Bonfire and Google team up to showcase AI’s transformative impact on marketing

In early June, performance marketing agency Bonfire hosted AI in Action, an event in collaboration with Google that drew over 200 of Perth’s top marketers for a detailed Bonfire hosted AI in Action, an event in exploration of AI’s future role in marketing.

The event opened with a keynote presentation by Arshad Mirza, Head of Partners & Agencies AUNZ from Google, who travelled from Sydney to share Google’s innovative AI strategies set for 2024. Emphasising that AI is here to stay, Mirza remarked, “AI is not going to do marketing for us. It’s an enabler. You are in the driver’s seat, creating real value for your customers.” He stressed that while AI will enhance marketers’ abilities, it will not replace the human element that is essential for understanding audiences and creating impactful campaigns.

Mirza also introduced Google’s AI Business Maturity Pillars, a strategic framework designed to help brands assess their readiness to incorporate AI effectively. The pillars focus on critical areas such as willingness to change, desired outcomes, necessary skills, and existing technological infrastructure. “Look at these pillars and ask yourself these critical questions before you dive head-first into AI,” Mirza advised during the Q&A session.

Following Mirza’s presentation, Bonfire’s Matthew Elshaw took the stage to dive into Google’s highly anticipated Search Generative Experience (SGE), now known as AI Overviews. This feature is set to revolutionise search marketing by delivering AI- generated content summaries directly in search results, potentially changing user behaviour and how marketers measure search marketing success.

Elshaw explained: “Understanding and preparing for AI Overviews is critical. It’s about evolving our strategies to engage users within the AI-generated results, not just driving website traffic.”

Elshaw then showcased how the new AI Overviews feature integrates content from multiple sources to present a cohesive response, using structured data and content to determine what information to highlight.

“The number one thing you can do is start reading and learning about SGE (AI Overviews), how it works, and get a bit more of an understanding,” Elshaw highlighted, underlining the importance of gaining familiarity with these new tools.

Those who missed the event can learn more about how AI will affect the future of marketing in Bonfire’s recap post.