Artificial Intelligence as a Strategic Accelerator: Rethinking Resource Allocation in Marketing
Article Key Points
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long since ceased to be a concept relegated to science fiction and has become a tangible reality that increasingly permeates more aspects of business.
Among the most impacted industries, digital marketing is undergoing a radical transformation. The advent of AI-based tools is not only changing strategies and day-to-day operations, but also requiring a profound rethink on how marketing budgets are allocated. For entrepreneurs, understanding this evolution is essential to remain competitive and maximize return on investment.
To shed light on this rapidly evolving scenario and provide concrete insights to entrepreneurs, we consulted Roberto Serra, founder of'homonymous SEO agency and strategic consultant in digital marketing, known for his pragmatic and data-driven approach. According to Serra, AI is not simply a new tool, but a real paradigm shift that requires a strategic vision in resource allocation.
Optimization and efficiency: AI that frees up strategic resources
One of the most immediate impacts of AI on marketing is its ability to automate repetitive tasks and streamline complex processes. From managing advertising campaigns (such as automatic bidding From platforms like Google Ads) to analyzing large volumes of data to segment audiences, to generating content drafts or managing chatbots for first-level customer service, AI promises a significant increase in efficiency.
“Many entrepreneurs see AI primarily as a way to cut costs, perhaps by reducing the staff dedicated to routine activities,” observes Roberto Serra. “However, this is a limited vision. The real value lies in redirecting the resources – both economic and human – freed up by automation towards higher value-added activities: strategy, creativity, in-depth analysis of data generated by AI itself, ethical and qualitative supervision of automated processes.” The expert emphasizes that adopting AI often does not mean spending less overall, but spending better, focusing investments where human intelligence is irreplaceable. For example, a budget previously allocated to hours of manual work for report analysis can now be invested in purchasing more sophisticated AI platforms or training the team to interpret more complex insights. Statistics show significant growth in the AI market in Italy, indicating that companies are investing in these technologies, even if adoption in SMEs is still in its early stages compared to the European average or large companies.
New frontiers, new investments: personalization at scale and predictive analytics. In addition to optimizing existing ones, AI opens up completely new frontiers for marketing, which require specific investments. The ability to analyze behavioral data in real time allows levels of personalization of the user experience that were unthinkable until a few years ago, creating communications and offers tailored to individuals, at scale. This, according to Serra, is an area where investing in AI can generate a significant ROI, improving engagement and conversion rates.
“AI is not just about doing things better that we already do, it’s about doing completely new things,” Serra explains. “Think about predictive analytics: using AI to anticipate market trends or consumer behavior, identify potential customers at risk of abandonment (churn prediction), or estimate the future value of a customer (Customer Lifetime Value). These capabilities require investments not only in software tools, but also in the quality and structuring of data – the real fuel of AI – and in the skills needed to interpret and act on these predictions.” Serra warns that investing in AI tools without a solid foundation of quality data and a clear implementation strategy risks being a waste of budget. Data indicates that a significant share of AI investments in Italy is focused precisely on data analysis and extraction of value, confirming this trend.
In short, the impact of Artificial Intelligence on marketing budgets does not necessarily translate into a contraction, but rather into a profound strategic reallocation.
As highlighted by Roberto Serra, the efficiency generated by automation should free up resources for targeted investments in high value-added areas such as strategy, creativity, advanced personalization and predictive analytics.
For entrepreneurs, the challenge is not just to adopt the technology, but to intelligently integrate it into their marketing strategy, supported by solid data and adequate skills, to transform AI from a simple cost item to a real driver of competitive growth.
Article published on 9 April 2025 - 14:29
