Branding in the Age of AI

Jan 27

Treebird Client: 1731 MGMT, no AI-used to generate this brand

How to use artificial intelligence without losing brand identity

AI is now part of the branding conversation whether brands like it or not. Businesses are searching for how to use AI in branding, how AI affects brand voice, and how to stay authentic when automation is everywhere.

The problem is not the technology. The problem is how it is being used.

Many brands are relying on AI tools to generate brand messaging, visual ideas, and content without first defining who they are. When that happens, branding becomes generic. It may be polished, but it is interchangeable.

Search engines and AI platforms reward clarity, consistency, and specificity. Brands that rely on vague language and templated thinking are already harder to surface in search results and AI-generated answers.

Where brands go wrong with AI and branding

AI is trained on existing material. When brands use it to define their identity, they are borrowing from the past instead of building something distinct.

Common mistakes include:

Using AI to write brand positioning without strategy
Allowing AI-generated copy to define tone of voice
Relying on prompts instead of customer insight
Producing high volumes of content with no brand system

This leads to messaging that sounds professional but says very little. It also makes it harder for search engines and AI models to understand what your brand actually stands for.

How to use AI tools the right way in branding

AI works best as a support system, not a decision-maker.

Effective uses of AI in brand strategy include:

Analyzing customer reviews, feedback, and research
Identifying patterns in competitor messaging
Speeding up content drafts that are later refined by humans
Supporting SEO optimization after brand language is defined

Strong brands set their positioning, brand voice, and visual identity first. AI then helps execute consistently across platforms.

Why human-led branding still matters

Search engines, social platforms, and AI assistants prioritize brands that are easy to categorize and easy to trust. That requires a clear value proposition, defined messaging, and visual consistency.

AI cannot decide:

What your brand believes
Who your best-fit customers are
What makes you meaningfully different

Those decisions come from listening, strategy, and experience.

AI can help you move faster. It cannot replace brand thinking.

Jaci Lund

Jaci Lund partner, creative director, designer Jaci’s quick wit and native intelligence comes across as soon as you meet her—and carries over to her design, where she fuses fun and sophistication in just the right doses. With a dual focus on creating original branding for new concepts and revitalizing the look and feel of even the most-established brands, Jaci approaches each project with a fresh and thoughtful perspective. While she recognizes the relevance of current trends, she’s hyper-conscious of the fine line that separates “trend” from “fad,” and tends toward more timeless and classic looks for her clients. Before founding Treebird, Jaci was instrumental in growing the design department at Atlanta’s The Reynolds Group, Inc. Through a five-year tenure that saw her quickly ascend to senior designer and then become the company’s first creative director, Jaci worked on design and branding projects with visionaries, entrepreneurs, and business leaders whom she admires greatly and whose own passion elevates her sense of what’s possible through new design, branding, and communication. Jaci has won nine ADDY Awards (and counting) for her design and branding work and has twice been featured in the national design blog “Art of the Menu.” She holds a B.A. in communications from Michigan State University and completed the graphic design program at The Creative Circus, where she also teaches a quarterly course called “Introduction to Creative Thinking.” To see Jaci's previous work please visit jacilund.com.

treebirdbranding.com