Iowa Businesses Advance AI for Research

A little over a year ago, a group of 11 employees from various disciplines at Meyocks, a local marketing agency, started to meet regularly. They discussed topics such as using artificial intelligence for market research, integrating Excel data into ChatGPT, and employing AI to simulate their client's target demographics. This group was named the “AI outlaws,” according to Beth Ann Boyd, Meyocks’ vice president of digital delivery. The primary goal of the group has been to ensure Meyocks employees feel more comfortable using AI, Boyd stated.

Boyd believes there is a learning curve and a comfort curve. She said that because AI is so new, there is no instruction manual and learning comes from experimentation. Marketing and advertising firms throughout Central Iowa are increasing their AI trials, navigating ethical considerations, and adapting to organizational changes. The applications range from enhancing images with AI and accelerating video rendering with voiceovers to automating routine tasks, such as composing emails and conducting performance reviews.

Chris Snider, a professor at Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication, notes that these tools excel at generating social media content and analyzing trends. He suggests that marketing professionals who aren't implementing these tools risk falling behind.

Meyocks' AI Tool: Sam

Meyocks has developed a new AI technology called Sam, short for Simulated Audience Mindset, to help agricultural markets evaluate and improve their messaging by replicating farmer perspectives. The technology uses public domain data, proprietary information, and client-specific data of target audience segments, the company reported. Boyd is particularly proud of Sam, which is designed to function as “an expert in the room” and simulate how a target audience might perceive and respond to messages and visuals.

AI Enhances Innovation

Joe Winn, vice president of brand strategy at Lessing-Flynn, mentioned that his team is focused on mastering AI for research. They have historically relied on surveys, research reports, trade shows and conferences. While they still use these methods, their strategists now have immediate access to AI tools to stay informed about new trends. Research is readily available, and asking the correct questions can unlock a wealth of information, Winn said.

He clarified that they are not using it to bypass paying for gated content. Instead, they are gaining access to a wealth of information through these research tools. Lessing-Flynn is also exploring agentic models. According to IBM, AI agents are machine learning models that mimic human decision-making to solve problems in real time. Winn explained that because their clients have different sales journeys and funnels, many of which occur online, AI agents can assist by handling tasks such as managing financial and personal data, contacting relevant parties, booking travel, and offering recommendations.

Lessing-Flynn team members are developing content to aid AI agents in understanding and navigating their clients’ sales processes, positioning the company for a future where consumers rely more on AI agents for informed decisions.

Principal Financial Group's Approach

At Principal Financial Group, leaders are exploring how AI can enhance quality while maintaining human oversight, according to Beth Wood, executive vice president and chief marketing officer. They aim to reduce costs, increase speed, streamline workflows, and create more scalable opportunities through AI. Principal is transforming its entire workflow using AI and is also developing AI agents similar to Lessing-Flynn.

For instance, a content marketing team can map out the content creation process and then build an AI agent to streamline that process, reducing content creation time from days to hours. Principal is embedding AI agent capabilities into platforms like ServiceNow, Salesforce, and call-center automation. Internal custom AI agents are in early stages of development and deployment. Additionally, Principal has created the Principal AI Generative Experience, a secure environment for using proprietary strategies and data to generate AI outputs for decision-making, similar to using ChatGPT but within a secure environment.

Wood believes that AI has the potential to transform marketing content development. Instead of marketers gathering insights, synthesizing headlines, and writing content, AI can synthesize research and insights, combining internal and external research to produce a brief using a pre-existing template. The AI tool can then write articles, podcast outlines, or webinar slides. This allows marketers to focus on higher-level strategies, such as understanding customer needs, rather than execution. Wood said that this has reduced their content development timeline from weeks to hours.

Training and Ethics

Marketing leaders emphasize the importance of human involvement when using AI tools. Despite Meyocks’ tool simulating audience opinions, the agency still advises clients to maintain first-party research methods, such as surveys and focus groups, Boyd noted. Flynn Wright President Paul Schlueteris values “human-centered creativity” when discussing the impact of AI in marketing. Flynn Wright team members use AI tools like ChatGPT as a reference.

Schlueteris said that while AI can be a useful research tool, relying solely on it for content creation could lead to homogenization. Their goal is to differentiate their clients in competitive industries through human-centered creativity. As AI becomes more prevalent, marketing firms are increasing training on these tools. Many agencies have groups like Meyocks’ AI outlaws to lead the learning process. Principal CEO Deanna Strable is committed to educating all 20,000 employees on AI, with training sessions on developing prompts, leveraging AI in daily work, and using AI for innovation and customer experience, Wood said.

Wood also noted that employees are experimenting with AI and that Principal shares examples of successful AI outcomes during town hall meetings. The ethical considerations of AI, such as copyrights, energy usage, and source material, are also prompting internal discussions. Wood stated that humans always review AI outputs to ensure accuracy and validity, emphasizing that “AI is the copilot, not the autopilot.”

Winn expressed concern about the amount of water Microsoft data centers in West Des Moines use for cooling. He said that society needs to think about how we use these tools. Leaders are encouraging team members to be efficient with AI tools to minimize environmental impact. Lisa Rossi is a staff writer at Business Record. She covers innovation and entrepreneurship, insurance, health care, and Iowa Stops Hunger.