Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Communication Science.Allameh Tabataba'i University.Tehran.Iran
2 Allameh Tabataba’I University, Tehran, Iran. Faculty of Communication
Abstract
Artificial intelligence has revolutionized various industries over the past few years, and the advertising industry is no exception. Integrating AI into different stages of advertising has become increasingly prevalent. This research aimed to investigate the applications of AI in global advertising and to answer the question of how AI has been utilized in the Iranian advertising industry. Additionally, we sought to identify the challenges and opportunities presented by AI for the Iranian advertising sector. A qualitative research approach was employed, using snowball sampling to conduct in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six experts in the fields of advertising and AI. Following data collection, transcription, and initial coding, 20 primary codes were identified and subsequently categorized into three core categories in the second stage of coding. The first core category, "Challenges facing the Iranian advertising industry in adopting AI," addressed issues such as sanctions, internet filtering, limited big data availability in Iran, the dollar-based pricing of AI services, and other relevant factors. The second core category, "Opportunities presented by AI for the Iranian advertising industry," focused on cost reduction, increased speed of ad production, and optimized human resources. The third core category, "Necessary actions for advertising companies to adopt AI," was the main topic of discussion. This research reveals a two-fold categorization of artificial intelligence (AI) utilization in Iranian advertising: individual and industrialized. Individual AI utilization involves advertising professionals independently learning and employing a limited set of AI tools to meet specific job requirements. This approach encounters various challenges, including the financial burden of purchasing accounts, big data complexities, language compatibility issues (particularly with Persian), and other obstacles. Industrialized AI utilization refers to the commercial development and integration of AI into advertising processes. This necessitates paid AI solutions, enabling the input of textual data for training AI models for advertising purposes. Industrialization can mitigate many challenges faced by individuals, as large advertising firms possess greater financial resources to acquire AI tools, circumvent sanctions and censorship, and justify the cost of multiple AI accounts due to diverse clientele. The industrialization of AI in advertising has seemingly created a novel business model unprecedented in scale. This new business segment may potentially surpass the entire pre-AI advertising industry. Given that the adoption of AI in Iranian advertising is still in its early stages, there is currently no systematic framework or widespread use. limited endeavors have been undertaken in "consumer insight discovery" utilizing AI. These efforts primarily involve serving tailored advertisements based on a few consumer queries or website dwell time. However, comprehensive consumer insight discovery necessitates the collection of big data and data mining. In other stages of the advertising process, AI utilization is either non-existent or rudimentary. Currently, Iran's advertising industry prioritizes AI for designing and producing advertising content. The most common application of AI in the Iranian advertising industry is in the design and production of advertising content. Consequently, there's a growing focus on prompt writing, aiming to optimize AI outputs through precise instructions. Not many applications were found for the sections 'media planning' and 'evaluation and feedback' in Iran. One reason cited for the underutilization of AI in these stages was the perception that they are part of the broader marketing process, distinct from advertising and that the Iranian advertising industry is more focused on content creation. Another limiting factor for AI adoption in these stages is the scarcity of domestic big data and challenges in accessing it. It's important to note that AI-generated advertising is still heavily reliant on human intervention, and the entire advertising production process is not fully automated. A major challenge in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) within Iran's advertising industry is the reductionist tendency to view AI as a mere 'tool' and its limited, personalized use. This perspective confines AI to a narrow range of applications, failing to recognize its potential to revolutionize industries. While AI has introduced a new paradigm into the global landscape, its portrayal as a content generation tool falls short of capturing its full potential in advertising. The industrialization of AI, enabling personalized content creation for each brand is of greater significance than simple content generation. The desire of advertising companies to grow and develop is a crucial factor in their willingness to embark on this new path. Understanding AI and leveraging the vast opportunities it presents has become an undeniable necessity for advertising professionals.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)