Creative has a dramatic impact on advertising success, and yet few advertisers give it the credit it deserves. A study by Nielsen & NCSolutions found that creative is the number one driver for sales impact. In fact, creative offers more than double the sales impact of any other advertising element. 

Knowing how effective creative is, the question then becomes how do we make the most of it? How do you design advertising spots to ensure that you’re using the right script, Audio, character elements? 

Marketers and advertisers are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to help them develop creative and test what resonates. Explore how brands are using AI to set up campaigns for success.

AI adoption is no longer a nice-to-have but a need-to-have in order to improve productivity and stay ahead of competition. Nearly all executives (99%) plan to invest more in AI in 2025¹.

AI saves advertisers time, allowing them to more effectively engage consumers when, where, and how they want to be reached, so it’s no surprise that 3 in 4 marketers are using AI for content creation². Marketers started by using AI as a test lab, creating multiple versions of copy for script tests, or dozens of Audio spots for enhanced audience targeting. While AI handled time-consuming tasks, humans still powered strategy, creativity, and oversight, ensuring the final result is more innovative and effective. Here are some of the most popular early uses cases for AI.

Scriptwriting: Generative AI is one of the most frequently used forms of AI by advertisers. The barrier to entry is low and allows advertisers to experiment with AI capabilities. Advertisers have found AI so valuable for their creative process—a study by AdExchanger shows that 75% of advertisers are already leveraging AI for scriptwriting. 

Synthetic Voice: Voice is jumping into the AI revolution too. AIVO (AI voice over) solutions are being piloted on a number of fronts. But let’s be clear — nothing can replace the magic of a real live host connecting with an audience. So the exciting experimentation is happening with language translation, automated spec spots for creative testing, and smooth navigation between playlists and content selections.

Testing and Selecting the Best Versions: Developing multiple spot variations is typically time-consuming, but with AI dozens of Audio spots could be created for enhanced audience targeting. Additionally, automated pre-testing helps marketers select the best ads and more accurately predict success.

Audience Targeting: AI can also support advanced targeting and personalization. Predictive AI, for example, analyzes vast quantities of data to review purchase patterns, engagement history, and ultimately, forecast whether or not a consumer will convert. Using real-time data, brands could create hyper-dynamic campaigns that personalize audience segments and creative inputs.

When Audio ads are personalized, listeners are much more receptive. With AI, advertisers can amplify that personalization and customization. Claritas, Audacy’s premier measurement partner, is building a predictive system with AI to select ad creative elements that are most relevant for key audiences. 

By analyzing conversion data from past campaigns, Claritas’ AI tool serves up spots with the highest conversion probability. These customized ad segments drive up to 2X the conversion rates. 

For example, if a millennial mom hears a spot for an exercise bike and makes a purchase, the system will suggest the same spot for a look-alike audience. While men may hear a similar narrative, adjustments would be made to the music, offer, or voiceover to appeal more to their demographic. 

The tool could suggest types of music, female or male voices, or targets based on location, and it will make adjustments in real time.

With data from hundreds of campaigns, Claritas can build audience segments that outperform general listeners by vertical, helping brands engage with the right groups of listeners at the right time. 

While AI is an incredibly effective tool at increasing efficiency and reducing manual tasks, developing engaging campaigns is not an AI-only endeavor. Human connection will be more important than ever, and responsible AI with a human approach will be key to an authentic brand identity.