How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World
Exclusive Interview with Mark Schaefer
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to a tsunami of AI-generated content, and according to Gemini these are some of the concerns for marketers:
- Erosion of Brand Authenticity: AI can generate marketing copy, social media posts, and even personalized emails. The fear is that over-reliance on AI-generated content could lead to a loss of genuine brand voice and connection with customers, making marketing feel impersonal and manufactured.
- Decreased Content Quality and Creativity: While AI can produce grammatically correct and seemingly relevant content, it may struggle with nuanced storytelling, truly innovative ideas, and emotionally resonant messaging that connects deeply with human audiences. This could lead to a decline in the overall quality and impact of marketing content.
- Over-Saturation of Generic Content: If many marketers use similar AI tools and prompts, there’s a risk of the internet becoming flooded with repetitive and unoriginal content. This could make it harder for brands to stand out and capture attention in a crowded digital landscape.
- Misuse for Deceptive Marketing Tactics: AI could be used to create highly targeted but deceptive marketing campaigns, such as generating fake reviews, creating convincing but misleading product descriptions, or even impersonating real people or brands. This could erode consumer trust and damage the reputation of ethical marketing practices.
- Loss of Control Over Brand Messaging: While AI can assist with content creation, marketers may find it challenging to maintain complete control over the messaging and tone of AI-generated content. This could lead to inconsistencies in branding and potentially even PR crises if the AI produces something inappropriate or off-brand.
Now that we’ve got the ironic bit out of the way of asking AI to tell us what marketers have to fear from AI (in italics), let’s dive into the heart of this article and hear from the humans.
The Audaciousness of Humans
I had the opportunity recently to interview Mark Schaefer, a globally-acclaimed author, keynote speaker, and marketing consultant. He is a faculty member of Rutgers University and one of the top business bloggers and podcasters in the world. Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World is his eleventh book, exploring how companies can create more effective marketing by being audacious.
Below is the text of my interview with Mark and a preview of the kinds of insights you’ll find in Audacious presented in a Q&A format:
1. We are seeing a marketing evolution from messages to stories, agree or disagree? Or is the evolution to something else?
This is an interesting question. Marketing is about creating customers. Our ability to do that has been dramatically changed by technology.
Let’s say 50 years ago, messages and taglines were about our only options. Advertising is expensive. Space was limited.
But in the Internet age, we have virtually unlimited space to tell a story at no cost. And stories can be created by anyone. I think the evolution of marketing right now is when we can do something so worthy, so memorable, so useful, that our customers can’t wait to tell the stories for us.
2. What impact are we seeing from AI on marketing?
There are two types of marketing – performance and brand marketing.
Performance marketing is about repetitive acts like ads that create traffic for the top of the funnel. These activities will almost certainly be dominated by AI.
Brand marketing creates meaning – an emotional expectation for your company or product. In this respect, AI can still have a major impact on creativity and planning, but I forecast that there will still be a human role to play for years to come.
The most effective connections still come from relationships with people!
3. Product, service, solution, experience… In today’s world, which is the most important?
The beauty of our world is that it is filled with people who have diverse perspectives and needs! Some people might buy on value, some might buy on performance, or even the status they feel when they own a product.
However, at the very highest level, I think experience is an interesting opportunity for brands. Let’s look at Patagonia, for example, it does not product the cheapest clothes, or the most functional or beautiful. But the brand MEANS something to a devoted fans because of a shared experience or responsible outdoor recreation.
4. With people drowning in content, how are marketers supposed to reach their target customers?
This question really cuts the heart of my research and writing over the last 15 years and it is the theme of my new book Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World.
The book reveals research that shows that the vast majority of marketing and advertising is boring and ineffective and AI is making it more so. I would say we are in a pandemic of dull.
Competent doesn’t cut it. Competent is ignorable. So we need to ignite human creativity in a new way by disrupting traditions and norms. Changing HOW we tell a story. Changing WHERE we tell a story. Changing WHO tells the story.
It is time for audacity in our marketing. That is the only way we’ll cut through the clutter to be seen and heard. Audacity is now a survival skill.
5. Shock and Awe, which one should marketers focus on and why?
I actually address both of these in the new book!
Awe is an under-appreciated source of success in marketing. It’s not just about something that is vast and overwhelming. It can be something as simple as bringing people together in a meaningful new way that creates a shared experience. Wouldn’t it be amazing if people added more awe to their marketing?
Shock is also an overlooked idea. I don’t mean being offensive or reckless, but just waking up the sense to something completely different. A good example of this is Liquid Death, the fastest-growing beverage brand in America.
Nobody calls their product “Death.” So right from the start they have your attention. Their advertising features water boarding and kids chugging glasses of sugar. It is difficult to watch. But you don’t forget it, either.
6. You’re in charge of marketing the iPhone 17 and it’s basically the same as the iPhone 16, except now it’s available in Magenta. How would you change the marketing for a product that basically hasn’t changed?
This product introduction might actually work, but not for everyone.
You might recall that Apple introduced a black “U2” iPod many years ago. It sold out. It only worked because Apple already had a massive base of loyal fans – and so did U2! So even though the product wasn’t very different, the meaning for the fanbase was.
Normally, introducing a product with no discernible new value would be foolish but it is possible if the brand has meaning.
An example from my book is the game Cards Against Humanity. People invested in a hole in the ground and dried cow turds because they just wanted to be part of the fun. The value was in the meaning, not the product.
7. What does disruptive marketing look like now and in the future? What will become normalized?
The irony is, disruptive marketing is rapidly normalized. Here’s what I mean. The cover of my book is a world first – a QR code that creates an evolving, morphing cover based on the stories in the book. That is disruptive.
But you can only be disruptive once. From here on out, anybody who has QR code book cover will simply be copying me. The disruption has been normalized. You can only be audacious once.
8. Why are there so many damn QR codes in the book? 😉 (wink)
My book is full of “oh wow” moments. But a lot of them are better viewed than described. For example, a star of the book is Michael Krivicka, the king of viral video. I have never met a person with a keener sense of storytelling. There is no way you can appreciate his skill without seeing a video, so I provided QR code links so everyone has the chance to do that!
9. Where should marketers be careful as they challenge the standard ways of marketing, to be audacious?
There are lots of reasons why marketers should be conservative and traditional, especially when following laws and regulations.
However – if you’re staying in a boring box because there is fear in your organization, because dull is normal in your industry, or simply afraid, then you are vulnerable. The AI bots are here. They are competent, and in most cases more than competent. But you still own crazy. The companies that unleash the unique human fireworks of creativity will thrive in the AI era!
Conclusion
Thank you for the great conversation Mark!
I hope everyone has enjoyed this peek into the mind of the man behind the inspiring new title Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World!
Image credits: BusinessesGrow.com (Mark W Schaefer)
Content Authenticity Statement: If it wasn’t clear above, the short section in italics was written by Google’s Gemini and the rest of this article is from the minds of Mark Schaefer and Braden Kelley.
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