Humans still outperform in crafting effective marketing strategies

Is AI going to take my job? Is AI going to make our services redundant? Is AI going to takeover the world?! I know it isn’t just me having this existential crisis on an almost weekly basis!

AI can do an infinite number of tasks, in the marketing arena this includes anything and everything from analysing data and generating content to pulling together a full marketing strategy in less than three seconds. From predictive analytics to automated campaign execution, AI has certainly transformed how businesses approach marketing.

But while AI can write and activate a marketing strategy, that doesn’t necessarily mean it can do it better. I believe that the most effective strategies still come from the human brain.

Crucially, AI lacks human empathy and emotional intelligence and marketing is fundamentally about connecting with people (and in the case of some of our clients, animals!)

At Nobull’s core is working on the intangible and we truly believe that the best campaigns tap into emotions, values, and shared experiences. While AI can analyse sentiment data and detect patterns in behaviour, it doesn’t feel empathy (not yet anyway).

We understand nuance, for example why a customer might pick one brand over another, the reasons that go beyond logic. Humans can read between the lines, sense cultural patterns, and recognise emotional cues in a way AI simply cannot.

Creativity

Creativity comes from lived experience and while AI can repackage existing ideas, it can’t originate creativity in the same way us humans can. Human imagination has always given birth to the most memorable marketing campaigns.

Creative marketing isn’t about generating a large amount of content; it’s about telling stories that resonate, are thought provoking and inspirational. Human strategists bring together personal experience, cultural understanding, and intuition that give campaigns real soul.

Data

AI is only as good as its training and data feed. It can identify trends, predict outcomes, and automate decisions but it can’t foresee the unpredictable. Topical events, cultural moods or bias attention can mean buyer behaviour is ever-changing and shifts can happen at lightning speed.

Us marketers can respond to this with dexterity and context. We don’t just blindly react to data, we interpret it, question it, and sometimes go against it. The best strategies often come from a challenger standpoint.

Judgement

Brand identity requires human judgement. AI can maintain consistent brand tone of voice, but it doesn’t understand why that tone matters. Bringing to life a brand’s voice, objective, and positioning requires conviction and self-awareness, qualities that come from human perception, not robot reason.

A brand’s identity is shaped by principle, vision, and values, all themselves human concepts. Without our direction, AI-produced marketing can feel ‘samey’ rather than distinctive.

Authenticity

Conscience and authenticity still require a human touch. Marketing doesn’t exist in a void, it influences culture. Inclusivity and representation in advertising can’t be left to computer systems.

Humans can assess the emotional impact of campaigns, ensuring that marketing remains respectful, and aligned with brand values. AI can’t understand the subtlety between intelligent and contentious or between convincing and manipulative.

Meeting in the middle

The most successful businesses, including Nobull, have embraced AI to strengthen our creativity not replace it. We let it handle campaign automation and number crunching, while we focus on what we do best; storytelling and the intangible emotional connectivity between our clients and their target audiences.

‍