As businesses continue to adapt to the digital landscape, AI has emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing brand management. The Harvard Business Review article, “How AI Can Power Brand Management”1 by Julian De Freitas and Elie Ofek, explores how brands can leverage AI to improve customer experiences and automate creative tasks while maintaining their unique identities.
Prominent examples illustrate AI’s transformative potential, such as Nike’s collaboration with the Parisian artist collective Obvious. By using generative AI, Nike was able to create fresh designs for its iconic Air Max sneakers, showcasing how AI can support brand creativity without losing its essence. This collaboration exemplifies how AI can enable brands to innovate while staying true to their core values and aesthetics.
The article outlines four key areas where AI impacts brand management:
- Productivity: AI enhances customer service efficiency, allowing brands to improve customer interactions while empowering human agents. For instance, Intuit, a global financial-technology platform that makes software for personal finance, small-business operations, and tax prep, utilized AI to provide personalized feedback to its customer service representatives, resulting in increased employee satisfaction and more effective service delivery. By streamlining routine inquiries and automating repetitive tasks, AI allows human agents to focus on more complex issues, ultimately leading to a better customer experience.
- Prediction: Caterpillar, a maker of heavy-duty construction and mining equipment, utilizes AI to foresee potential issues before they arise, as demonstrated by their predictive maintenance technology. This innovative approach not only enhances customer relationships by preventing equipment failures but also strengthens brand trust. By anticipating customer needs and addressing them proactively, brands can foster a sense of reliability and dependability among their audience.
- Personalization: Companies like LOOP (car insurance app) are leveraging AI to tailor their offerings, ensuring that customers feel valued beyond their initial purchase. By analyzing customer data and preferences, AI allows brands to create personalized experiences that resonate with individual consumers. This approach not only increases customer loyalty but also reflects a brand’s commitment to its customers, transforming one-time buyers into long-term advocates.
- Proposals: AI can aid in generating marketing materials that align with a brand’s voice, as seen with Jasper AI, a marketing-content generator. This capability allows for efficient content creation without compromising the brand’s identity. By using AI tools to draft and refine marketing copy, brands can maintain a consistent tone and style while reducing the time and resources spent on content development.
However, the authors emphasize that while AI can significantly augment brand management efforts, it should not replace the human elements that are crucial to building strong brand relationships. Successful brand managers will learn to integrate AI thoughtfully, harnessing its capabilities to enhance creativity and effectiveness while retaining control over brand identity.
The essence of a brand still lies in its ability to connect with customers on a personal level. Therefore, it is essential for brands to find a balance between leveraging AI technology and maintaining the human touch that fosters meaningful connections with their audience.
In a world increasingly driven by technology, the future of brand management will rely on the ability to blend human insight with AI innovation. For more insights on how AI can power brand management, check out the original Harvard Business Review article, “How AI Can Power Brand Management.”
1De Freitas, J., & Ofek, E. (2024, September 12). How AI can power brand management. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2024/09/how-ai-can-power-brand-management?ab=HP-magazine-text-2
