CSP E12 - Michael Bernstein - AI is Revolutionizing Strategic Partnership

In this illuminating discussion, Michael Bernstein from the Atlanta Journal Constitution reveals practical applications of AI in strategic partnership development. Drawing from his experience at AJC, Bernstein explores how artificial intelligence enhances market analysis, streamlines partnership communications, and drives innovative engagement strategies. The conversation provides actionable insights into leveraging AI for partnership growth while maintaining a human-centric approach to relationship building.

Detailed Analysis

The discussion delves deep into the practical implementation of AI across various partnership development stages. Bernstein outlines several key applications, starting with market analysis and data analytics for identifying potential partnerships and understanding market shifts. He emphasizes AI's role in strategic planning, particularly in modeling expansion strategies and evaluating program feasibility.

A compelling example shared involves AJC's partnership with Mercer University, where AI helped craft targeted marketing strategies to boost student engagement. The initiative resulted in innovative approaches, including an iPad giveaway campaign and strategic placement of ads in student newspapers, demonstrating AI's ability to enhance traditional partnership programs.

The conversation also explores AI's utility in streamlining day-to-day operations, from automating communication processes to analyzing partnership performance metrics. Bernstein's practical approach focuses on using AI to "make life easier" rather than replacing human judgment, particularly in areas like presentation development and partnership model creation.

One notable insight reveals how AI assisted in identifying new partnership channels, such as the HR channel for corporate-wide subscription programs. This led to a successful engagement with the Society of HR Management's Atlanta chapter, accessing over 8,000 HR executives.

The discussion concludes with practical examples of AI-driven research for identifying potential partners, including real estate firms for subscription bundling programs, showcasing how AI can open new avenues for partnership growth and customer engagement.

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Transcript

Roman Trebon: 0:10

Welcome back to the Customer Success Playbook podcast. I'm Roman Reaugh, and this is our Friday episode where we discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on this week's topic, we're here again with my, I'm here again with my co-host, Kevin Metzker, and our guest Michael Bernstein from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Michael was on Monday to share his number one tip. He came back on Wednesday and joined, uh, joined us to share his one big tip about partner driving partnership success. If you have not listened to those episodes, go back and listen to them. You can make sure you subscribe so that when a new issue is released, you get a notification that just pops right up on your phone. Hey, new episodes released. So make sure you go back and check those out. Cab, your favorite episode of the week. You ready for this?

Kevin Metzger: 0:53

Yeah. Love talking AI and I'm super excited. So all week we've been talking about Michael, about strategic partnerships and how, how they can enhance customer success. Today, we're looking at how AI can take those partnerships and strategies to the next level. Michael, where do you think AI into their partnership development programs?

Michael Bernstein: 1:16

Well, I think, uh, and I, I alluded to this, uh, on the previous podcast, but I think, you know, the first step is utilizing AI to do market analysis and data analytics on the audience you want to reach any competitor partnership movements in this case, in a market shifts, that's really the first place to start. And then you start using. Maybe integrate in some of the development plans, the strategic planning of it, use the AI tools to see how expansion strategies would play out and evaluate feasibility of, of doing these types of programs. This management is another area which AI can model out so that, uh, the program fits the needs of the company. And also in the day to day, I think AI is, is. Critical and helping helping hunt out there as far as communicating with new areas of opportunity contacts there and helping streamline the contract process that makes it even more seamless for getting programs into the marketplace and then afterwards the ability to. Help manage and nurture these partnership relationships going forward, whether it's by, you know, taking a look at communication patterns or preferences and performance data. Obviously, at the end of the day is really what is a is going to be instrumental for in the partnership arena. So, I know I took a couple of different chunks there, but, uh, you know, and I'm no expert for sure, but those are some of the areas which I've seen. AI initially weed its way into what we do at the AGC.

Kevin Metzger: 2:59

If we were to kind of dive in a little bit on, on any of those, is there any area that you're, you're really. Have found some success with using AI. Is there anywhere you're using it yet? Or this is what we're looking at. And this is where we think we're going to start driving with AI long term. Is that where, where, where are you guys sitting with that at this? Yeah, I

Michael Bernstein: 3:19

mean, I think in my role, I use AI as where, where is it going to make my life easier and, uh, so. Whether it's for crafting outbound communication, whether it's for helping develop, you know, models, creative models for how a program could structure when you're inputting all the data into how, you know, we talked about partner priorities and how does that look and what are some different ways to approach and model out what a partnership could look like. And then, you know, it's helping develop presentations really, you know, obviously you're going to. Okay. Drive it and you're going to put your personal spin on it, but it definitely is a great tool to add some additional insight into, into how that ultimately is presented to the customer. So there is definitely account management or business development kind of tools within that, that can positively affect the way that I go to market and use my.

Roman Trebon: 4:16

Yeah, I think you hit a key point. I think sometimes we talk about AI, people will like want to jump to the next stage, but. It really should be helping you do your day to day job, right? Like so i'm sure you guys have a lot of different partnership campaigns and just from my own experience I have a half baked idea. I'm like i'm thinking maybe x y and z Can you help me kind of come up with some other ideas? And then the next thing I know I have an ai partner that's helping craft like this awesome campaign that Maybe I would have gotten there, but it would have taken me A bunch of late night pizza eatings and late nights and now I've done it over, over lunchtime, right?

Michael Bernstein: 4:50

Yeah. One of the examples of that is we have a program, a campus wide subscription program with Mercer University. And the take rate for professors were very good when they, when they get complimentary AJC access. The take rate for students, not so much because obviously they get their, they get their information from other. A lot of different sources, right? So we want to play in the app space there and I had, I had some ideas and basically putting it in is how do we better market and reach the students at Mercer University to register there for their free subscription and it, it tailored a bunch of different things, some of which we were able to implement. We actually gave away a 25 iPads to those students that they signed up during a 60 day period. So it was just like unique things. Um, the student newspaper, putting an ad in the student newspaper, promoting the free AJC subscription, which, which again, even the most comprehensive minds still need a little bit of additional idea ideation, right? I

Kevin Metzger: 5:51

agree with Roman on that and you, it's one of the ways that you can really speed up your brainstorming. You're going to have a set of ideas. You throw the set of ideas at AI and say, what else can I do? What else makes sense? Just being able to get things back and say, oh yeah, that does. Throw that out and then, okay, now I need to develop stuff, stuff out. And here's what I think about this. You can iterate on it, but like you can develop and dive deeper. And I think that's huge. I think that's a benefit for anybody right now, if you're not using AI that way. Obviously one of the things that really starts driving, uh, speed into your development of whatever it is, your, your real goal is that you're trying to. To move towards, you can increase speed significantly that way. I think one of the other things I'd like to ask you, you did mention one other area you're using it to do a little work with any tips or anything you found in using it to do research about partners or anything like that, any tools you're using or anything that you found extremely helpful.

Michael Bernstein: 7:01

I mean, just for discovery of different channels and different ideas. One of the channels that we're looking to develop is the H. R. channel for our corporate wide subscription programs. And those are the decision makers, right? And so, you know, brainstorming. What are the organizations that tailor or how can we reach H. R. Benefit managers that are decision makers and working AI to identify who those where those areas of opportunity are. Turns out that 1 of those areas are the society of HR management, which has an Atlanta. Chapter that has over I think it's over 8000 HR executives that are part of it. So now we're sponsoring their that program. Um, and getting in front of those decision makers to drive the business. So again, those are some research. Benefits, you know, in other areas, real estate, can agents bundle A. J. C. subscriptions to give to their clients as a thank you gift when they're moving to the neighborhood who are the largest, uh, you know, real estate firms that in the Atlanta marketplace, and it basically will list the drill those down for us, and then it's up to us to take that and find the right contacts in the right place to, uh, to drive those programs. So again, growing the channel that's been a really A. J. C. Great tool for us to use

Roman Trebon: 8:27

Michael. Thanks for excellent insights. And it sounds like you got you're really, you know, knocking out of the park there at the agency with the partnership program. So we really appreciate you coming on the show. Join us 3 times for your number 1 tip. You're 1 big question. Then talking today about. Hey, how, you know, really giving us real examples of how AI can help identify the right partnership to do research, enhance innovation, and ultimately just boost the partner and customer success. So that wraps up our three part series with Michael Bernstein. You can find Michael on LinkedIn at MJB71. So reach out to Michael, connect with him. Definitely check out the AJC, AJC. com. I'll be on there the night and see if we have school tomorrow. So definitely check out the AJC and tons of great stuff on there as well. Uh, if you found this mini series helpful, be sure to subscribe and share it with your team. Kev, we're back next week. More tips, tricks, and strategies for customer success. We've got a great month lined up and we're booking out into March Madness already. I'm excited for what we have upcoming. Yeah,

Kevin Metzger: 9:28

that's awesome. I'm excited about it.

Roman Trebon: 9:30

Until then audience, keep on playing.