By Simon Honeywood, Readysalted
Artificial intelligence is extraordinary. Nobody serious is arguing otherwise.
But something is happening quietly across business marketing, and it is worth paying attention to. The poster in the airport bar that looks polished but says nothing. The website that could belong to any company in any sector. The LinkedIn post that sounds like every other LinkedIn post. We are, whether we like it or not, entering an era of impressive mediocrity.
The shiny new toy
AI has handed a design eye to people who never had one, and a voice to people who struggled to articulate themselves. That is genuinely valuable, and I include myself in that. AI helps me eradicate spelling mistakes, proof my writing and communicate more clearly. I am grateful for it.
But a tool that makes average easier also makes average more common. The bar for good enough has dropped precisely because good enough is now effortless. Most people cannot articulate why something feels generic. They just feel it and move on.
This year alone, we have received several website briefs where prospective clients have used AI to generate their designs before approaching us to build them. The results were impressive in one sense. AI can produce something that looks pretty credible at a glance. But almost none of it was fit for purpose. There was no understanding of the business behind it, the audience it was meant to serve or the purpose behind a single page. It looked like “a website”. It just was not their website.
What gets lost
Brand is not just a logo or a colour palette. It is the accumulation of decisions that make a business feel like itself. Generic content does not just blend in, it actively undermines the credibility you have spent years building. It affects how your clients feel about your business. Your audience may not be able to pinpoint why something feels off. But they feel it and make decisions based on it.
What AI cannot do is understand what makes your business different. That requires knowing your business inside and out, and knowing your business requires time, questions and honest conversation.
The work that happens before the work
Before a single word is written or a design decision is made, the most important work is understanding. Who is the audience? What do they need? What does the business genuinely do well? What does it want to be known for?
Skipping this and reaching straight for a tool is like building on sand. A website that works, one that genuinely reflects your brand, serves your audience and is accessible to everyone who lands on it, requires considered human judgement. AI can support that process. It cannot replace it.
Using AI in the right order
The businesses whose content stands out will be the ones that use AI to sharpen their thinking, not substitute for it. Your brand is not a prompt. Treat it like one and your audience will notice, even if they cannot say exactly why.
Step back. Think about what your business stands for and who you are talking to. Then use the tools.
In that order.
www.readysalted.co.uk