5 Ways to Keep Your Brand Authentic in the Age of AI
Many of us find it challenging to define what authenticity means today. This is partly because it’s become completely normal for businesses to outsource virtually every aspect of their operations, including their branding.
It arguably started with the rise of modern advertising, when it became standard practice to entrust one’s image to third-party marketing and agencies. However, things took an especially strange turn with the recent introduction of generative AI. Now, anyone can seemingly Churn out decent-looking branded content with ease. It’s not difficult to see how this has caused many to question how “real” this content is.
But staying authentic isn’t just about doing everything yourself. It’s not just about the tools you use, like AI or outsourcing. More than anything, it’s about sticking to your values in a consistent and honest way.
Everyone’s had access to generative AI tools for the past few years, but not everyone who uses them creates the same kind of impression. Clearly, using these clever tools won’t necessarily make you inauthentic. If that were true, then anyone who has outsourced their branding would also be seen as inauthentic.
Still, if you totally depend on a machine or technology to create images or to think up your marketing copy for you, the output probably won’t be as authentic-feeling as you would hope. Thankfully, a more thoughtful approach will help you take advantage of AI’s efficiency while still making it clear that there are real people behind the brand. Let’s go through some practical tips for keeping your brand voice real and relatable in today’s AI-driven world.
1. Inject Local Nuances
Today’s generative AI tools usually draw from a global pool of assets, often with a heavy bias towards the expectations of American audiences. Whether you’re generating images or marketing copy, you’re likely to get all kinds of Americanisms from spelling to visual references. At best, the results can feel generic and a bit uninspiring.
Fortunately, this is something you can fix. For starters, if you’re a company marketing to audiences in New Zealand, you have to make sure your outputs reflect New Zealand English conventions. But more than that, weave in local turns of phrase and cultural references where appropriate. For Auckland digital marketing copy, for example, place-specific shortenings such as “Rewa” for “Manurewa” and “Kura” for “Papakura” give an authentic local touch.
2. Always Ask Yourself: "Would We Say It Like This?"
If you’ve ever written copy for a living, you know that it can be a drag. AI tools can make everything so much faster, and it’s quite tempting to just use the outputs as is. While you may be able to get away with it a couple of times, you’ll eventually be left with content that’s generic and uninspired.
Before publishing anything AI-assisted, ask yourself: Does this sound like something we’d actually say as a brand? If it doesn’t feel right, consider rewriting it. If your brand means even more to you, then everything you generate should get once or twice over. If it doesn’t sound like something you or your people would say out loud, it probably does not belong in your content.
3. Use AI as a Drafting Tool, Not the Final Word
Despite what we just said, there’s nothing wrong with using AI to help generate ideas or even first drafts. It can be a great time-saver, especially if you already have something specific in mind. However, directly copying and pasting AI outputs into your website or emails can come across as inauthentic. The final piece should always have input from someone who understands your brand and audience.
4. Don't Just Write Copy; Tell Real Stories
While you don’t want your website and email campaigns to be littered with typos, you must get a feel for when to back things off. Though some polish is good, being technically “perfect” has nothing to do with authenticity. Quite the opposite. The heartfelt, funny, relatable, and slightly unexpected are seldom perfect, at least, in a grammatical sense. AI tends to smooth all the rough edges, but these are the things that show how real you really are. Things like sharing stories from local customers or your founder’s journey in their own words go a long way in showcasing that there are real people behind your brand.
5. Be Transparent About How You Use AI
Being secretive about how your branding is created can undermine your authenticity. If you’re using AI tools in content creation, then own it. Your customers are smarter than you might think, and they will eventually know, one way or another.
The good news is that most people are fine with automation as long as it’s helpful. A quick disclaimer or an editorial note explaining that AI assisted with your content is usually enough. When in doubt, err on the side of transparency. At the end of the day, that is what makes you authentic, not the tools you use.
Authors Keep It Real
Though content creation is now dominated by automation, maintaining brand authenticity is still very much a human job. If you’re looking to expand your digital reach without losing your je nais se quoi, the pros at Author are here to help. Whether you need strategic guidance or hands-on support, we offer digital marketing services steeped in authenticity. Contact us today to explore how we can help you maintain your brand’s authenticity.
A note
Henry Blackwell
Henry Blackwell is a marketing professional. He has spent the last 10 years working in-house and within agencies, growing profitable businesses through brand and customer-centric digital marketing in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe.
“My approach to marketing is a combination of heart and head. My heart brings an empathetic and intuitive approach to deeply understanding the qualitative requirements of marketing that many simply do not care to do. My head brings an analytical mindset that leverages data-driven insights to deliver profitable performance for the businesses I work with.
This skill set allows me to deliver systematic customer acquisition, conversion, and retention.”
– Director