Is AI Driving or Hindering Your Customers’ Trust? Humanity in Branding Series

A friend who runs a marketing services company shared a story with me that I hope represents an unusual perspective. A potential client pushed back on a project proposal because it included a copywriter, suggesting that a copywriter is not needed because of AI.

This misguided point of view is just one of so many baffling outcomes since the mass adoption of AI in marketing. There’s no doubt that AI can be used for good, but when it’s not used thoughtfully, it can have a very negative impact on customer experience and customer trust in a brand.

As my friend Jeremy Goldman says: "No matter how advanced the tech is, it can’t replicate genuine human empathy. While AI can be programmed to recognize certain emotional cues, its true role should be to support human agents who excel at handling nuanced situations. AI can assist, but it will never understand human emotion the way a person will."

There are Benefits and Watch Outs for Brand Leaders Who Use AI

As the allure of and pressure to use AI and automation tech grows, it’s so important for Brand Leaders to recognize not just the upside but also the watch-outs. To shed some light on new evidence and various perspectives on this topic, I’m conducting a series of interviews for Brandingmag, with insights from experts from a variety of fields.

For my first interview in this new Brandingmag series, Humanity in Branding, I talked with Jeremy Goldman, who is a Technology Analyst at eMarketer. He’s also the host of the FutureProof podcast. We sought to share some non-obvious insights that Brand Leaders should consider.

We talked about…

→ Specific brands that are using AI and automation tech well to anticipate customer needs, reduce friction, and boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.

→ Brand categories where AI and automation tech are having negative consequences on customer experience and raising legal, ethical, and reputational concerns.

→ Specific ways Brand Leaders can prevent AI and automation tech from degrading customer experiences or alienating customers.

You can read the full interview, “Is AI Driving or Hindering Your Customers’ Trust,” from Brandingmag.

Brand Leaders Must Consider the Customer Impact of AI

There’s no doubt that AI and automation are here to stay, and they will increasingly benefit both organizations and customers. However, it will always be critical that we view the technology from the customer perspective and prevent it from degrading the humanity of brand expression and experiences.

Jeremy’s Tips for Balancing AI and Automation with Postitive Human Outcomes:

• “Let AI amplify what your team can do, not replace them.” Train employees to understand AI’s strengths and limitations, so they can use AI as a tool to enhance their work instead of as a replacement.

• “Think of AI as a living thing; it needs regular updates and tweaks, so it keeps improving rather than operating on autopilot.” Once deployed, collect and implement customer feedback about the AI.

• Don’t forget that “the real value of AI lies in how effectively it solves customer problems. The focus should be on enhancing the customer experience, not only improving the bottom line. Success is measured by satisfied customers, not just saved dollars.”

• Prioritize an environment of continuous learning, agility, and ethics surrounding AI by hosting “regular training sessions… implementing agile methodologies… fostering flexible teams… establishing clear guidelines for AI use, and maintaining transparency about its role in decision-making.”

Jeremy also shares a big potential upside if we use the technology in the best ways possible…

“When used thoughtfully and strategically, AI isn’t just about keeping up, it’s about setting the pace. It’s a way to demonstrate how technology and humanity can come together to create better, more meaningful experiences for everyone.”

As a Brand Leader, one of your most important roles is to champion customer centricity so that your brand is desirable when people interact with it. Knowing when and how to use AI and automation tech, as well as when not to use it, is a significant part of that.

Check out the full interview, “Is AI Driving or Hindering Your Customers’ Trust,” from Brandingmag.

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