The impact of generative AI on marketing: insights from Jean-Christophe Bertrand (PwC)

Generative AI is changing the game in marketing: it creates new opportunities for creativity and efficiency by automating content creation and personalizing customer experiences. To get the most out of it, you need to understand how it works and where its limits lie. Jean-Christophe Bertrand, an expert at PwC, shares his insights here on how companies can adapt to this technological shift, emphasizing planning and ethical considerations.

The practical applications of generative AI in marketing

Defining generative AI

Generative AI is a subcategory of artificial intelligence focused on creating new and original content. Unlike traditional AI, which analyzes existing data, it generates text, images, sound and other content from models trained on vast datasets, a capability that is revolutionizing marketing.

Enhancing content creation at scale

The ability to produce high-quality content quickly and at scale is one of its major contributions.

Automated writing tools

Platforms such as large language models generate compelling text for blogs, social posts or email campaigns, imitating human styles to stay relevant and engaging.

Image generation software

Text-to-image tools create unique visuals from descriptions, making it possible to produce personalized images faster, as a complement to, and not a replacement for, the human artistic eye.

Personalizing customer experiences

Personalization has become essential. Generative AI adapts interactions to improve satisfaction and loyalty:

• Dynamic pricing: by analyzing behavior and trends in real time, it adjusts offers to optimize sales and profitability.
• Targeted campaigns: it identifies the best ways to reach each segment and creates messages and visuals that resonate more strongly, increasing engagement.

How prepared are companies: the findings of the PwC / OpinionWay study

PwC, together with OpinionWay, assessed the maturity and investments of more than 1,000 companies in AI projects. Key takeaways:

• Only 35% of companies had launched AI projects.
• A significant gap exists between public perception and actual implementation.
• SMEs particularly value generative AI for customer retention.

The reasons for hesitation are recurring: lack of qualified talent and insufficient data infrastructure.

Challenges and ethical considerations

Lack of talent and data infrastructure

Many organizations struggle to find the expertise needed to develop and manage AI systems, and to have robust data systems for large-scale processing.

Effective data management

Success rests on the quality of the data: cleaning (data free of errors) and labeling (to better train the models).

Ethics: bias, privacy, transparency

Integrating AI raises ethical issues that companies must address to maintain trust:

• Bias mitigation: continuously monitor and adjust models to avoid perpetuating the biases in the training data.
• Privacy: protect sensitive information through robust security measures and transparent policies.
• Ethical frameworks: data anonymization, bias detection and transparent communication (GDPR compliance) strengthen trust.

The evolving role of marketing directors

The rise of these tools is transforming the skills expected of a marketing director. Beyond strategy, brand and campaigns, they must now:

• Understand AI technologies (the basics of machine learning and data analysis);
• Master data management (collection, cleaning, labeling, analysis);
• Collaborate with data scientists and AI specialists;
• Ensure ethical oversight of applications.

Effective integration comes through well-identified use cases, pilot projects measured against KPIs, investment in training and collaboration across departments. Brands such as Coca-Cola (dynamic pricing) or Sephora (personalized recommendations) already illustrate the benefits.

Conclusion

Adapting to generative AI is not optional: it is a condition for sustainability. Greater efficiency, personalization at scale and continuous innovation make it a major marketing lever, provided you keep people, ethics and data quality at the center.

This is precisely the conviction of MyJiminy: AI in the service of your content, but directed by real artists. Discover our AI content offering, or talk to a dedicated project manager.