Effectively Integrating AI Into Brand Management & Communications

As the presence of artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent today, it can be difficult to balance how to integrate the most recent innovations that AI offers without allowing it to become too intrusive. For those who have forged careers in creative content services, identifying use cases for leveraging this type of rapidly evolving technology can be confusing, as the definition of what’s considered to be ethical, authentic utilization of AI becomes more blurred.

Justin Starbird, founder and chief executive officer at The Aebli Group (TAG), a full-service marketing and business development agency, is well versed in navigating the struggle that exists in trying to craft compelling brand narratives for today’s businesses while avoiding the skepticism that can arise when attempting to incorporate AI to improve efficiency. During MEDevice in Boston, MA,  Sept 25 to 26, Starbird will discuss the “Future of Marketing in MedTech” as he explores the intersection of AI and marketing strategies. The conversation will include what best constitutes responsible use of AI practices today and the uncertainty surrounding its future developments. Starbird recently participated in a Q&A with MD+DI to address the trends that he sees for AI as its involvement with the development of marketing and brand strategies becomes more influential, and perhaps, controversial.

What is it that makes drafting effective and compelling brand narratives so difficult, and therefore opens the door for AI to be considered as a solution? 

Starbird: Drafting compelling narratives can be challenging, especially when clients struggle to add personality to their stories. This is particularly true for larger companies, where the messaging can often become so sterile that it's difficult to inject any personality. At TAG, our approach is to work closely with companies to identify the team members and leaders who have strong personalities and opinions. These individuals have the potential to galvanize the organization with the way they articulate what they do. By harnessing their unique voices, we craft narratives that are not only useful for the business, but also tell their story in a way that truly resonates.
What are the types of impact that you see AI having on marketing and the medtech industry moving forward? 

Starbird: Certainly there are options and opportunities for automation with AI, which can create new prompts and answer questions very quickly. When AI is deployed with your content and resources, it allows you to present information in your voice, helping to tell your story authentically. It is also a great way to start conversations, generate ideas for blog posts, or pull relevant information — making marketing more effective for your company. However, one challenge is that AI may sometimes pull inaccurate information from across the web, so general oversight is still necessary.
Are you pro or con when it comes to utilizing AI to assist in crafting content? 

Starbird: Both. There are definitely opportunities where AI is useful for crafting existing messaging or pulling from content that has already been created. I tend not to use it to craft original marketing messages. That's not something that lends itself to being useful. Neil Patel, a thought leader whom I follow closely for insights related to search engine optimization, mentioned recently that AI-generated content ranks very low within Google and Bing. While this may change in the future, for now, I’m against using AI for creative tasks, writing original content that is then presented as one’s own, and for writing email.

Why do you think there is general skepticism that exists around AI's efficacy and authenticity when incorporating it into marketing tasks today? 

Starbird: Unfortunately, people often pass AI-generated content off as their own, which makes it difficult to take that brand and that individual seriously. Initially, many professionals were proud to use tools such as ChatGPT — seeing it as a novelty or a mark of innovation. However, now the focus should shift to being rewarded for creating original content. At my agency, we have a formula for helping our clients create authentic, original content.

What is one example of responsible practices when utilizing AI for marketing efforts that you plan to discuss during your presentation? 

Starbird: One of the great examples I’ll discuss is our internal practice of recording meetings — both with clients and internally — and using automatic transcripts to capture the content of these meetings. We then leverage AI to extract action items, next steps, and important elements, allowing me to stay informed about client interactions, even when I am not on the call, and helping the team to stay on track. Our managers also use these features to ensure that nothing is overlooked. I’ll also be diving deeper into how we implement this process and how our clients have benefited from similar approaches.

Besides AI, what are examples of newly developing marketing strategies that industry professionals might be missing from their operating models currently? 

Starbird: In marketing, the goal line is constantly shifting, and new technologies are continually emerging to enhance day-to-day operations. One opportunity that I believe many professionals are missing out on is the use of recorded interviews, whether via video or audio, for podcasting. I will cover this topic more in my presentation. Recording interviews provides a valuable chance to create original, first-person content for your brand, while also galvanizing your internal team and promoting partners or clients whom you work with. This approach not only enriches your content, but also creates more opportunities for social media content and distribution channels. We also utilize recorded interviews to create white papers, blogs, articles, and posts.

What are examples of what might have once been effective marketing strategies that are now losing their effectiveness today?

Starbird: As with fashion, marketing is cyclical. What was in vogue before often finds its way back in one form or another. Looking back at history, some of the most memorable ads were long-form copywriting. While society tells us today that we have shorter attention spans, and thus ads need to be increasingly concise, long-form copy can still be highly effective for the right audience. Ultimately, marketing success hinges on reaching the right target audience at the right time in their buying cycle. It is crucial to know where your customers are engaging, what they're seeking, and what matters most to them in their purchasing journey.
What role should social media play for professionals in this field, in your opinion? 

Starbird: Social media presents a tremendous opportunity for professionals across all fields, not just in the medtech space. In my opinion, its effectiveness is still significantly underutilized. Posting original content, creating engaging information, and developing a like-minded following are key ways to leverage social media. It's not difficult, and it allows startups to compete on the same level as larger corporations. When you get the formula right for your brand, the potential for significant returns is substantial.

Referring back to the comment about podcasts and creating original content that is then disseminated through social media, there are countless opportunities to expand and deepen your reach in this area. I’m excited about what’s to come for the rest of 2024 and into 2025.