AI, Branding and YOU
When it comes to business, people are using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to do everything from writing emails to writing ad copy and, in some cases, even their logo design and brand management.
While AI can definitely be a game changer for businesses (especially those with limited margins and resources), it can also become a liability if proper human guidance and oversight are not applied.
So let’s take a moment to break down some of the pros and cons of AI, along with some of the things you can do to avoid the pitfalls of using it to create and manage your Brand.
Pros:
Speed, Efficiency & Affordability
One of the biggest reasons why businesses don’t make Branding a priority is because, unlike marketing, it usually requires a significant investment of time and money, with little to no immediate ROI (Return On Investment) to show for it.
In other words, hiring a professional brand strategist or agency is a long term investment, often costing tens of thousands of dollars.
AI-powered tools, on the other hand, provide businesses with a low-cost alternative, making brand strategies and design much more accessible – especially if you’re a startup or small business owner.
Research & Implementation
Before the Google, algorithms and AI, businesses spent a significant amount of time and money in market research. With AI, however, small business owners are now able to not only access, but also analyze large amounts of market data and consumer trends to make important business decisions in a matter of minutes.
In addition, AI can then take this data and use it to create comprehensive brand strategies, design systems and even strategic positioning statements with just a few short prompts and a click of a button.
Cons:
Creativity and Nuance
While AI excels at pattern recognition, at the end of the day it’s still just a computer program that’s literally incapable of conveying real human emotion and thought.
Put simply: AI is incapable of understanding, let alone conveying, emotions, storytelling, and cultural nuance – basically everything that makes a brand memorable.
For this reason, if you are using AI as your personal Brand Coach or Brand Consultant, it’s important to take a step back and ask yourself whether or not the information or ideas its giving you not only support, but also align with the mission and vision of your brand – BEFORE putting anything it says into practice.
Hallucinations & Sycophancy
An “AI hallucination” is a term that was coined to describe what happens when AI confidently generates information that is factually unsupported, incorrect, or completely fabricated, which is often stated with the same confidence as stating an objective fact.
The reason for this stems from the inherent nature of AI and the way the models are trained, creating two very real issues:
1) AI models are prone to sycophancy, shaping an answer toward what your phrasing suggests you want to hear rather than what’s accurate, and
2) They’re known to produce fabricated citations, often inventing or misattributing a source to make a made-up claim look verified, which is often what convinces people to stop questioning it, even after initially questioning the “facts.”
Needless to say, this is extremely problematic when used for brand and market research, and even worse when dealing with sensitive topics such as cultural symbols and appropriation.
This is why if you are using AI for research and brand development, it is very important that you stress test your assumptions and take everything the AI gives you with a huge grain of salt — no matter how logical, compelling, or well-cited the information might sound.
Independent Thought
Developers train AI on pattern recognition and existing data, so while it may sound “human,” the best AI can do is produce/replicate what it “thinks” looks and sounds good to you.
This is why Generative AI produces outputs that often look generic, derivative or (even worse) infringe on existing copyrights. It’s not innovating or creating…simply regurgitating what everyone else is currently doing.
While we’d personally advise against replacing your Designer or Creative Team with AI, if you do, never take anything AI gives you at face value. Take your time, do your due diligence and ALWAYS be sure to use multiple sources to help generate different ideas and perspectives for you to reference.
In other words, use AI as a creative tool and source for inspiration – not your personal in-house Designer.
Your Brand Starts and Ends With YOU!
There are a lot of things AI can do, but Creativity and Critical Thinking aren’t one of them – at least for now. At the end of the day, only YOU (and maybe a Professional Brand Strategist) are capable of bringing your brand’s story, values, cultural nuances and vision to life.
Want to create a memorable Brand strategy for your business but need help getting started? We’d love to help! Click here to schedule a free 30 minute strategy session today!