Home featured Emerging Tech Featured Marketing Emerging Tech Will technologies such as augmented reality and AI influence email marketing strategies? Tink Taylor February 16, 2017 Big data has transformed the way business interact with their customers. Marketers can now harness data from previously untapped platforms, such as personal social media profiles and online and offline purchasing habits. The Internet of Things (IoT) is opening doors for companies to glean intelligence that enables them to enhance their offering down to their customers’ most personal insights; for instance, smart home control systems can beam information about homeowners’ lifestyle patterns. As artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) also become developed for mainstream use, people’s interactions with their everyday devices will start to transform. The influx of these intelligent technologies will take predictive analytics to a whole new level and will no doubt impact companies’ marketing strategies. According to recent studies, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created on daily basis [i] . Consumers are constantly sharing insightful information with companies, but the challenge is how to best utilise this data and convert it into sales. In future, the better use of predictive analytics will translate into better customer insights and improved conversion rates. Yet, boundless possibilities and exciting tech trends can distract a company from their primary obligation: to be relevant and serve their customer’s need. Marketers must remember their purpose first and foremost is to serve the customer. As Peter Drucker famously stated “The purpose of a business