Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly prominent in everyday life. From AI-integrated smartphones to voice-activated assistants, AI mania is sweeping through the world, especially in the business world. Companies across industries are capitalising on AI to increase efficiency and improve decision-making – it’s even transforming the process of getting hired.

Many of us are using generative AI to rapidly produce marketing materials, from blog and social media posts to customer communications, and more. This new-found efficiency is a game-changer, but it can pose serious challenges to maintaining authenticity and a consistent brand identity.

A strong brand identity is so important. It helps customers recognise and remember your organisation and distinguish you from competitors. It builds trust and credibility – increasing the perceived value of your products/services and developing resilience against market fluctuations or negative publicity. It also increases employee engagement and helps attract top-tier talent to your organisation.

So, how do you maintain brand identity while taking advantage of AI?

We live in a digital era of phone scrolling and constant content consumption. Standing out in this landscape is more important than ever. So, while it’s brilliant to churn out lots of high-quality content if you can manage it, your brand voice must be authentic, with a real personality, and your choice of visual elements should be strategically aligned to resonate. We asked Gemma Wilks, Head of Moon’s Management, Engineering and Technical Practice, to provide a few insights into protecting your brand identity when using AI:

Research

Before you start using AI it’s important to research the different tools out there, their advantages and potential risks. Everyone’s heard about the monumental rise of ChatGPT, however, many other AI tools may be more suitable for your business and a better fit for your brand identity. Research each tool to find out their specific advantages and any limitations or shortcomings. Things will probably only become really clear when you’ve trialled a few tools – ask yourself ‘Can this capture our unique voice? Does this fit my brand vision?’ Spending some time finding an AI tool that works for your brand can save lots of time in the long run, compared to jumping straight in with well-known AI systems.

Training & more training

Get AI to work for you. Train it to understand the components of your brand identity. Explain your brand’s voice, tone, imagery, values and target audience to your AI tools, making it clear why they are part of your brand’s vision. Provide AI with clear examples and explanations, then ask it questions about your brand identity, ensuring it understands your organisation’s unique personality.

You also need to train your staff to interact properly with AI. Ensure they know the features, functionalities and best practices of the AI tools you’re using. For example, if the marketing team are using AI to produce copy for a new campaign, they need to know what prompts to provide to produce results consistent with your brand identity. You might be impatient to start seeing AI saving you time, but you won’t regret investing time into these processes at the outset when you see the results down the line.

Horses for courses

This may seem like an obvious one, but AI isn't right for every job (at least not yet). The wonders of AI tools can make it tempting to use them for everything, but you may want to reserve some specific jobs for real people. AI is great for increasing productivity and volume (i.e. quantity), but if quality is going to be under a microscope, it may be best to put enough time aside to work on it yourself, or delegate it to a competent member of your team.

For example, use AI to handle writing multiple email variations, but when it comes to crafting that one personalized message for a valued partner you’ve been targeting for months, a human touch might be more effective

Maintain human oversight

The capabilities of AI are hugely impressive, but they don’t match our minds. AI lacks the emotional intelligence of people. Also, it’s not fault-proof – it can make mistakes, using rogue sources or incorrect data. Human intelligence should be used to review all AI-generated content to ensure there are no errors and the tone is consistent with your brand voice. AI should be used to augment human capabilities, not replace them. Human touch and empathy are essential for building strong customer relationships.

Ethical and responsible use of AI

If using AI to inform decision-making processes, ensure the data used is diverse and representative to avoid perpetuating biases. The decision suggested by AI may not be the right one for your company-specific values, leading to a breakdown of trust from your customers and employees. To avoid this, only use AI for decision-making where the process is fully transparent. You should also pay special attention to the data and privacy protection of AI tools to ensure your information is secure.

Continuous Evaluation

Regularly evaluate the impact of AI on your brand. Monitor customer feedback, brand sentiment, and key performance indicators to ensure that AI is contributing positively to your brand's goals, and not distorting your identity.

AI has some hugely impressive capabilities, and if used correctly, can bolster your business strategy. However, people are what really drives a business forward. By combining talented individuals with the best AI practices, you can increase performance and preserve your unique brand.

AI & Recruitment

While AI can streamline many aspects of the recruitment process, it's important to remember that talent acquisition is a people-centric process. Human interaction remains crucial for assessing things like body language, understanding nuances in experience, and evaluating softer skills and cultural fit. AI is a powerful tool, but it cannot fully replace the insights and intuition of an experienced recruiter or executive search expert.

Moon’s Management, Engineering and Technical (M.E.T) Practice specialises in management and technical appointments in a diverse range of sectors. Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

Learn about our (M.E.T) Practice here.