The world of marketing is a very different place from the one we inhabited just five short years ago.
The rate and pace of change has intensified tenfold and is being driven by the AI phenomenon, which has rocketed into almost every industry, fundamentally shifting how we as marketers function and forever changing the trajectory of the marketing landscape of the future.
From Google AI Search and using AI to develop hyper-targeted audience segments, to incorporating GenAI to help create compelling digital content for social media, online video and gaming, marketers need to be on top of their AI game to make sure they remain competitive.
This shift comes at a time when the next cohort of workers, Gen Z, are beginning to enter the workforce – and this puts these digital natives in an interesting predicament – an entrée into a workplace that is busy transforming into an entirely new sphere of business.
On the upside, this presents potential opportunities for this new generation of workers to do what they do best – adapt and thrive.
The AI workplace – a hub of opportunities and threats
Taking a look at AI integration in the general workplace, the advantages are fairly apparent. Improved efficiency of everyday tasks and communication, leading to better overall productivity is just the tip of the iceberg.
According to the 2024 State of Business Communication report by Grammarly, GenAI can save working professionals a full day per week in productivity, and 80% of people surveyed agree that it improves the quality of their work.
It would be wise not to overlook the potential concerns though. 70% of white-collar workers in South Africa have real concerns pertaining to AI automation, while 45% believe their jobs will become automated, and 36% are actively seeking other employment opportunities because of this. The fear is real.
Gen Z’s current relationship with AI
Let’s take a deeper dive into the relationship of this digitally native generation with AI.
It’s important to note that the large majority of Gen Zs entering the workforce already incorporate AI into their daily lives in many shapes and forms – and this encompasses their daily tasks, work and play.
According to the Salesforce top generative AI statistics for 2024, 70% of Gen Zs use generative AI in their everyday lives, and additional data from research conducted by a group of academics in the media and communication space, who teach in South African universities, highlights that 80.5% of students leveraged AI tools such as Grammarly and Quilbot, to help them write their assignments.
Their students also leverage AI tools to help them understand their assignments and to generate ideas.
Thus, Gen Zs who have an understanding of how AI works, are overwhelmingly positive about what these tools can do to make work and play easier and more fun.
How to reach Gen Z within the AI driven workforce
Let’s shift our focus back to AI in the workplace. South African Gen Zs are entering a workforce where 60% of workers are regular users of generative AI tools, with 21% integrating them into their daily work.
In fact, South Africa is one of the leading countries in AI adoption, ahead of ‘first-world’ countries such as France (41%), the United Kingdom (44%), and the United States (46%) – according to research conducted by the Oliver Wyman Forum.
AI is not the only workplace disruption that Gen Zs have to contend with. The increased use of data, analytics and marketing technologies is another disruption that 80% of marketers believe has had a positive impact and that we will continue to see more of according to a recent benchmark study by MMA Global.
So, we can see the predicament of recent Gen Z graduates entering the ‘new’ workforce. Not only do they need to overcome an experience gap, but also a skills and knowledge gap, created by these recent disruptions that require them to acquire specific skills.
And with AI having the potential to help solve the unemployment issue in South Africa, different organisations are creating opportunities for graduates where they can learn these new critical skills, paving the way to an AI focused career.
The good news is 85% of the South African workforce has expressed a desire for AI skills, with 78% claiming they are receiving training.
However, half of them find it inadequate, which is why organisations such as Microsoft and the Youth Employment Service (YES ) have partnered up to provide AI training for 300 000 young South Africans, with the intention of building the digital capability of the future workforce, which will in turn drive employability and economic growth.
To recap, we find ourselves in the middle of great disruption, that has created a need for new skills to be adopted by the workforce, and though there is a real desire for training, it seems it’s not happening fast enough.
And with the competitive landscape becoming fiercer, emerging technologies are going to play a critical role in unlocking new opportunities, but this potential cannot be unlocked if the workforce is not equipped.
The Gen Z marketer
From a marketing perspective graduate Gen Z marketers must become proficient in utilizing key AI tools that will help meet the demands of trying to engage and convert the next generation of consumers. These include tools that assist with content generation, audience segmentation, consumer service chatbots, programmatic advertising, search engine optimisation, and e-commerce.
All these tools are critical considering the reality that the Gen Z consumer especially expects a more personalised user experience, fast and reliable customer service, and the ability to find and shop for the products they want, when they want them.
So, this my takeout : Gen Z graduate marketers urgently need to upskill themselves to stay ahead of the AI curve in the workplace. They need to grab any and all training opportunities with both hands to ensure they are employable and competent within this brave new world.
Bridging the gap – The MMA Academy
The MMA team is acutely aware of the speed at which AI is changing the marketing industry and the skills gap it has already created – and that it is without question the new competitive battlefield.
MMA understands that marketers everywhere need to be at the forefront of the industry’s changes to ensure they stay up-to-date and understand how to reach the younger demographics. In response to this challenge, MMA Global recently launched a ground-breaking educational programme for professionals, the MMA AI Academy.
The Academy has its origins in Turkey, where the programme is up and running already, and has recently expanded into the Sub-Saharan Africa region, including South Africa. It gives members – be they undergrads, or members of the C-suite – access to virtual programmes and lessons to provide them with current intelligence which they need now.
“Marketers everywhere need to be on the front foot of the marketing industry to ensure they keep abreast of these wildly changing times, and especially to reach younger demographics,” Sarah Utermark, country director, MMA SA, emphasises.
Members and non-members can access and sign up for the various programmes, based on designation level, by attending the MMA SA IMPACT Forum 2024 @CMOSummit on 12 September by visiting https://www.mmaglobal.com/event/impact-south-africa-2024/agenda#day2. IMPACT delegates who sign up for the MMA academy will receive 40% off the applied AI training courses.
Also known as The Blck Sparrow, Anesu Malisa, Samsung Africa’s Gen Z marketing lead, and the former vice-chair of the MMA SA Youth Development Board, is a multi-hyphenate creative, who loves to express himself through music, TikTok comedy, scriptwriting, and more. With prior experience as a youth mentor, content creator and a tech start-up founder, this cultivated Malisa’s deep love and passion for technology, storytelling, connecting brands to Gen Z and, most importantly, raising the next generation of creative innovators.
