How to Balance AI and Authentic Brand Messaging

🤖 The Leadership Charade: When AI Makes You Sound Authentic (But You're Not) Imagine streamlining annual reviews with cutting-edge AI. Sounds revolutionary, right? But at what cost to employee connection and authenticity? "I automated my team's performance reviews using AI to save time." An executive client shared this with me recently, beaming with pride at their efficiency. Their smile vanished when I asked: "But do your people feel truly seen in those reviews?" We're crossing into dangerous territory: using technology to sound authentic while skipping the human work of truly connecting with our people. This isn't about rejecting AI. It's about being intentional about what only humans can do well. 🌟 AI can craft your communications, analyze your metrics, and optimize your schedule. But it absolutely cannot: • Build genuine psychological safety • Practice radical kindness when someone's struggling • Notice the unspoken dynamics in your team • Embody the vulnerable leadership that fosters belonging The most alarming pattern I've witnessed in my executive coaching? Leaders using AI to manufacture what research calls "toxic positivity" defined as perfectly crafted, upbeat messages that lack the messy authenticity of real human connection. When our leadership becomes too polished, too perfect, we lose the beautiful imperfection that makes us human. We lose trust. Here's the paradox: As AI makes communication more efficient, authentic connection becomes more valuable. 💥 The radically kind approach: ⚡ Draft important messages yourself first - even when imperfect ⚡ Ask: "Would my team recognize my voice in this?" ⚡ Include observations that only you would notice ⚡ Share a genuine challenge you're navigating Technology is a magnificent tool. But tools should amplify our humanity, not replace it. In an AI world, your humanity isn't a leadership weakness. It's your superpower. ⚡ And, Yes!, I use AI tools every day of my work and personal life. I continue to learn every day and stay Constantly Curious. Let's learn from each other authentically. Let's Celebrate being Human as much as we celebrate new Tech

AI isn’t killing communications professionals. It’s separating the strategic from the tactical. My July post about traditional PR being broken sparked some interesting commentary, especially around how AI will change the trajectory of PR. I like to think of AI as gaining five new staff members overnight. They're incredibly efficient, never complain, and work around the clock. But like any new hire, they need management by someone who actually knows what they're doing. The best results happen when you blend AI capabilities with human expertise. AI delivers the vanilla version: technically correct, perfectly formatted, utterly forgettable. A skilled communications professional adds the strategic seasoning that turns generic content into persuasive messaging that moves audiences. This nuance is easy to miss. Many companies are using AI as a replacement rather than an amplifier. You end up with content that sounds like it was written by a committee of robots - which, technically, it was. Instead, smart leaders should approach AI integration in three ways: 1️⃣ First, get everyone trained on AI tools, not just the communications team. 2️⃣ Second, use AI for message alignment across internal organizations, so that you stay consistent (and strategic) in your talking points. 3️⃣ Third, treat AI as an additive capability, not a cost-cutting crutch. The companies that will thrive are those that recognize AI's limitations alongside its strengths. It excels at research, drafts, and consistency but struggles with nuance, timing, and audience psychology, precisely the areas where human expertise becomes most valuable. Your competitors who think AI can replace strategic communications thinking will produce increasingly generic, tone-deaf messaging. Meanwhile, organizations that use AI to enhance human strategy will dominate the conversation. See AI as multiplication rather than substitution, and remember that the human touch is your competitive advantage.

Some brands are slapping AI on their marketing like a shiny sticker — it looks modern, but it doesn’t mean anything. Seeing so many brands use AI in their taglines at a conference I attended recently and then seeing Dove publish AI role with real beauty got me thinking about how as brand leaders, we need to frame the role of AI into our brand strategy. If you’re a CMO or brand leader, here’s the question to ask: Can AI help us deliver our brand promise better than anyone else — and make that difference obvious to customers? If the answer’s yes, you’ve got something worth building. If the answer’s no, you’re just playing with toys and you have more work to do with your team. Here’s a framework I’ve been playing with to make AI work harder — not just for productivity, but for true brand differentiation, ie. adding value. As a placeholder, I am calling it the A.I.D.E.A. Framework: A — Anchor in Your Brand Promise Start with what you stand for — your why. AI should enhance your ability to deliver that promise, not distract from it. Ex: Dove used AI to uphold its Real Beauty values, creating standards to fight unrealistic beauty filters. I posted about this yesterday. I — Identify Distinctive Touchpoints Pinpoint the moments where your brand naturally stands apart in the customer journey. Then ask: where could AI enhance that difference? Ex: Pedigree used AI to turn everyday ads into hyper-local dog adoption campaigns. D — Design On-Brand Experiences Your AI outputs (interfaces, language, tone, visuals) should feel unmistakably like you. AI can scale your brand voice — if you train it right. Ex: L’Oréal’s beauty assistant reflects their expertise and inclusivity, not just product recs. E — Execute Transparently and Ethically Build trust into your AI strategy. Be clear with consumers when and how AI is used — and why it benefits them. Ex: Salesforce emphasized data security and transparency as core features of Einstein GPT. A — Amplify with Storytelling Showcase how AI deepens your promise. Don’t just say “we use AI” — say what it lets you do for people that no one else can. Ex: Coca-Cola’s “Real Magic” AI campaign let fans co-create with Coke — making creativity part of the brand. TL;DR for Brand Leaders: AI won’t make you different, at least not yet. But if you’re already different — it can make you unmistakable. Would you use this with your team? #AIinMarketing #BrandStrategy #CMO #GenerativeAI #BrandDifferentiation #MarketingLeadership Elizabeth Oates Priti Mehra Raul Ruiz David Bernardino Lauren Morgenstein Schiavone Kristi Zuhlke

The most frequent question I’ve been getting from marketers is ‘how do we use AI and still stand out?’ Most marketers are using AI to save time and are losing their brand voice. The key is to use AI to sound more like you... In the last 6 months, I’ve helped dozens of businesses match their authentic voice, so they can reach more people without losing the soul behind their brand. If you don’t evolve how you use these tools, AI will replace parts of your marketing. But if you get clear on your brand voice and strategy, AI becomes your amplifier, not your downfall. Here’s what I’ve learned about using AI to scale trust, not just content: 1. AI is only as good as you train it.  If you feed AI generic inputs, you’ll get generic outputs. I upload my past posts, publications, podcasts, and even phrases like "WERK Your Brand" so AI learns how I actually sound. The more intentional you are with training, the more authentic your content stays. 2. AI is a tool, not your voice.  Yes, AI can draft faster than you ever could. But raw AI copy lacks soul. Every piece of content I publish requires human refinement. That final edit is where your expertise, personality, and connection come through. 3. AI can hallucinate, don’t over trust it.  AI is smart, but it’s not always right. I’ve seen it generate facts that aren’t real and suggest ideas that don’t align with brand strategy. Use AI to spark ideas but always check its work. You are the strategist; AI is just the assistant. None of this matters if your audience doesn’t feel you behind the words. If you're trying to navigate AI without losing your magic, I'm here for that conversation. Drop a 💜 or DM me. #AI #ContentStrategy #LIPostingDayApril