Your Marketing Personalization Strategy Needs an AI Audit

The Gist

AI’s branding risk. AI-generated content can weaken brand identity over time and create inconsistencies that confuse customers and erode trust.

Defining AI’s role. Without clear guidelines, AI use in marketing becomes chaotic, which leads to disjointed messaging and potential compliance risks.

Human oversight matters. AI speeds up content creation, but human editors must maintain brand consistency and customer trust.

Artificial intelligence is now embedded in just about every marketing tech stack, some more strategically than others.

McKinsey reported that 92% of companies plan to increase their AI spending over the next three years, yet only 1% rate themselves as being very mature in deployment. Currently, 88% of individual marketers use AI technologies in their work, according to a SurveyMonkey study. However, the growing number of AI tools being used in different ways is creating inconsistencies that could lead to brand chaos.

Beyond these internal challenges, AI-driven search optimization is changing how brands appear online. Traditional visual elements like logos, colors and fonts are giving way to barebones product information. Some marketers are nervous about this fast and loose adoption of AI, which threatens to water down or even eradicate their brands and could ultimately lead to aggressive customer mistrust and disengagement.

And what if the very thing that promises to elevate brand strategy is the same thing that threatens to dismantle it?

Personalization Challenges with AI in Brand Strategy

Personalization used to be one of those things everyone talked about, but not many actually did. Then AI came along and gave marketers a simple way to create personalized messages for each prospect, a task that’s usually too big for most content teams. Now, more companies are jumping on board because, when done right, using personalization can bring in up to 40% more revenue than competitors, according to McKinsey.

But here's the catch. AI-generated messages don't always sound like the brand's true voice. At first, small differences might not seem like a big deal, but over time, those inconsistencies can weaken your brand identity, set you apart less and even hurt customer trust.

The Risks of AI-Generated Personalization in Cybercrime

When a brand’s message feels off or doesn’t sound right, it can raise suspicion, especially with cybercrime becoming more sophisticated. In the last year, many people have received scammers’ personalized texts and emails that looked surprisingly real.

That’s because cybercriminals are using the same tools marketers do (generative AI) to launch phishing attacks at scale. If your brand messaging doesn’t fully align with your brand strategy, your prospects might even mistake it for a scam.

Related Article: Beware of the Fake Podcast Invite Scam

How to Conduct an Effective AI Audit for Brand Integrity

My company recently held a focus group with mid to late-career marketers, and the conversation naturally shifted in the direction of brand consistency. Content, growth and demand generation marketers all expressed worry that the trust they’ve built over time could be compromised by AI-generated content that lacks brand integrity.

As one growth marketing expert said, “It’s not just about pushing products or solutions; it’s about having meaningful conversations with customers and building relationships.” This principle is at the heart of every great marketing campaign, and it hasn’t changed with the rise of generative AI. That said, the landscape is definitely different now, which is why you need a formal quarterly audit to make sure that all AI-generated content aligns with your brand strategy.

Here’s how to start:

Evaluate Data Privacy Compliance in Personalization

Data privacy remains a top concern for consumers. New regulations may be put in place, but the introduction of new technology can sometimes feel like it cancels out any sense of security. Marketers are especially wary that AI could blur the line between personalization and intrusiveness. One focus group participant said, “Consumers are increasingly wary of AI-driven content, especially if they feel like their data is being misused.”

Before diving into anything else, review how your AI tools handle customer data. Are they compliant with GDPR, CCPA and other privacy regulations? Make sure your entire marketing team understands these rules and stays up to date.

Decide When and Where AI Can Be Used

Many marketers are unsure about using AI because their leadership team hasn’t set clear guidelines. Some feel conflicted as leadership sends mixed messages. They encourage AI adoption with statements like “AI is a powerful tool, so use it!” while also expressing uncertainty with “But we don’t know how it impacts our brand, so don’t use it!”

Collaborate with your team to define where and how AI can be used. Involve the right marketing SMEs to make sure AI is applied correctly, and ask your legal department to check if it complies with copyright laws and privacy regulations. Create a document that outlines these rules, and make it accessible to everyone. Clear guidelines will give your marketers peace of mind.

Align on Tools and Prompting

Given everyone's unique workflow, choosing one solution for the entire marketing team can feel impossible. Consider narrowing down your AI tools to just two options for content marketers. Your team should work together to train each system on your brand voice. This could mean feeding the AI your brand guidelines, or it could mean having a brand SME help define what’s working in AI and what to look for in audits. This collaborative approach helps make sure that AI tools are aligned with your brand strategy.

Document all tips and guidelines for consistent prompting, and update your team regularly by working AI best practices into all-hands meetings. This helps make sure that AI content always aligns with your brand.

Deploy the Brand Police

AI can help align your systems with strategic goals, but it must be managed by humans. This means your editorial process needs to evolve. Before, you may have had a writer, editor and final reviewer for every piece of content. Now, you have a collaboration between AI and humans.

Consider adding one or two human checkpoints to review content for brand consistency. The good news is that the writing process is faster, but more time is needed for cross-checking. Consider incorporating this process into your project management tool to make sure every piece of content meets your brand standards.

The goalpost will always shift when it comes to AI-powered content. New tech will emerge, marketers will adjust, and processes will evolve. But throughout this process, stay proactive about maintaining your brand voice. By doing so, you'll continue to stand out and stay relevant, even as others get caught up in the rush for quick content.

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