[Reading Record -29] Chosen by AI, Loved by Fans.
The speed of AI evolution is fast.
We have already reached a point where we rely on AI to make decisions. It is only in the last few years that I have felt we have entered such an era.
AI turns the past successes and failures of its users into data, and by incorporating similar data from many other people, it provides recommendations to help us make optimal decisions.
That is why, once we start using AI, we cannot let it go. This is because those recommendations significantly reduce wasted time and the cost of failure... in other words, it is convenient.
The author of this book, Naoyuki Sato, is a person who, after working at Dentsu for 25 years, has been active in the field of "Communication Design," which involves designing overall communication. He is currently the Chairman of Fanbase Company Inc.
This book, "Chosen by AI, Loved by Fans.," is his latest publication.
With the evolution and spread of AI, the world will soon be full of "the world's smartest consumers." Traditional advertising and promotions will no longer work on these smart consumers. Therefore, he argues in this book that the way we sell and our marketing must change from the ground up.
We must not view AI merely as a tool for efficiency, but as a force that fundamentally changes customer behavior and values. From a business perspective, what is important is not how our work will change due to AI or how to use AI, but how to change the "way we convey" things to customers whose decision-making processes are being transformed by AI.
The author explains that as we enter this AI era, companies and individuals must become entities chosen by AI, but at the same time, they need to continue to be loved by humans. To achieve this, it is necessary to develop both a "path to be chosen by AI" and a "path to be loved by fans," and only by complementing each other can a brand be chosen in the long term.
1. AI Route
To be understood and evaluated by AI, the design of information structure is essential. Because AI learns, organizes, and presents vast amounts of information to consumers, companies must present their own values and characteristics clearly and consistently so that AI can easily understand and compare them.
2. Fan Route
Even if AI takes on part of the purchasing decision, final decision-making and long-term relationships rely on trust and empathy. For this, it is important for both sides to build a deep relationship. If the result of building that relationship appears in the form of designated purchases, repeat purchases, and recommendations, it becomes an evaluation signal for AI, creating a synergistic effect between 1 and 2.
In other words, 1. AI Route handles technical aspects such as data design and information structuring, while 2. Fan Route handles human aspects such as human relationships and the depth of empathy. By designing and circulating both of these in parallel, marketing with a competitive advantage can be realized.
Marketing and branding in the coming era will not just be about standing out or getting a lot of reach, but about designing routes that can withstand two "criteria for being chosen": the AI evaluation process and the human empathy process.
This book describes the methodology for this in detail through three frameworks: "TRUST" and "SENSE" for the AI route, and "FANBASE" for the fan route.
However, as I wrote at the beginning, the speed of AI evolution is fast. No one knows how AI will evolve in a few years. If you are going to read this book, "now" is the time.