Perplexity on Ai for Marketing: Part 2
NightCafe generated image from prompt: “an ai marketing professional of undetermined gender.”
Where Perplexity and I try to get from the benefits of Ai for architecture to its value in architectural marketing…
Perplexity posed my next question for me (an unexpected Ai perk): what tasks can Ai assist architects with? So, I went with it to see if marketing and communication appeared on the list. [Spoiler Alert, it did not.]
I’ve edited Perplexity’s answers to get to the point (Ai can be wordy and formal without asking it not to be). Also note, Perplexity draws from too many sources with content generated to sell a company and/or its services. On Ai’s propensity for plagiarism, Perplexity is perhaps a step above, offering linked sources allow users to find and cite the original information.
To spare you well hashed-through industry information, here’s the “Ai can do” list for architects:
automating repetitive tasks
handling information processing
rapidly completing mundane and repetitive tasks
generating design options, visualizations, and technical information
suggesting optimal design solutions based on numerous factors
identifying patterns or correlations between various factors in materials research
enhancing building performance
reducing energy demand
ensuring sustained comfort for occupants
Ai cannot replace the complex human abilities involved in creativity, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, and is more likely to complement and enhance human creativity, rather than replace it.
Two deficits appear again: creativity, communication. Keys to successful marketing and storytelling…
When asked about Ai’s value in architectural firm marketing, the answers relied on processes in the studio rather than actual marketing activities. Here’s the summary:
Ai automation can increase efficiency; increased efficiency across the architectural design process means lower cost, which typically appeals to clients.
Automated, and thus faster and more bountiful, renderings and other forms of representation enhance the marketing of a firm’s work.
Analysis of building performance adds data and depth to marketing materials and client presentations.
One claim is at the heart of my quandary about Ai in architectural marketing:
Generating Content: AI can be used to create written descriptions, renderings, and other marketing materials, which can help architecture firms showcase their work and capabilities to potential clients.
Before exploring this further and provide some specifics in my next post, let’s look at what Ai can do for professional services marketing overall (according to Perplexity). All the sources let to articles-as-sales-intros, so I’ve left them out:
Generate content, curate personalized content for users, and assist in writing tasks. [Author note: Ai grammar and editing programs, such as Editor that comes with Microsoft Word, are valuable tools in for any writing assignment. I’m using it on these blog posts.]
Customer Engagement using Ai-powered chatbots and customer-facing bots... [this sounds horrible for architects!]
Data Analysis and Insights: predictive lead scoring, sentiment analysis, and market research, providing valuable insights for marketing strategies.
Ad Targeting and Optimization: enhance ad targeting, optimize ad content, and improve marketing campaign effectiveness.
Marketing Automation: create more effective workflows, lead nurturing strategies, and dynamic content personalization.
Data-driven decision making, such as identifying qualified leads, creating smarter nurturing strategies, and measuring marketing success.
Readers can decide if any of these tools are suitable for their marketing efforts and ask Perplexity themselves.
I’m still stuck on how Ai might aid in the most important aspect of marketing for architects, getting the stories of your work—the intention, the ideas, the experience, and so on—into a narrative that engages people in finding out about what you do, why you do it, why your practice differs from others doing the same work, and why it matters. Anyone who has seen me speak knows this is all summed up in one word: resonance.
In my next two posts, Perplexity and I will mine some specifics. My last post will be how Ai does writing my story.
If you are interested in creating great stories about architecture, architects, architectural practice, and your projects or if you’re planning to pursue Fellowship in the AIA College of Fellows, please check out my books at https://www.architectactionresult.com/shop or through your favorite e-bookseller.
