Some marketers tell us that they wonder if they need human content creators anymore. They feel that generative artificial intelligence (AI) can replace human beings and produce a lot more content, more qualitatively, at a lesser cost.
At firebrand labs (FBL), we disagree.
Our view: The human mind is irreplaceable. Period.
Our belief: Everything that the human mind can conceive of, it can create. AI is also a human creation. So, clearly, the human mind is far superior.
But let us step back. And let us ask ourselves a more significant question.
Why would we want a machine and algorithms to think for us humans?
At the core of human survival and progress is the idea of thinking, imagining, conceiving and creating new stuff. From thought to finish, the human mind has mastered the process of creation. Why would we believe that this process is more efficient in the hands of a machine now?
With specific reference to the field of marketing, historically, ideas to promote any brand, product or service has started with individuals thinking and teams brainstorming on how this can be done. This process of coming up with ideas, creating content and executing strategies, involves asking some several key questions.
- What are we trying to sell?
- To whom?
- Why must the customer buy it?
- How does this product or service score over other similar offerings in the market?
- What is the best way to explain this value proposition to the customers in the shortest possible time, in the most efficient and effective manner?
These questions lead to interesting answers and to some more questions. And then to more answers and some more questions. This is what brainstorming is all about.
Then comes the stage when all ideas and approaches are carefully considered and are woven into a marketing strategy. This includes defining a core idea and multiple ways of expressing and upselling that core idea.
Using creative content is just one of those multiple ways in which a brand chooses to express itself, market itself. Now, this creative content is generated in the form of design or film or in written form. When marketers turn to AI to deliver some parts of this content, how can they ever teach a machine or a program or an algorithm to understand the essence of the entire creative process that has led to the need for such content?
Let us understand this argument with a simple example.
For over 50 years now, Amul has been consistent with their marketing strategy of using current events in their billboard, print and digital media campaigns.
The campaign has a consistent tone: partly humorous, partly emotional. Each ad in this series is unique. And has appealed to generations of Indian customers.
This consistency of creativity, communication and marketing magic, cannot be replicated by an AI program. Period.
These blog posts are written by a human. What the writer brings to the writing is decades of hand-on experience in marketing in the real world. The writer’s insights, coming from their experiences, too cannot be replicated by an AI program. Period.