Oracle uses AI to automate parts of digital marketing

Oracle Corp  announced on Monday a new system that it says will use artificial intelligence to automate key parts of digital marketing campaigns.

Once primarily known for its database software, Oracle is competing against firms like Adobe Inc  and Salesforce.com Inc  to sell cloud-based software used for marketing business-to-business products that typically cost thousands of dollars or more.

Unlike marketing campaigns aimed at consumers where the goal might be to raise brand awareness, the goal of those business-to-business campaigns is to produce what marketers call a “qualified lead” - that is, a person whom a salesperson can call to start a conversation that eventually turns into a sale. Low quality leads cost money because they waste salespeople’s time.

Oracle’s Fusion Marketing system, as the product announced Monday is called, uses artificial intelligence to automatically assemble marketing campaigns and determine whether the people who interact with emails or advertisements might eventually buy a product.