Analytics software provider SAS Institute Inc. is working with its customer base to navigate a new marketing world where the rise of generative artificial intelligence has created a whirlwind of change, while some elements remain unaffected.

“I describe it as a tornado of change, but the constant is still the same,” said Mike Blanchard (pictured, left), vice president of customer intelligence at SAS. “Consumers have had a lot of choice about who they do business with, and they will do it on their own terms. The world has just gotten more complicated, so at the end of the day trust between the consumer and the brand is the most important thing for generating loyalty share of wallet. The data is the lifeblood underneath.”

Blanchard spoke with theCUBE Research’s John Furrier and Dave Vellante at SAS Innovate, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. He was joined by Regan Yan (right), chief executive officer of Digital Alchemy Ltd., and they discussed AI and other key trends affecting the world of digital marketing. (* Disclosure below.)

SAS’ Mike Blanchard and Digital Alchemy’s Regan Yang talk with theCUBE about marketing with generative AI at SAS Innovate 2024.

SAS Institute helps clients navigate changes in data collection

In partnership with Digital Alchemy, SAS has been working with clients to better understand the full impact of how generative AI will change how businesses approach consumers for ad campaigns.

“Generative AI is going to significantly change the way we query and understand the data,” Yan said. “That’s going to increase the scope of the data … and marketers are going to be able to use that to generate their campaigns.”

One key shift in how data is gathered and managed involves the demise of third-party cookies or files installed on users’ computers to collect information about their browsing habits. Brands rely on third-party data to deliver personalized ad campaigns, but as major digital ad platforms such as Google LLC begin phasing out third-party cookies, first-party data collected by brands themselves will rise in importance. Blanchard views this in a positive light for many businesses.

“What you’re seeing now is some of those brands respond and say, ‘We could monetize our own first-party data,’” Blanchard said. “They’ll be able to build better products, better services, better communications. Those that understand their customers better … will win.”

For Digital Alchemy’s Yan, the challenge for brands is in leveraging data to drive results while respecting consumer preferences over how that information is collected and used.

“I actually think that organizations need to move away from that idea that they own the data to an idea that they are the custodian,” Yan said. “The customer owns their own data. I think increasingly organizations are moving in that direction.”

Regardless of how data is collected, there is no question that a major change is taking place in the marketing world as AI becomes prominent.

“I heard a great quote yesterday that marketers are worried that AI is going to take over their job,” Yan recalled. “The job is not going to be taken by AI, but it might be taken by a marketer who understands AI.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of SAS Innovate:

(* Disclosure: SAS Institute Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither SAS nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE