Accelerating marketing research, first drafts, and idea development

Things I wish I knew about AI when I started using it for marketing #1

I thought learning AI meant learning tools.

It took me a while to realise that wasn’t the hard part.

The hard part was learning how to think with AI.

When I first started using AI for marketing, I would give it a prompt, get an answer, and think:

Okay… this is useful.

But the more I used it, the more I realised something:

The quality of the output is often a reflection of the quality of the thinking behind the prompt.

If I ask:

Give me 10 campaign ideas for this brand.

I’ll get 10 campaign ideas.

But if I first give it:

→ the brand positioning
→ the target audience
→ the campaign objective
→ what we’ve already tried
→ the consumer insight
→ the tone of voice
→ the constraints

the conversation completely changes.

Now I’m not asking AI to think instead of me.

I’m giving it enough context to think with me.

That’s when AI became genuinely useful in my workflow.

Today, I use AI to:

• get through the first draft faster
• challenge my ideas
• explore different angles
• organise messy thoughts
• research and synthesise information
• automate repetitive parts of my workflow

But I still make the decisions.

Because AI can give me 20 ideas.

My job is to know which 2 are actually worth pursuing.

That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned so far:

Don’t focus on becoming better at using AI.

Focus on becoming better at thinking and then use AI to multiply that thinking.

#AI #Marketing #MarketingStrategy #AITools #FutureOfWork

I use AI almost every day. And there are still things I refuse to let it do.

Everyone wants to tell you AI is either going to save marketing or ruin it. And honestly, I think both takes are a little lazy.

I’ve tested a lot of AI tools for marketing, and over time, I’ve figured out what actually helps me and what I’d rather just do myself.

Here’s where I’ve landed.

What earned a permanent spot:

1. Research and first drafts.

When I have a pile of information to go through or an idea I need to get out of my head quickly, AI helps me get started.

It saves me from staring at a blank page for 30 minutes.

But that’s what it is for me: a speed tool, not a thinking tool.

2. Finding patterns in data.

Going through large amounts of data and trying to spot trends used to take up a lot of time.

Now, AI can help me identify those patterns much faster.

And that gives me more time to focus on what actually matters: understanding the insight and deciding what we should do with it.

What didn’t make the cut:

1. Final copy, untouched.

I don't think I’ll ever be comfortable taking AI-generated copy, posting it as it is, and calling it done.

You can usually tell when nobody has gone back to add their own voice to it.

Every piece still goes through me because tone, context and judgment are things I’m not willing to outsource.

2. Strategy.

AI can help you understand a market. It can summarise competitors, spot patterns and give you ideas.

But it can't and shouldn't decide what your brand should stand for.

Because that still requires understanding people, the business and the bigger picture.

And I don't see that changing anytime soon.

So, my real take?

AI didn't replace the job, it replaced some of the boring parts of the job.

And honestly, nobody is complaining about that.

The goal isn't to use AI for everything.

It’s to know where it actually makes you better and where you still need to bring your own brain to the table.

Where do you personally draw the line with AI in your work?

#AIinMarketing #DigitalMarketing #MarketingTools #GrowthMarketing #FutureOfMarketing #MarketingStrategy #AITools