Because your business deserves to sound like you, not like anyone else.
Artificial intelligence has officially crashed the marketing meeting, and it’s not leaving anytime soon. With tools like ChatGPT, Canva Write Magic, and Jasper AI crafting headlines, captions, and designs faster than you can make a flat white, it’s easy to see why marketers are hooked. Handy? Absolutely. But there’s a catch, when everyone’s using the same AI tools, brand voices can start to blur together. And the last thing your business needs is to sound like everyone else.
Your brand voice is your secret sauce, the unique tone, choice of words, and attitude that make people instantly recognize, “That sounds like them.” Here’s how to embrace AI’s speed and power without losing the human spark that makes your brand unmistakably you.
1. Meet your AI Toolkit
Well, yes and no, you still have to get the basics right. Which means it all starts with the customer and understanding your customers so you can engage them with excellent creative, or content that makes your business stand out and delivers value as well as a meaningful brand experience. All the marketing automation in the world won’t help your business if you aren’t helping your customers solve a problem with a meaningful value proposition and relevant offers.
Artificial Intelligence is now baked into almost every marketing platform you touch. From Canva Magic Write to Hubspot’s AI Content Assistant, marketers are using AI to:
- Draft social posts and blog outlines
- Design visuals in half the time
- Analyse what’s working and what’s not
- Personalized customer journeys
According to recent marketing research, 43% of marketing professionals automate repetitive tasks and processes using AI software.1
[1] AI Marketing Statistics: Trends and Insights 2024. SurveyMonkey. February 2024. https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/ai-marketing-statistics/
2. What Your Brand Voice Really Means
Your brand voice is more than a tone, it’s your brand’s personality coming to life through words. It’s that cheeky humor that makes Air New Zealand instantly recognizable, or the calm confidence you feel from a boutique wellness brand. Ultimately, when you get your voice right, customers feel like they know you and that trust is what turns browsers into buyers
3. When AI Starts Sounding Too Smart for its Own Good
Let’s be honest, AI can write, but it can’t feel. It doesn’t know your story, your customers, or that distinct Kiwi sense of humour that makes your brand relatable. Lean on it too heavily, and your copy starts to sound like it was written by… well, a robot. Polished? Sure. Personable? Not so much. It’s no wonder global trust in AI companies has dropped from 62% in 2019 to 54% in 2024 [2]. So, use AI as your assistant, not your author, a tool to help shape your ideas, not replace your authentic voice.
[2] Trusted AI: Unravelling the Complex Web of Trust and AI Innovation. WARC. February 2024.
https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/trusted-ai-unravelling-the-complex-web-of-trust-and-ai-innovation/en-gb/6682
4. How to Keep Your Voice While Using AI
a. Train AI to “speak human”
Feed it your tone. Use prompts like:
“Write this in a friendly, Kiwi tone that’s simple, warm, and conversational.”
The clearer your direction, the closer AI gets to sounding like you.
b. Edit like a human
AI can give you the structure, but you bring the heartbeat. Adjust the rhythm, add your slang, and include those small details that make your brand sound authentic and alive.
c. Keep your style guide in sight
Your brand voice is your compass. Make sure every AI-assisted line stays aligned with your values, tone, and audience. Consistency is what builds trust.
d. Pair AI with human creativity
Use AI to inspire ideas, not to finish them. Let it help you brainstorm while you refine and polish. As Canva says,
“AI drafts, humans perfect — that’s how we keep it real.”
5. The-Real World Inspiration
The brands getting this right and aren’t fighting AI — they’re partnering with it. For example, “Wendy’s tests AI in its drive-thru ordering system3”. Medanwhile, “Air New Zealand’s Oscar chatbot adds personality and handles hundreds of queries4”..
Because AI is great at efficiency. However, identity? That’s still a human superpower.
[3] Wendy’s Taps Google Cloud for AI Drive-Thru Pilot. PR Newswire. May 9, 2023.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wendys-taps-google-cloud-to-revolutionize-the-drive-thru-experience-with-artificial-intelligence-301819196.html
[4] Say “Kia Ora” to Oscar – Air New Zealand’s AI Chatbot. Air New Zealand.
https://www.airnewzealand.com/oscar-chatbot-virtual-assistant
6. The Ethics of Authenticity
If you use AI, own it. Transparency builds trust, and trust builds brands. According to PwC, companies that embrace responsible and transparent AI practices tend to gain stronger consumer confidence [5]. So don’t be afraid to say, “AI helped us brainstorm this.” It’s not a confession — it’s honesty, and your audience will appreciate it.
[5] Trusted AI Opens Up Opportunities. PwC Global. 2024.
https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/so-you-can/ai/trusted-ai-opens-up-opportunities.html
The Final Word
AI isn’t the villain of authenticity, it’s your creative sidekick when used wisely. Let it handle the heavy lifting, but keep the pen in your hand. Because at the end of the day, your customers aren’t looking for perfect, they’re looking for you..
The team@MyMarketer.
