Below is the transcript of the above video, which was inspired by my LinkedIn Post.
Transcript
Marketing is quickly becoming the NHL in 2005 when the game changed forever. Just like the league was dealing with new rules and a faster pace, marketers are dealing with a massive game shift: The rise of generative AI.
Skate to where the puck is going, not to where it has been.
-Wayne Gretzky’s Father
Aside from this not being the greatest hockey quote, because you’d find yourself often out of position, this quote has been on my mind as chatGPT has been changing the marketing and business landscape. The NHL went through a lot of changes making the game faster and more offensive. This included removing the two-line pass, adding additional penalties, and expanding the offensive zones. The same could be said for marketing with the rise of generative AI, increasing the speed of workflows, content ideation, reporting, and more.
Though it’s important not to get distracted by AI as a shiny object. It’s important to know where the puck is, but also the ability to see what else is developing on the ice. As a defenseman, I would anticipate where an offenseman was going to receive the pass, and nothing like an open ice hit. However, I have to be aware of what else is developing on the ice because I could bring myself out of position creating an opening for the other team’s offense.
In the case of AI, so many people are skirmishing for the puck, how do you uncover the ultimate prompt? Eventually, prompts will be more intuitive and become the new floor. And then what? At least the AI gurus who are promising millions of dollars a month will be gone with it.
It’s crucial that we develop a strategy that allows us to be flexible as AI changes and ultimately as the game evolves with it. GMs are constantly having to make their bets accordingly, and those who didn’t adapt to the faster, more offensive pace of the game found themselves going into slumps. AI is this to the business landscape. The key is to anticipate how it plays out and adopt the best positioning both before and as it develops.
To amend the quote, skate not just to where the puck is going, but anticipate the most crucial point and be there first, before the puck and everyone else even thinks to be there. And at the very least, skate with your head up.
On a related note: learn how to use ChatGPT more subtly: How to Make Killer Articles That Do Not Scream ChatGPT’.