AI in Marketing: Game-Changing Tool or Overhyped Robot Assistant?
AI is everywhere. And in marketing? It’s either your new secret weapon, or a fast track to sounding like everyone else online.
In our latest Circle Sessions episode with Brett Johnson from Circle270Media, we (Yasmine and Izzy from Rebel Marketing) unpacked the hype, the headaches, and the reality of using AI in modern marketing. Spoiler: We love AI… but only when it’s used right.
If you're wondering whether to lean into tools like ChatGPT, Canva’s Magic Studio, or AI-generated podcast clips, here's the good, the bad, and the please-don’t-copy-paste-that.
Let’s Be Real: AI Is a Tool, Not a Savior
First thing's first. AI is not magic. It’s a glorified intern who works fast, needs very specific instructions, and still requires your oversight.
Yes, it can help with:
Brainstorming content ideas
Summarizing meetings or transcripts
Speeding up rough drafts
Organizing your schedule
Generating social post frameworks
Sourcing keywords for SEO (with human backup)
But if you’re copying and pasting without edits, you’re setting yourself up for boring content that sounds like everyone else, and risks sounding robotic or worse, wrong.
Efficiency vs. Originality: Where AI Shines and Where It Sputters
AI is awesome when:
You’re in brainstorming mode and the coffee hasn’t kicked in
You want to automate simple tasks (like meeting summaries or first-draft outlines)
You’re testing A/B content variations for a campaign
You’re gathering inspiration or getting unstuck
But it fails when:
You expect it to write like you without training it
You let it speak for your brand without edits
You assume it’s always accurate (AI lies sometimes, y’all)
You expect it to capture humor, sarcasm, or cultural nuance
If it sounds like AI wrote it, your audience will notice and bounce.
AI Isn’t Creative. You Are.
AI can give you ideas, but it can’t be the idea.
Why? Because it can’t feel, relate, or scroll TikTok at 1 a.m. like the rest of us. It doesn’t know that inside joke your audience loves. It doesn’t understand sarcasm, memes, or the chaotic brilliance of a tall/short team dynamic (shoutout to our viral LinkedIn post).
That’s why AI will never replace human creativity. It can assist. It can accelerate. But it can’t originate with the same insight, boldness, or wit that a real human can bring.
Want content that converts? Start with your brain, not the bot.
Canva’s Magic Studio? We’ve Tested It. Meh.
We gave Canva’s AI feature a spin. Our verdict? It’s fine for folks who don’t really care about branding, but if you want your visuals to match your vibe, you’re better off designing it yourself.
Case in point: Ask it to design a logistics company graphic, and you’ll likely get a generic man in a neon vest looking confused. Not the storytelling you’re aiming for.
Instead:
Use AI for inspiration, not final product
Pull layout ideas, not your whole campaign
Layer in your brand’s voice, visuals, and tone
We love Canva, but AI-generated design still needs a heavy human lift.
Where Human Creativity Still Wins
Want to connect emotionally? Build trust? Create inside jokes with your audience?
That’s human.
AI doesn’t understand cultural nuance or humor. It can’t feel proud of your first website or get giddy about launching your podcast. It’s great for:
Data analysis
Pattern recognition
Drafting structures
But it can’t:
Make your audience laugh
Capture what makes your brand different
Think like a scrappy founder or side hustler
Build connection the way you do
The Risk of Overreliance: It’s Getting Weird Out There
Too many people are using AI like it’s the holy grail. It’s not. And it’s leading to:
Generic, repetitive content
Bland visuals
Misinformation (yes, AI can make things up)
SEO penalties (Google’s watching, friends)
AI should not be a shortcut for thinking. It’s a tool for supporting your thinking. If you skip the strategy, you’ll sound like a robot and sink your credibility.
Our Approach at Rebel Marketing
Here’s how we use AI in our own workflow:
We feed it detailed prompts with our brand tone, audience profile, and past content
We use it for brainstorming, not full execution
We build custom chat instances for each client or podcast so it learns their brand
We always review, rewrite, and reinject our voice before hitting publish
We use it to find patterns in data and build out project schedules faster
We test SEO ideas, but run the final list through human analysis and real tools
Think of AI like a slightly chaotic toddler. Fun, useful, sometimes surprising, but never left alone in the kitchen.
What’s Next for AI in Marketing?
AI is getting smarter, but it’s not getting more original. It’s a “faster follower,” not a trendsetter.
The future is likely full of:
AI-assisted content planning
Tighter integrations with calendars and task managers
Streamlined keyword ideation
More auto-generated video and podcast clips
But human marketers will still lead the charge when it comes to:
Humor
Brand storytelling
Campaign strategy
Anything emotionally intelligent
As Izzy put it: AI is the younger sibling trying to copy everything you do but not quite getting it right.
TL;DR: Use AI, Don’t Be AI
AI is a power tool. But don’t hand it the hammer and expect it to build your brand.
Let it:
Save you time
Help you brainstorm
Speed up structure
But you must:
Guide it
Edit it
Make it yours
Otherwise, you’ll just blend in with the rest of the robotic noise online, and that’s the exact opposite of what your brand deserves.
Want Help Building AI Into Your Marketing Without Losing Your Soul?
We’ll help you strike the balance between human creativity and smart systems, so your content stays fresh, your brand stays you, and your audience actually cares.
