Why Brand Strategy Matters More in the Age of AI Content
By Jason Pohl
We should have known better.
Our client wasn’t happy with the tone of voice of the content we were doing for them. Even though we had done the persona research, defined the target audience, and built out a content schedule based on sound strategy, we were now hitting friction several months into our contract with them.
The problem? We had never clearly defined our client’s tone of voice.
I guess we had assumed that the brand voice would emerge naturally from the strategy. And, to some extent, it did, especially on social media as the owner of the company, and primary spokesperson, was speaking in videos. But that tone of voice broke down across the different media like web and email and required more revisions than necessary for the client to be satisfied that the content was clearly speaking their language.
The cost was significant—lost time and strain on the relationship with the client. We knew we needed to pivot, so we quickly developed a single-page tone-of-voice document that we submitted to the client for review. Upon their approval, that document would be our guide for future communications across digital mediums.
This is what we learned: tone of voice isn’t the finishing touch on brand strategy but rather an essential part of the strategy itself.
While persona research defines who you’re talking to; tone of voice is how you sound when you speak.
Many companies are using AI to assist in delivering value-driven marketing content, including technical writing. But without a clear brand strategy to guide it, it won’t represent the client well or land with the target audience. You must define your client’s tone of voice and then remain consistent to effectively deliver their brand message.
Based on what we learned through this experience, here are five considerations:
1. Fast and competent are commonplace
With the help of AI, everyone can now produce fast, competent-sounding content. But there are also a lot of humans out there now who love to spot the patterns of AI-produced written content and disregard it as such.
Speed and price are no longer the bottlenecks of consistent brand content. But if everyone is doing it, how do you expect your content to stand out and get noticed?
2. Tone of voice is a trust signal
AI helps to eliminate both your mistakes and your quirks. The problem is that your writing becomes so smooth it’s no longer memorable.
In a feed full of AI-smooth copy, a distinct, human voice is a true differentiator. You connect with your audience when they sense that someone real is behind the content.
This was partly what our client was saying—the written content can be good, but it doesn’t work if it doesn’t build trust. In the same way, a strong strategy doesn’t deliver if there is no defined and distinct tone of voice.
3. Brand is a filter
A brand’s visual identity, expressed through elements like a logo, colours and typeface, is one aspect of how a brand is communicated. But your brand should also act as a filter and decision matrix that determines what you say and how you say it.
In the case with our client, we had much of the brand strategy in place but had not finished defining how the filter would work. Once we defined the tone-of-voice details across mediums, we had a very useful filter and guide for brand messaging.
This past week, two teammates and I attended SocialPacific, a marketing conference in Vancouver, where René Thomas and Lindsay Smith from Takt presented about The Brand Matrix, based on the book of the same name by Mats Urde. The matrix provides a fuller framework for a company to consider other important aspects of brand, such as value proposition, mission and vision, personality and culture, for the development of a more comprehensive brand filter. See below for an overview of the brand matrix.
4. Consistency compounds
One or two good posts written with the assistance of AI might generate momentary attention. However, when the company’s voice is applied consistently over months, it is operating in alignment with the brand identity.
The US Navy Seals have a saying: “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” It means that when we deliberately slow down and execute each step with care and precision, our movements become smooth and error-free. Over time, that smoothness becomes faster than rushing, because rushing creates mistakes that cost you more time to fix.
When we develop our client’s brand voice, the initial work of defining the voice takes time, but this allows for an AI-assisted scaling of content that can pay off in the long run instead of just multiplying noise.
5. The friction is the point
Doing the harder, slower work of defining who you are before scaling content is exactly the thing you don’t want to shortcut by simply using AI.
In our case, the friction we experienced with our client was not a setback, it was productive and rounded out the strategic development of their brand. Though much of our culture tries its utmost to remove friction and discomfort, when it is valued as part of the learning process it can develop into a long-term asset.
Final Considerations
We’re still in the middle of this one with our client. As we work on their tone of voice, our relationship with them is growing stronger. Trust is being rebuilt. Although I can’t tell you yet how the story ends, I know we’re heading in the right direction.
Shortcuts at the beginning rarely deliver in the end. Skipping or rushing how your brand is defined creates mistakes that cost more time than the time it would have originally taken. Doing the hard work early builds the foundation for true connection and trust.
AI is not the enemy. It’s a tool to be used with discernment and care. The truth is, if you let it, AI will happily help you move in the wrong direction. It has no opinion on who you are. Rather, it only reflects what you give it. The slower work of defining your voice and your brand filter might seem like an obstacle in the initial stages, but it will be what truly sets your brand voice apart.
In my next article, I’ll explore the deeper question of why it got skipped in the first place. Stay tuned.
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