Brands need to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. AI can help. But the content needs to be personalized and trained on the brand's own data to avoid generic output. And brands need to be sure that source content has a clear voice and point of view.

Ogilvy owner WPP leans on “brand brains,” generative AI models trained on a client’s data and external sources, Devika Bulchandani, global CEO of Ogilvy, said at The Marketer’s (Early) Guide to AI event by Marketing Brew last week. Each brand brain and its data belong to the client and can be accessed by both the client and WPP employees.

These brains mean employees don’t have to prompt a universal large language model (LLM) each time, which can be tedious and risks returning similar copy to other marketers using those same LLMs.

Microsoft is also experimenting with training AI to write in brand voice, according to Jennifer Kattula, general manager, global marketing at Microsoft. ChatGPT introduced custom GPTs last year, enabling users to train their own chatbots on brand voice to generate copy, though users need to turn on private browsing to make sure ChatGPT doesn’t retain that data. And AI tools like BrandGuard focus on ensuring consistent brand voice.

Before marketers can take advantage of these tools, they have to make sure their brands actually have a voice. “Invest in making sure you know your brand, what it’s about, and the different attributes that go into that voice,” said Kattula.

Ogilvy’s Bulchandani called herself a “delusional optimist” about generative AI, saying that as marketers take on challenges like establishing brand voice, AI can take on low-value work like resizing a banner or writing product descriptions at scale.

Freelancer platform Upwork’s CMO Melissa Waters said the company hasn’t seen jobs like writing, translation, and customer service entirely displaced by AI. Lower-skilled work within those categories and tasks that are relatively easy to outsource have been replaced, while higher-skilled work is expanding. Waters said Upwork has also seen a growth in AI-specific jobs.