Last week, I had ChatGPT attempt to rewrite one of our automated email flows. I'll be honest...it did a decent job on the first draft.
It checked all the boxes: clean layout, clear CTA, friendly tone.
But the more I read it, the more it felt... off. Like someone imitating our brand voice instead of actually having it.
Here's an example:
- "Absolutely! π Here's a quick breakdown: β
"
- "In todayβs fast-paced digital worldβ¦ π€"
I'm starting to see this kind of content everywhere.
As much as I massage this messaging (or what the cool marketers are calling "vibe" with AI, ha!) I'm still struggling to get AI to capture the real tone and meaning.
AI is efficient. But brand is emotional.
We talk a lot about scale and automation. And yes, AI can absolutely speed things up. I've become way more efficient in brainstorming, briefs, data pulls, and research.
But brand voice? To me, that's more art than algorithm. The stories and cultural references you pull. The little wink in the subject line that tells your readers, "this was made for you."
From what I've gathered, AI doesn't really have taste, context, or a sense of humor. (Although it will try...) And readers can feel the difference.
Here's a quick content audit / voice check I use before we ship anything:
1 / Gut-check the feeling - What emotion should people get from your brand? Choose 3 words that sum it up and stay consistent with this.
2 / Remove the robotics - Flag where your copy sounds generic, overly polished, or like it could belong to anyone.
3 / Protect what's unmistakably you - Keep the phrases, quirks, and stories that only you would use. Don't let it get templated out.
So, to wrap this up. We're not ditching AI here. But, we are protecting what makes our brand human.
I'm not saying don't use AI as a writing tool. Instead, use it to support your voice, not replace it. The thinking, the feeling, the stories? That still comes from you.
Where's your brand voice starting to feel a little too ChatGPT?
"πβ
π€" - if ya know what I mean. Ha!
COPY + PASTE THIS AI PROMPT
Story Bank Ideas for Future Content
You are a content strategist helping me create a brand story bank from messy inputs.
Iβll paste in a mix of feedback, customer/team notes, internal comments, and anecdotes.
Your job is to:
1 / Identify story-worthy moments (personal, customer, product, team-related)
2 / Categorize them into themes:
β Customer Wins
β Product Quirks
β Founder or Team Moments
β Behind-the-Scenes
3 / Highlight emotionally rich, surprising, or uniquely βusβ language
Output as a clean, organized list.Donβt rewrite or polish...just extract and group useful story pieces so I can shape them later.
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