Unlocking AI's full potential depends on using the right prompts: Vikram Sakhuja

Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO of Madison Media and OOH says “Generative AI is the one that has actually fired up our imaginations.” while talking about how AI will transform marketing methods. He was speaking at the Pitch Madison Advertising Report (PMAR) launch event in Mumbai.

He emphasised that while the core principles of marketing remain unchanged, the methods will evolve. "The job of marketing is to get more consumers to buy more of a brand, more of them at a higher price. No other reason. It takes into account penetration and the ability to charge a premium. Now, if you look at media, there could be plenty of definitions, but essentially, it is about putting a set of stimuli in front of the right consumers in order to elicit a response."

Vikram elaborated that this encompasses all aspects of advertising—reach, frequency, share of voice, media mix, content marketing, performance marketing, and e-commerce. "All of this is a stimulus in front of the consumer. The response is what matters. This is inviolate. This is going to always be there.

Discussing AI's functionality, he explained that AI leverages vast amounts of data to identify patterns and matches. While AI lacks true intelligence, it reasons by recognising patterns and making connections. Its decision-making process is not strictly algorithmic or deterministic, allowing it to adapt and learn. "From a marketing standpoint, we have to do two things: find the right signals to send out and determine the final outcome we need."

Sharing his observations on AI’s performance, Vikram said, "I think it does a damn fine job of everything at the bottom and middle of the funnel. But at the top of the funnel, while it can provide an awareness model, is that truly earth-shaking? No, it's weak, a little tentative. So, I think AI at the top of the funnel is still lacking. However, anything behavioural is currently doing pretty well."

Addressing how marketing methods will change due to AI, Vikram stated, "You will not start with TG markets; you will start with outcomes." He noted that this approach is already working well at the mid and bottom funnel but is not yet effective enough at the top. He further highlighted the importance of identifying the right signals to model, emphasising the search for a lead indicator that can drive great outcomes. "Targeting is probably the most powerful way AI is going to change the way we market."

He explained that marketers today have the option to target multiple TGs or not use traditional TGs at all. "From one TG, we now have many cohorts, or we can opt for broad targeting—send a message out there, get the signal, feed it into AI, and let the engine take care of itself. Both these options are available, and that's a huge shift from what we used to do earlier."

Speaking about changing marketing methods, he pointed out that creative development is where AI is significantly reducing human control. "The one thing that will not change is the creative insight and the creative idea. But after that—whether it’s making the commercial, the language, the visualisation, the copy—production costs will crash. This will be partly offset by the increased number of creative units, but this is one big disruption that is coming."

He also noted that AI is enabling content creators with more freedom. Additionally, AI influencers and Agentic Marketing are becoming integral parts of creative development.

In conclusion, Vikram emphasised that unlocking AI's full potential depends on using the right prompts. "If you can identify the one signal that could unlock value and link it to the right outcome—iterating and refining to get results—that is where you’ll find the pot of gold at the end."

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