Karl Ramsaran, Managing Consultant of VMA GROUP’s Interim Marketing Practice, speaks to Daniela Zuin about her career in tech marketing and the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Daniela Zuin, a former technology journalist, has worked in various regional and global marketing roles promoting the business benefits of digital transformation for some of the world’s largest IT and professional services firms, including Accenture, EDS, The Carlyle Group, T-Systems (part of Deutsche Telekom), and more recently led the launch of a brand new category of AI virtual agent for automation innovator IPsoft.
Passion for Tech Marketing
What Excites Daniela About Tech Marketing?
Daniela: It’s that wider story that captures my imagination rather than the inner workings of the products themselves. What’s particularly exciting is that technology is always evolving so the art of the possible is constantly moving to a new horizon. In turn, this means that as a marketer you are not stuck in re-inventing existing stories to inspire business leaders, but introducing them to fresh ideas.
“The more disruptive the technology, the more creative you can be in attracting the attention of your target audience.”
Concerns About Over-Hyping Tech Products
Daniela: Certainly. When the gap between vision and reality gets too wide, it damages the downstream sales effort. In the battle for recognition, especially in emerging market sectors, marketing teams run the risk of hitting all their awareness and lead generation KPIs, without converting them into sustainable revenue increases.
Strategies to Avoid Overhyping
Daniela: It’s important for marketing to get a clear understanding of the questions that arise in dialogue with customers during the proposal stages and later on in the sales process. Invest time in acquiring this knowledge; this will help sharpen the messages crafted across the entire marketing programme. There’s plenty of room for content that paints a picture of where the future is headed, complemented by stories of what can be achieved right now; just don’t blur the two.
The Evolution of AI in the Market
Changes in AI Market Dynamics
Daniela: Market interest in AI has exploded. Just four years ago when I launched Amelia, IPsoft’s virtual agent, it was the most forward-thinking innovation teams within enterprises who were assessing this technology. Today, the appetite for deploying AI has matured to such a level that it’s frequently the CEO who is driving adoption in a bid to get ahead of the competition.
While the science of today’s digital marketing techniques is highly effective at targeting new contacts, the backdrop to any marketing campaign has shifted. There has been widespread public debate about the potential dangers and social impact of AI, meaning technology companies must engage with a full community of stakeholders, not just target ‘buyers’, while promoting the positive benefits AI can deliver.
Preparing for Radical Changes
The depth of change we are about to witness around current working practices is more radical than anything we’ve seen in a generation. To handle this, change management programmes will need to reflect collaborative, emotionally aware engagement with the business and influencer community, rather than focus solely on tech-heavy, capabilities-centric marketing.
Integrating all aspects of marketing and communications activity to create on- and offline dialogue will be essential for tech firms to build brand trust and win the confidence of business executives pioneering the use of AI.
With thanks to Daniela Zuin for taking part in VMA GROUP’s Q&A blog series, providing valuable insights into the marketing profession from the experts themselves. For more information on this blog series or to discuss the interim marketing job market, please contact Karl Ramsaran.
