How to Align Generative AI With Brand Authenticity

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   

I'm experimenting with AI to help our team create on-brand marketing content without always needing my review. As AI-generated content becomes part of our everyday toolkit, I want to build guardrails that guide without restricting creativity. It's like bowling bumpers that keep you out of the gutter while still letting you throw your own style of ball. My vision? Transform my role from content bottleneck (hello, team of one over here 👋) into content enabler, where everyone can confidently create authentically on-brand materials (the dream!). The practical approach I'm mapping out: 1️⃣ Creating a detailed content review framework: I've started by documenting our brand voice elements, content structure patterns, and specific examples of what works vs. what doesn't. Everything from "avoid these phrases" to "here's how to present data properly." 2️⃣ Developing targeted review checklists: Different content needs different standards. I'm building specific review criteria for blogs (conversational but focused), whitepapers (formal but not technical), social posts (concise, engaging), and other formats. 3️⃣ Structuring clear before/after examples: The goal is for the system to provide practical rewrites, not just theoretical rules. For instance, transforming "Our platform leverages cutting-edge algorithms to enhance your subscription metrics" into "Our platform accurately tracks subscription metrics and saves your team time." 4️⃣ Building an LLM prompt framework: I'm writing detailed instructions that will guide AI to consistently evaluate content against our brand standards and provide specific, actionable feedback. I'll still always play a role in content reviews, but the goal is to make those reviews less time-consuming, more efficient, and productive. This approach feels especially relevant as more companies roll out AI mandates (as I wrote about recently). When leadership says, "Use AI to increase productivity," teams need thoughtful frameworks, not just permission to use their AI system of choice without guidance. Marketing teams stand at a critical junction: either create systems that maintain brand integrity while embracing AI or watch your carefully crafted brand voice dissolve into generic AI-speak. Let's be real: This is my side project. When I can, I dedicate about 5-10% of my time to these experiments. Why bother with my already full plate? I've learned that small process investments now create big time savings later. That occasional 5-10% might free up 30 %+ of my time in the future. I'm still very much in the blueprint phase, but I'm convinced this framework will soon be essential to scaling content while maintaining a distinctive voice. #contentmarketing #AI

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