
The effectiveness “revolution” is colliding with the AI-spawned efficiency uprising and it’s leaping the early consensus AI use cases in marketing around automating personalised content and communications. So much so Mark Ritson choked on his Wellfleet oysters when Jon Lombardo and Peter Weinberg told him they were leaving top jobs at the LinkedIn-backed thinktank, the B2B Institute. Then they told him why. Ritson promptly joined their venture, along with what Weinberg calls “the advisory board to end all advisory boards”. Thus the synthetically-enhanced AI marketing outfit Evidenza was born.The founders argue their new piece of “synthetic customer” tech, which starts with creating AI copies of target customers, can create an annual marketing strategy, category entry points, messaging and positioning at a fraction of the cost of traditional market research and in a fraction of the time it takes for a marketing team to do the same. They claim it completes major research projects in minutes – and have proven their digitally synthetic customers match real customer responses it took some of the world’s biggest brands long cycles to gather. “It can imitate essentially anyone by gathering and synthesizing massive amounts of data,” per Weinberg, including almost impossible-to-reach professionals, like airline chiefs, or the bosses of mining companies. Which is exactly what Evidenza did in a head-to-head test with EY Americas CMO Toni Clayton-Hine’s actual survey data – and “reached 95 per cent of the same conclusions,” per Weinberg. EY “has been a fantastic client ever since.”But as well as synthesizing customers, the system also synthesizes marketing strategy and science: Imagine on one side a synthetic combination of Mark Ritson, Professor Byron Sharp teamed with ad effectiveness maestros Peter Field and Les Binet. Then on the other side, hundreds of synthetic CEOs, CFOs, CTOs, CIOs, CMOs and each of those functions linked to the nuances of different industries and categories. Put them all into an AI blender, and you get what Lombardo and Weinberg think is an efficiency revolution in marketing fused with the effectiveness revolution from the marketing academics. The upshot for marketers? “A finance-friendly marketing plan that used to take months now takes maybe minutes, but more likely, a day,” per Weinberg. According to Lombardo that’s good news even for traditional market researchers. “Everyone is going to get better. Average is over.” So what’s left for the humans? The synthetic duo say the smart stuff – experience, strategic frameworks and brand and category nuance, for instance – that makes the machines do better.
Honda appoints ex-Adidas, Kathmandu customer chief Eva Barrett as marketing, CX GM after agency shake-up
Honda Australia has appointed Eva Barrett, former marketing and customer chief at adidas and Kathmandu, as General Manager Brand, Marketing and Customer Experience.
AMP, CHEP launch first super campaign in years: ‘Get close to your super’
CHEP Network and AMP Super have launched a national campaign aimed at encouraging Australians to engage more with their superannuation titled ‘Get super close to your super’.
Adore Beauty ecom pureplay posts 661% profit lift to $4.8m, FY24 revenues up 7.4%; acquires Ikou
Adore Beauty Group Limited has reported its financial results for the 12 months ended 30 June 2024 with revenues of $195.7 million, marking a 7.4% increase on the prior year. EBITDA of $4.8 million was up 661%, with a margin of 2.5%, aligning with the company’s guidance.
Solving the future consumer commerce equation: Active community, accessible credit and AI connection are all musts for retailers, say CX, finance, payments and academics – and lead to a more human approach
Retail brands are facing no less than a complete reimagining of what it means to be a consumer by 2030, according to a fresh report from The Future Laboratory in partnership with Afterpay. It’s a near future requiring commerce to not only recalibrate around community, values and experience, but necessitates empathetic technologies and systems that operate in the service of people, not transactions or zealous CFOs, according to E&S customer experience chief, Barry Mowszowski, plus futurist and academic, Dr Catherine Ball, speaking at an Afterpay event last week. It’s also going to mean rewiring outdated financial systems and processes that are increasingly shutting down access to credit to ensure they can deliver solutions rather than create more problems for consumers, agreed fellow panellist, Mark Bouris, the founder of Wizard Home Loans, executive chair of Yellow Brick Road, and recognised financial and business commentator.
ASIC cracks down on greenwashing with 47 regulatory interventions in 15 months
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has made 47 regulatory interventions to address greenwashing misconduct during the 15-month period up to 30 June 2024, according to a new report.
Circana outlook report taps ‘social e-commerce’ as major growth opportunity for brands
A new report from market research firm Circana has highlighted ‘social e-commerce’ as a significant opportunity for brands, with platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok providing the environment to accelerate consumer decision journeys from awareness to purchase in-platform.
Super Retail Group holds firm with increase in sales to $3.9bn and gross margin strength, buoyed by loyalty program members and new stores
Super Retail Group has held firm amid the tough trading climate for retailers, reporting a 2 per cent lift in sales to a record $3.9 billion for the full year to 30 June 2024. But like many it’s seen a hit to its earnings and profits, reporting a segment EBIT decline of 9 per cent to $400m and a net profit drop of 9 per cent to $240m.
Bank of Queensland to cut 400 jobs amid simplification and digital plan
Bank of Queensland will cut 400 full-time jobs across the business in order to save $50 million a year, a decision it has attributed to simplification and digital initiatives enabling productivity gains.