The future is here and now 

If you’ve been anywhere near a marketing strategy session lately, chances are someone’s dropped the term “generative AI”. With its promise of hyper-efficiency, endless creativity, and cost savings, it’s easy to see why so many B2B businesses (us included) are getting on board. In just a few years of mainstream use, the progress AI has made is astonishing and the buzz is understandably real. 

It’s new(ish) and shiny but there’s lots to learn

For many marketers and creatives, generative AI tools like ChatGPT and MidJourney are dazzling. Need multiple variations of a headline? Done. An image of the perfect human in a stunning location? Piece of cake. For busy, results-focused B2B marketers, the promise of scaling efforts while reducing time-to-market will always appeal. But we’ve come to understand, to get the most from AI, there’s a lot more to consider than you might think. We’ve gotten to know its limitations (yes, there are a few) and its capabilities (yes, there are many) – so we thought we’d pass on a bit of our knowledge to help you confidently step into the AI future:

1. Stay on top of the A word

Authenticity isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a key part of what helps brands become memorable and meaningful (and therefore more salient) from those that get a passing glance. If you rely on messaging crafted by an algorithm, it controls what you say. AI is still a clever little bot, though. Like a keen puppy, it’s waiting for your instructions and will need some input from your human experience.

For B2B brands (every brand, in fact), staying true to your personality is paramount. In B2B circles, personality can be rare. In any case, it will always trump automation. Should you begin to sound a bit robotic, people will notice and that signals a lack of care – potentially driving clients toward competitors.

2. Beware of homogenisation  

Ironically, the very tool that has unlimited options at its disposal can lead to sameness when in the wrong hands. AI has the ability to pull on information that transcends countries, continents and even generations. That said, because it’s using stuff we’ve done before – there is a chance that what it produces could look like everything else out there. In a B2B industry already plagued by blanding, this is the last thing you need.

Blending in will cost you opportunities. Think about it — if your campaigns, website copy, and sales collateral look indistinguishable from competitors, why should clients choose you? Generative AI can help you create something different – but use it as a starting point as opposed to asking it to think of something new.

3. Stop to consider legal implications 

On the topic of drawing from pools of existing data, there is one thing you’ll need to stay alert to – the legals. It’s important to remember AI chooses what you get and where you get it from which heightens the risk of it producing something copyrighted, biased, or inaccurate. Imagine launching a campaign only to be hit with a lawsuit because your AI pinched some protected material. Or your content unintentionally plays into harmful stereotypes because of a flawed dataset. 

Some careful fact checking (that you should probably be doing as a matter of good practice anyway), will mean you can still feel the benefits of generative AI with relative confidence that you won’t be drawn into costly legal wranglings. 

4. Keep everything human centric

Whether B2C or B2B, at its core, branding is about human relationships. It’s what makes us trust the brands we work with and buy from. An overly-polished, algorithmically-optimised message or image might tick all the right boxes – but it can also feel cold and impersonal. 

We understand what our customers want and will relate to – predominantly because we’re human. AI will never be human. So, work with it to teach it what you want to see and hear, and it will repay you.  

We’re still the filling in a very clever sandwich

With a balance to be struck between automation and authenticity, think of us humans as the centre of a delicious 21st century sandwich. AI is the bread. AI gives us the platform to do more of what we do better than any machine – think. And it’s this thinking that is the catalyst for new ideas and inventive ways to approach problems. The ideal balance can be achieved if we consciously: 

Use AI to support, not replace, creativity. Let the tools handle repetitive tasks, freeing up your team to focus on big-picture strategy and storytelling.

Inject a human touch. Always review and refine AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with your brand’s voice and values.

Be transparent. If you use AI in your branding and marketing activity, own it. Everyone appreciates honesty and they’re more likely to trust you if they understand how you’re leveraging the technology.

Check for bias. Regularly review the outputs of your AI tools to ensure they’re free from harmful stereotypes or inaccuracies.

Working with a new future

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change

Professor Stephen Hawking

As far back as anyone can remember, progress is a pretty unstoppable thing. This notion extends to the B2B sector, too. Just as your competitors are finding new ways to provide products and services, more and more are also utilising generative AI in their marketing efforts. If there is one thing to remember it’s this – AI isn’t a replacement for human thinking, but it can augment it (if it’s used correctly). The net outcome is the opportunity to use AI in new ways to help make your brand stand out in the crowd.