iGB Affiliate 62 Apr/May | Page 59

INSIGHT easily produce and manage display ads and better still, make suggestions for how the ads should evolve to produce better returns. Typically, the AI makes incremental changes to the ads using real past and present conversion data for different creative element, not only saving time and hassle during the creative process but revealing the full impact of a strong campaign. But crucially, as is often the case with humans, AI also works best if every piece of relevant information is made available for the decision-making process. That’s why many start-ups are now using AI- powered cloud platforms, as these types of tool empower marketers by enabling them to have everything they need to develop the ads in one place, cutting the time spent on repetitive tasks, simplifying the processes around the ads, assets and parties being used and, perhaps most importantly, boosting the output level to make the work of one man feel like that of a hundred. The results of the application of these new AI-based technologies are impressive and advertisers in the Nordics are beginning to notice. For example, one Nordic TV channel saw its conversion rate increase by more than 30%, a Nordic gambling firm experienced uplift of 40% and Nordic aggregators have seen conversion increases of up to 200% from using these AI-based tools. But even if these technologies may be what the advertising industry needs to renew itself and revive online display advertising, the effective use of such tools requires significant cultural change within organisations. And as we all know, such change is painful because it means the individuals involved in the creative process need to start doing some things they don’t currently do and are unfamiliar with, and also stop doing some things that were previously a core value-add but which new technologies have effectively rendered redundant. The question is, therefore, how many of these more established companies will dare to embrace the change. ALOK ALSTRÖM is chief commercial officer of Adclouds.io, a platform for AI-powered ad A/B-testing that enables companies to produce, manage and evolve display ads with the help of AI. His previous roles included general manager of Uber Sweden, director of business development for the Bisnode Group and management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. NAME: ALOK ALSTRÖM DATE: 7 APRIL 2017 WHEN: 11.00 iGB Affiliate Issue 62 APR/MAY 2017 55