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Key Takeaways
- While AI makes marketing efficient, it’s producing a flood of generic, soulless content that erodes trust and makes brands unmemorable and indistinguishable from each other.
- Brands that focus on authenticity and maintain their humanity through storytelling, emotional connection, personality, humor and lived experiences will stand out.
- The future won’t belong to the brands that sound the most efficient. It will belong to those that sound the most human.
Consumers are drowning in the same old content. In this sea of sameness, every scroll, click and inbox ping delivers AI-generated messaging that looks polished but often feels eerily the same. AI makes it easy to churn out endless blog posts, ads and social captions, but algorithms optimize for keywords and patterns, not originality. The result? Safe, boring, uninspired marketing that feels, well, soulless.
For brands, the promise of AI efficiency comes with the hidden cost of losing a distinct voice and authentic connection. In chasing speed and scale, many brands risk losing the very thing that makes them memorable: their humanity.
Related: Why AI Makes Your Brand Voice More Valuable Than Ever
What the rise of AI “sameness” results in
Erosion of trust: The annual global survey conducted by Edelman and the Edelman Trust Institute assessing public trust in institutions (business, government, media and NGOs) revealed that AI is at a trust inflection point. In some countries, trust is high; in others (like the U.S.), people are much more cautious. Responsible governance, transparency and proving value are more critical than ever for marketing success.
“Heartless” brands devoid of personality: Narratives without lived human experiences and emotion may be technically proficient, but will fall flat with audiences. Brands that show humor, personality and relate quickly to pop culture and current events can be nimble and able to communicate in human ways that AI cannot.
Emotionally hollow content: Robots can’t make people laugh or feel joy, trust, fear or empathy. Only people can do that. Brands that communicate with emotionally compelling content and inspire people to act turn customers into brand advocates. In short, authenticity matters.
Brand detachment: A 2024 study by NielsenIQ (NIQ) found that in ad evaluations, consumers “intuitively identified most of the AI-generated ads” and rated them less engaging (described as more “annoying/boring/confusing”) than traditionally produced ads. This is evidence that people often sense AI involvement in marketing creative and are more likely to view the brand as detached from reality or fake.
Lack of human storytelling: People remember stories and forget statistics and details. AI cannot tell real stories; it is merely an echo chamber for what is already on the internet. The Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab claims that “people remember stories up to 22 times more than facts only.” Storytelling in marketing informs and persuades, while AI can create suspicion and erode trust in a brand.
Commoditization: If every brand uses the same tools the same way, differentiation disappears. AI can reduce costs today, but sacrificing authenticity and quality erodes loyalty tomorrow.
Examples of brands getting it right
There is light in the darkness of sameness. Here are a few brands that continue getting it right, year after year.
Spanx:
Most women know the story of Sara Blakely, who founded Spanx with $5,000 and a pair of scissors, cutting the feet off pantyhose to solve an age-old personal problem. Her self-made journey, often told with humor and humility, remains at the heart of Spanx’s positioning as an empowering women-led company.
The brand has continued to evolve and expand its undergarment line into a full fashion brand while maintaining the same value proposition: uncompromised, chic, comfort.
Warby Parker:
Founded by four Wharton students who wanted to make eyewear fashionable, yet accessible and affordable, Warby Parker has grown to approximately 300 brick-and-mortar stores with a robust ecommerce business.
Their origin story was born from the frustration of paying $700 for eyeglasses. They lead with a purpose-driven focus that connects consumers to their “buy a pair, give a pair” mission. They consistently tie their brand to democratization and social good and continue to drive emotion through storytelling.
Keeping humanity at the center
There are some simple things brands can do to protect their humanity. If you don’t have an internal policy for how and when AI should be utilized in developing marketing strategies and content, it’s a good time to create one. At Fletcher, we follow these standards:
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Use AI as an assistant, not an author: Let technology handle efficiency tasks but put humans in charge of voice and vision.
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Elevate lived experience: Share stories from employees, customers and founders that AI could never generate.
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Create personalization on purpose: Slower, more thoughtful touches like Q&As, real-time engagement and personalized marketing recommendations stand out.
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Keep brand values front and center: Make sure your content reflects beliefs and customer promises, not just keywords.
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Audit your messaging: If it feels like anyone (including a robot) could have written it, it is time to add more soul.
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Be transparent: Let clients and your audiences know when AI helped generate the content they are consuming.
Related: AI Is Flooding Feeds With Fakes. Here’s What Real Brands Need to Stand Out
Humanity for the win!
Let’s face it. Customers don’t just buy products; they buy stories, values and experiences. The human touch shows up in vulnerability, humor, nuance and emotional connection — and AI struggles to replicate those intangibles. In fact, the more AI floods the market, the more powerful authentic voices become. Think of how handwritten notes stand out in a digital world.
AI is here to stay, and it will reshape how we create and communicate. But brands that outsource too much of their humanity risk blending into the cesspool of sameness. The future won’t belong to the brands that sound the most efficient. It will belong to those that sound the most human.
Entrepreneurs and marketers alike should ask themselves: Will my brand be remembered for its algorithms, or for its authenticity?
Key Takeaways
- While AI makes marketing efficient, it’s producing a flood of generic, soulless content that erodes trust and makes brands unmemorable and indistinguishable from each other.
- Brands that focus on authenticity and maintain their humanity through storytelling, emotional connection, personality, humor and lived experiences will stand out.
- The future won’t belong to the brands that sound the most efficient. It will belong to those that sound the most human.
Consumers are drowning in the same old content. In this sea of sameness, every scroll, click and inbox ping delivers AI-generated messaging that looks polished but often feels eerily the same. AI makes it easy to churn out endless blog posts, ads and social captions, but algorithms optimize for keywords and patterns, not originality. The result? Safe, boring, uninspired marketing that feels, well, soulless.
For brands, the promise of AI efficiency comes with the hidden cost of losing a distinct voice and authentic connection. In chasing speed and scale, many brands risk losing the very thing that makes them memorable: their humanity.
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