Reading Alexander Low’s article on pages 10 and 11 had me fooled. The opening paragraphs, spoiler alert, were not in fact written by Alexander. They were written by a piece of software, called JasperAI.
Given a few simple prompts, the software has created a narrative that, whilst not perfect and perhaps a little cliched, is good enough to fool most readers. It is an exciting development and, for someone who earns a living from writing, just a little worrying.
Content is a bedrock for many marketing programmes and it is not beyond the realm of fantasy to see professional services firms adopting similar technologies to create those initial client engagement points. There may be firms already travelling this path and it would be fascinating to hear their story.
As marketers, we know that what appears novel and exciting today will in a few short years become mundane as it is widely adopted. Yet it can be challenging for marketers to keep on top of the latest MarTech, where to invest, and when to hold off. It has always been the case, but it certainly feels much more of a challenge today.
Despite the widespread adoption of new technologies, the human touch, I believe, remains important. Technology must remain the enabler towards personal interaction, not replace it. It is equally important that marketers do not hide behind this technology. It is there to help us to do our jobs more efficiently and effectively. It is there to enable us to show leadership and direction in our firms.
It is a theme that we explore in this issue of PM Magazine and is a subject we will regularly revisit. I would welcome your thoughts and observations.
It was terrific to meet so many of you at the PM Forum’s annual conference, Staying ahead of the curve. Perhaps the hardest decision of the day was which of the terrific workshops to attend. Meirion Jones and Geraint Evans’ storytelling workshops set the bar high.
For those of you that were unable to attend, please do take the time to read Kim Tasso and Clare Rason’s reports on page 6 of this edition. They really do capture the day and some of the valuable learning.
And finally, we love to hear what you think of the PM Forum, our events, training and, of course, PM Magazine. Every year, we survey our members and this year you responded in droves. It is enormously encouraging to see that 43% of PM Forum members speak highly of the organisation unprompted, with a further 47% speaking highly when prompted.
From a personal perspective as editor of PM Magazine, and one where all credit must go to Nadia Cristina, is the following comment: “Without a doubt, my ‘go-to’ marketing magazine. Full of useful articles and insight from seasoned professionals.”
I hope you too enjoy this issue of the magazine.