What happens when AI-generated content, deepfakes, and synthetic media are mainstream in marketing? By the end of 2025, AI may be on every social media feed, in our newspapers, and a common practice in every internal meeting. So, how can product managers, product marketing managers, and most importantly, brand managers balance the efficiency of AI tools with the need for authentic, human-centered storytelling to maintain trust among their customers and partners? There’s no easy, one-word answer for this monumental challenge facing many in business. The answer is a lot more muddled, grey, and frankly, more human than we may expect.
The Double-Edged Sword Of AI For Branding
Let’s face it, the efficiency of AI (in most cases) speaks for itself. AI tools like Reclaim AI organize our schedules, Motion automates project workflows, ProductBoard aids in customer roadmapping, Monday.com manages team workload, Claude and Chat GPT assist with coding, and Google Gemini and Chat GPT have revolutionized content creation. Lastly, the one you doubtless will have heard about by now is ChatPRD, a tool from Chat GPT that helps you draft documents based on a simple idea. Brands around the globe can generate ideas, content, strategies, and more at a scale we’ve never seen before within the span of a few hours, as compared to months.
The real question is, if everyone is using AI, especially for content, product management, and more, what keeps your brand voice and overall brand strategy unique? What makes you, YOU? This is the real struggle many experienced brand managers have suddenly found themselves in. There’s a risk of losing the brand you worked years to cultivate within just a few weeks of the generic content creation or strategy guided by an AI that’s doing the same thing for everyone.
Customers are also pretty good at calling out AI work (or AI slop, as some have named it) done by businesses. For example, Guess ran an ad in Vogue earlier this year featuring an AI-generated model, and it was poorly received. On average, 43% of people are less likely to buy from companies that rely on AI-generated content, and 51% say they’d hesitate to recommend a brand that overuses AI, according to ContentGrip. Not to mention, AI is still fairly unrefined. Images and reports generated by the tools have inconsistencies, and strategies produced by them are as unique as a McDonald’s burger.
If you’re using AI to summarize this blog post, or are just scanning through, we’ll make this simple. Here’s a quick pro and con list based on our earlier exploration in the previous paragraphs.
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AI PROS
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AI CONS
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AI & Lessons Learned
Let’s review some actual case studies of AI implementation and the impact AI had on the brand and the teams behind them.
The Infiltration Of Brand-Damaging Chatbots
AI-powered support agents promise scale, but can they deliver it without damaging the brand? Right now, no, at least, not without supervision. Let’s take the bots commonly found on H&R Block and TurboTax; they were found to provide inaccurate answers over 50% of the time, according to Futurism. This damages the trust and authority these two brands had accumulated through AI chatbots, which were intended to save time and staff investment.
The harm to brands doesn’t seem to stop at the inaccurate chatbot answers. (That seems to be the least of the problems.) Tay AI, a chatbot aimed at 18 – 24-year-olds on social media, created by Microsoft, quickly turned into a holocaust-denying racist. Not exactly the image you want associated with your brand. This isn’t a one-off problem either. Earlier this year, the chatbot Grok for X started calling itself “MechaHitler” and was goaded into recommending a second Holocaust by users.
The Demand For Customization Met With Support From AI
The growing demand for personalized experiences and products has been a challenge for brands to keep up with. However, in this regard, AI is an absolute game-changer. Sephora’s Virtual Artist, powered by AI, allows users to try on different makeup products virtually using augmented reality and AI technology. The AI analyzes users’ faces and suggests products that best suit their skin tone, style, and preferences. Thanks to this new tool, online sales for the retailer rose by 30% and improved overall customer satisfaction, according to Mosaikx.
Speaking of customization, Netflix’s AI algorithm analyzes viewing behavior to suggest shows and movies tailored to each user’s preferences. Their recommendation engine is responsible for over 80% of the content viewed on the platform, states Mosaikx, significantly boosting user engagement and keeping loyal subscribers happy.
AI Tools & Their Impact On Workers
There are dozens of AI-driven tools that are supporting workers in day-to-day tasks. For example, when software developers had access to GitHub Copilot (an AI coding tool), productivity increased by 26% with the larger gains coming from recent hires and junior developers, according to IT Revolution. There are smaller tools that individuals seem to benefit from, many of which we’ve mentioned earlier, like ChatPRD, Motion, and more. Although it's not all roses and sunshine in the workforce for AI, according to McKinsey, most organizations are not getting the returns they had hoped for. Pilots are still failing to scale well throughout a business, adding another layer of complexity to this entire matter.
The 4 Guidelines For Authentic Branding In The AI Age
Brand trust has always been built on security, reliability, and an authentic connection. AI can quickly throw a wrench into branding…but it doesn’t have to. Like anything else, AI is a tool and is best wielded by people. AI is a support to workers, not a replacement for them. As the havoc-wrecking chatbots and generic AI content have clearly demonstrated, you need people in the equation. Companies need workers who can prompt the AI tools in new ways, or who can review and edit the work of AI to ensure it aligns with the brand. For product, marketing, and brand managers, navigating this new landscape is no easy feat. That’s why we’ve put together a list of four guidelines that can help you rise to the challenge and opportunity AI presents.
The Widening Skills Gap
The reality is that most product and brand managers aren’t ready for or trained for an AI landscape. The business leaders who succeed in this new environment are those who’ve invested in a core understanding of brand management and AI’s role in it. They’re the ones asking more than, “Can we do this with AI.” Instead, they’re the ones in board rooms and on conference calls asking, “Should we and how we do this responsibly and intentionally?”.
Are you prepared? AI is just getting started. Gartner states that by 2026, more than 80% of enterprises will have used generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) application programming interfaces or deployed GenAI-enabled applications in production environments. This isn't just about learning new software or understanding algorithm capabilities. It's about developing a new kind of branding intuition. An understanding of how to balance technological possibility with human connection, efficiency with authenticity, and innovation with trust.
Our Certified Brand Manager™ program is here to help equip you with what you need to thrive in this new branding landscape. Join the growing community of certified professionals who understand that strong brands aren't built during easy times; they're built by skilled managers.
Sources
ContentGrip. (2025, April). AI failures and brand trust: What marketers must watch for. ContentGrip. https://www.contentgrip.com/ai-brand-trust-crisis/
Fowler, G. (2024, March 4). TurboTax and H&R Block's AI chatbots gave wrong tax advice more than half the time. Futurism. https://futurism.com/the-byte/turbotax-hrblock-ai-chatbots
Gartner, Inc. (2023, October 11). Gartner says more than 80 percent of enterprises will have used generative AI APIs or deployed generative AI-enabled applications by 2026 [Press release]. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-10-11-gartner-says-more-than-80-percent-of-enterprises-will-have-used-generative-ai-apis-or-deployed-generative-ai-enabled-applications-by-2026
Hoffman, R. (2025). Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI's full potential at work. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/superagency-in-the-workplace-empowering-people-to-unlock-ais-full-potential-at-work
IT Revolution. (2024, September 12). New research reveals AI coding assistants boost developer productivity by 26%: What IT leaders need to know. IT Revolution. https://itrevolution.com/articles/new-research-reveals-ai-coding-assistants-boost-developer-productivity-by-26-what-it-leaders-need-to-know/
MosaikX. (2024). Case studies: Successful AI marketing campaigns in 2024. MosaikX. https://mosaikx.com/blogs/case-studies-successful-ai-marketing-campaigns-in-2024/
Romo, V. (2025, July 9). Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, started calling itself 'MechaHitler'. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/09/nx-s1-5462609/grok-elon-musk-antisemitic-racist-content