Start small, think big: Building your first AI marketing experiment

Start small, think big: Building your first AI marketing experiment

Something curious is happening in marketing. While 93% of us have AI tools, only 14% use them daily. This gap is even more striking in gaming and betting, where we must balance innovation with compliance. 

I’ve spent the last year studying how marketing teams tackle this challenge. Working with over 250 marketing leaders showed me something important: success with AI isn’t about having the fanciest tools. It’s about taking smart, measured steps forward.  

That’s why we created the AI Compass, working with over 250 marketing leaders to create a practical framework. Think of it as your map for using AI effectively. It looks at six key areas: 

1. The plan you’re following 
2. Your team’s capabilities  
3. Whether your systems are ready 
4. How well AI fits your daily work 
5. How you handle AI responsibly 
6. The results you’re getting 

The teams making the most progress aren’t trying to change everything at once. Instead, they run small experiments that build confidence while staying compliant. Let me show you how they do it. 

A simple way to start 

The most successful teams we’ve studied start with a simple three-part framework: 

1. Choose a routine task: Pick something your team does regularly that takes significant time but isn’t business critical. Content creation is often a good starting point – our research shows 91% of marketers begin here. 
   Measure your existing performance:
2. Before making any changes, document exactly how long the task takes and what results it delivers. This becomes your baseline for comparison. 
3. Test on a small scale: Run your AI-enhanced process alongside your regular approach for a set period – typically two weeks to a month. 

A simple example to get started 

Pick something your team does often that takes too much time but isn’t mission critical. This is why most teams start with content – it’s quick to test and easy to control. 

Here’s a real example from a gaming client. Their social media posts used to take an hour each day to write. They tried using AI for draft posts, keeping their usual process for comparison. After two weeks, they had clear evidence of what worked (and what needed more thought). 

But here’s what really matters: they learned about AI by using it. As one marketing director told us: “Our productivity has increased, but our ability to generate creative ideas has decreased.” This kind of insight only comes through practical experience. 

Getting your bearings: The AI Compass 

Every journey needs a good map. That’s why we developed the AI Compass. Based on our research with over 250 marketing leaders. It’s a clear way to see where you are with AI and figure out your next move. 

Think of it as your guide for your AI journey. The AI Compass looks at six key areas: 

1. First, there’s your plan – what you want AI to help you achieve 
2. Then we look at your team’s skills  
3. Whether your systems can handle AI 
4. We check how well AI fits into your daily work 
5. If you’re using it responsibly, and…
6. Whether it’s delivering results

Let me show you how this works in practice. Remember that social media experiment I mentioned? While the team was testing AI for writing posts, they were building strength in all six areas. They learned which tasks suited AI best, their confidence grew, and they discovered which tools they needed. They found smart ways to blend AI into their work, set clear rules for using it safely, and gathered solid proof of what was working. 

That’s the beauty of starting small – you’re learning about all aspects of AI while focusing on one simple task. It’s like learning to drive. You don’t start on the motorway. You start on quiet roads and each lesson builds your overall skill and confidence. 

Ready for bigger things? 

Once you’ve had success with small tests, you might want to try something more ambitious. Let me share a simple framework that helps you scale up while staying in control. 

Start with these four essentials: 

1. Define your experiment 

• Give it a name everyone understands 
• State exactly what you want to improve 
• Example: “Using AI to personalise email campaigns for different player segments”

2. Measure your starting point

• Document your performance metrics 
• Note time and resources needed 
• Record existing compliance checks 
• Example: “Currently spending four hours per week segmenting players manually”

3. Choose your AI approach

• Define what good looks like 
• Include both efficiency and effectiveness 
• Consider compliance accuracy 
• Example: “20% better engagement while maintaining current compliance standards” 

4. Set Clear Success Metrics

• Specify which AI tool you’ll use 
• Detail how it fits into your workflow 
• Identify who needs to be involved 
• Example: “Use ChatGPT to analyse player behaviour and suggest segments” 

Learning as you go 

Keep notes on what happens. How are the numbers looking? What does your team think? What surprises have you found? What ideas come up for future tests? 

Remember, your first big experiment won’t be perfect – and that’s fine. Each test teaches you something valuable. One gaming client told me their first larger test revealed gaps in their data they didn’t know they had. That insight alone made the experiment worthwhile. 

Ready to take your first step? Get a personalised roadmap 

You’ve seen how starting small with AI can work. Now it’s time to find your best starting point. That’s where our AI Compass assessment comes in. 

Take five minutes to check where you stand with AI today. You’ll get: 

• A clear view of what’s working
• What needs attention, and
• Exactly where to focus first.

Plus, practical steps to move forward. 

Try it for free! 

The assessment is completely free. It could save you months of trial and error. 

Take it now: https://www.receptional.com/ebooks/ai-compass/ 

What happens next? 

You’ll get a personalised report showing exactly where to begin.  

Remember: The teams getting the most from AI aren’t the ones investing the most – they’re the ones who know where they’re going. 

Ready to get started? I’m here to help. 

I’m Justin Deaville, Receptional’s Managing Director. Connect with me on LinkedIn where I regularly share practical insights about AI in gaming marketing.