In 2024, AI in advertising moved from hypothetical to real-world adoption – but how did it play out?

One agency, Dentsu, says it is getting a big lift from an AI partnership with Microsoft Advertising.

“Our vision is to make AI an integral part of how we solve problems, whether it’s analyzing data more effectively, or making faster decisions, or coming up with new ideas,” said Gareth Cleevely, EVP of business strategy at Dentsu, in this video interview with Beet.TV.

Copilot Boosts Productivity and Strategic Thinking

Dentsu is developing a number of AI tools, and its partnership with Microsoft Advertising is about more than just using the tech firm’s products – it’s about shaping them.

“We’ve worked closely with Microsoft Advertising on so many fronts over the years, from running AI workshops,” Cleevely said. “We’re not just the partners with Microsoft Advertising, we’re really innovators.” The companies have co-marketed success stories and learnings from their AI pilot.

Microsoft Advertising’s Copilot AI assistant is leading to real changes in productivity within Dentsu’s campaign workflows.

“It’s not just about doing things faster, it’s about doing things smarter,” Cleevely said. “We’re able to navigate the platform quicker, pull insights in real time, and make campaign optimizations that would’ve taken much longer than before.”

As a feature of Microsoft Copilot productivity tools, Copilot offers suggestions based on what’s working and what’s not. “We’ve seen productivity skyrocket, especially when it comes to repetitive tasks,” he said.Copilot offers suggestions based on what’s working and what’s not. “We’ve seen productivity skyrocket, especially when it comes to repetitive tasks,” he said.

AI Enhances Human Creativity in Ad Generation

AI is also a creative partner for Dentsu. “Copilot is a key part of that. We’re using it to spark new ideas, test concepts faster, even generate initial ad copy based on data insights,” Cleevely said. “It’s almost like having a brainstorming session with AI.”

But rather than replacing human creativity, AI enhances it. “Copilot [in the Microsoft Advertising Platform] helps us explore more creative directions by analyzing what’s resonating with particular audiences and then suggesting ways to improve and refine our content,” he said.

In the future, however, Cleevely sees AI helping achieve personalization at scale. “Imagine Copilot being able to predict what kind of content someone needs next, or what messaging will resonate most based on their interactions,” Cleevely said.

You’re watching “Personalization in the Age of AI,” a Beet.TV Leadership Series presented by Microsoft Advertising. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.

By Robert Andrews on    @robertandrews