Top 5 Marketing Trend Words: January 2024

 

AI has been making headlines frequently lately. While it continues its rapid evolution and widespread adoption, concerns about its potential threats are also growing. Amidst this, attention is turning to trends like "RLHF" (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback), which improves generative AI outputs, and "MFA" (Malicious Financial Adware), websites designed to rapidly increase ad revenue through AI evolution, which are now problematic. Grasping these trend words and understanding the accelerating pace of technological change and its latest developments is crucial for considering new business strategies. This article picks up and introduces five trending words currently making waves.

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Making Generative AI More Practical: Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback ( RLHF )

 

While AI adoption rapidly expands and more advanced technologies/concepts like XAI (Explainable AI) and AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) gain traction, negative aspects like "hallucinations"—where AI generates unfounded information—are also highlighted. Amid this, "RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback)"—adopted by ChatGPT and drawing significant attention—emerges. This is one approach to improving the accuracy of AI model outputs, meaning "reinforcement learning from human feedback." By training the model using sets of human-provided prompts and their desired responses, it reflects human preferences and value standards. This improves AI responses to be safer and more ethically considerate. Let's understand these key terms and catch up on the latest information about the ever-evolving field of AI.

Related RLHF articles covered in Dentsu-ho

• The Hot Topics "GPT-4" and "ChatGPT": What Future Scenarios Will AI Create for Marketing? (Part 1)

• Can AI Protect Employee Health? Understanding Remote Workers' Emotional Changes with Facial Expression Analysis AI. How "INNER FACE™" Will Change How People and Business Interact (Part 1)

• Data-Driven Vision: What Are AI and Machine Learning Solutions Based on Data Strategy? (Part 1)

 

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Surge Driven by AI Evolution: " MFA " Shakes the Reliability of Web Advertising

 

The world of the web has long grappled with significant issues like ad fraud, where fraudulent activities unfairly generate ad revenue. Recently, a new concern has sparked heated debate, particularly in the US: "MFA (Made For Advertising)". This term collectively refers to websites created solely to generate ad revenue, delivering content of little value to users. The ease of creating websites using generative AI is further fueling the problem. These sites employ tactics like autoplay videos and clickbait headlines/thumbnails to lure clicks and extract maximum ad spending. They are a nuisance to users due to their low-quality content and a headache for advertisers, wasting ad budgets. Their sophisticated design makes them hard to detect automatically, and their sheer volume makes manual removal impractical, making resolution far from straightforward. From a marketing perspective, it seems necessary to closely monitor these trends and explore countermeasures.

Articles related to MFA covered in Dentsu-ho can be found here

• "How Generative AI Will Transform Marketing and Communication" from the AI Business Frontlines (Part 1)

• The Next Move for Corporate Social Media Utilization: The Role of the "Social Connect Group" Linking Paid and Owned Media (Part 1)

• Is Creativity Limitless with AI? The Future of Creativity Born from "AI" × "Human Ideas" (Part 1)

 

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Effective for Inbound Tourism Too? " Nano-Influencers " Driving Action in Niche Markets

 

When you hear "influencer," you might picture celebrities with tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of followers. In contrast, the "nano-influencers" we're introducing here refer to influencers with around 1,000 to 10,000 followers. Compared to "macro-influencers" with massive followings, they have relatively fewer followers. This makes them closer to their users, easier to build communities around, and particularly strong in niche topics. They also boast high engagement rates and are considered effective for marketing strategies targeting markets where driving actions like purchases is challenging. For example, recent initiatives aim to revitalize regions by attracting tourists, often employing local nano-influencers. As a marketing strategy to bridge awareness to action, why not consider leveraging nano-influencers?

Articles related to nano-influencers covered by Dentsu-ho can be found here

• Grouping SNS Users by Interests and Lifestyles: The Cutting Edge of SNS Data Utilization Seen in "Tribe Driven Marketing" (Part 1)

• Planning unique Gen Z purchasing experiences. The future envisioned by the "Youth Consumption Lab" (Part 1)

 

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Could " Under-Tourism " Be the Solution to "Overtourism"?

 

As inbound tourism increases, "overtourism" has become a problem. "Undertourism" is seen as a potential solution. It refers to tourism that avoids crowds by visiting lesser-known local areas with few tourists or targeting less crowded times like early mornings or weekdays. Benefits include reducing congestion, easing the burden on local residents, and discovering new attractions in the area. Overseas, examples include Oslo, Norway's capital, promoting the ability to enjoy museums and restaurants without crowds. Medellín, Colombia, once known as a "dangerous city," is also pursuing revitalization through "under-tourism." In Japan, its effectiveness is beginning to gain traction. In Kyoto, where overtourism is severe, efforts like promoting hidden gems are encouraging tourist dispersion. Numerous examples exist, such as Saku Island in Aichi Prefecture promoting itself as an "island of healing and art" to offer new experiential value. These seem to hold hints for the future of the tourism business.

Articles related to Undertourism covered by Dentsu-ho can be found here

• What is "Team-Building Tourism," which has created new possibilities for regional revitalization? Tourism initiatives that foster internal communication within communities (Part 1)

• Considering B2C Growth Strategies Evolving with DI, Using the Pandemic-Hit "Railway Industry" as an Example (Part 1)

• Turning Micro-Tourism New Customers into Repeat Visitors: LTV Enhancement Strategies Applicable Across Industries

 

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The Next Move for Regional Revitalization: The Potential of " Digital Regional Currency/Regional Pay "

 

As part of regional revitalization efforts, more municipalities are issuing "digital regional currencies," commonly known as "Regional Pay." While paper-based regional currencies were popular in the early 2000s, they are expanding again alongside technological advancements. This expansion is driven by new advantages: cost reduction through digital operation, visualization of holding and usage data, and the ability to leverage this data for marketing. In recent years, initiatives like offering regional currency as a return gift for hometown tax donations have emerged to attract visitors from outside the area. From the user's perspective, benefits include point accrual and integration within apps, as well as the satisfaction of contributing to the local economy. While challenges exist, such as implementation costs and competition from other cashless payment methods, successful cases involving issuances ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of yen have emerged. Why not start by experiencing it as a user and then consider leveraging it as the next move for businesses aiming to revitalize regional economies?