In the past, technology has always evolved to meet the needs and improve the lives of people and businesses. As the Internet began to become more popular among consumers, Wi-Fi was invented to give people more flexibility and freedom while staying online. Today, in light of national reckonings around discrimination and injustice, brands have started to prioritize creating inclusive and relatable content for all people. Once again, technology is now rising to meet their needs and help business achieve these goals.

Through machine learning, augmented intelligence and other emerging technology, businesses can create content that feels more personal to a wide variety of audiences. These strategies aren’t limited to the biggest brands in the world, either. Find out how your business can use technology to be more inclusive, accessible, and relatable to your audience.

Break Down Language Barriers

Thanks to the Internet, our world is more interconnected than ever. Now, consumers aren’t limited to purchasing only from the companies based in their own town or even country. For businesses hoping to reach consumers on a global scale, differences in language can become a major barrier to communication and conversion. After all, it’s hard for your message to impact someone if it’s not displayed in the language they speak. Thanks to augmented and artificial intelligence, though, this issue is becoming easier to overcome – even for video content.

We see an especially effective example of this in a recent campaign featuring David Beckham. The British soccer star appeared in an ad for the nonprofit Malaria No More to help spread awareness about malaria. Beckham is a globally recognized superstar, making him a perfect spokesperson for the nonprofit, but the areas affected most by malaria don’t typically speak Beckham’s native English. Using AI, the organization was able to create different versions of the video, translating Beckham’s audio into nine different languages. This technology significantly increased the reach of this important message and made the content more accessible to key audiences without a great deal of extra effort.

If your brand doesn’t have the ability to translate audio with AI, you can still use other tools to break down language barriers. Fiverr is a popular online marketplace that allows you to hire native voiceover actors that can give you the range of languages you need. As an even simpler option, you could use a speech-to-text program to add translated captions to different versions of your video.

Reflect Your Diverse Customer Base

A more interconnected world also leads to a more diverse customer base. People of all different body sizes, heights, skin tones and physical abilities may be exposed to your brand online, and it’s important to make all these groups feel like your company sees and understands them. More than 62 percent of US adults report that diversity in a brand’s advertising impact the way they perceive the brand’s products and services, according to a 2019 Adobe survey.

While promoting diversity and inclusion is important for companies in any industry, retail brands can be especially innovative with representation due to the nature of their products. As online shopping has become so popular, retailers could consider using AI to create virtual models that represent a wide range of body types, skin tones and disabilities. Displaying products on a diverse group of models makes inclusivity highly visible for customers and may make it easier for all consumers to visualize themselves wearing the item. It’s not enough to include a few diverse photos on your homepage banners – to truly show your audience you understand them, online retailers should include minority representation in many of their product images. Brands with access to more advanced technology can even take this one step further and allow customers to customize the model’s appearance to reflect their own image.

Speak to Timely Events & Interests

Consumers are naturally drawn to brands that feel approachable and seem to understand their day-to-day lives. From newsjacking tweets to ad campaigns timed for big television events, brands have been trying to tie themselves into their audience’s interests for years. Now, thanks to advanced technology and clever editing, businesses can insert themselves into existing video footage to make their brand even more relatable to potential customers.

Last year, “The Last Dance” documentary that followed Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during the 1990s captured sports fans’ attention across the US. During one episode of the series, State Farm aired a digitally altered version of a 90s-era Sportscenter broadcast, featuring a few creative twists to bring the footage into present day. By subtly injecting a brand message into a relevant piece of content, State Farm was able to entertain and delight their audience. Examples like this showcase creative ways to edit existing video content into timely content. As long as you have permission to alter the footage, and you present it in a way that makes it clear it’s not “real” news, using this technology can be a huge marketing asset.

While this content can be incredibly engaging and effective, brands should be wary of taking technology’s capabilities too far. Some Internet users have used AI and machine learning to create artificial videos that trick viewers into believing they’re actually depicting reality. These kinds of videos are called “deepfakes,” and they’re being shared at increasing rates online. The content is often hyper-realistic and may be used to damage someone’s public image or spread misinformation. If your brand intentionally or unintentionally uses the technology to confuse or deceive, it may make audiences much more distrustful of your company. Be sure to use these tools responsibly, and when in doubt, add a disclaimer about your use of AI, machine learning or deepfake technology.