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Using AI for Marketing and Advertising
“AI has changed the way businesses approach marketing and advertising. But as the technology becomes more accessible, I believe we need to ask a more important question: Are we creating more content, or are we creating “more value for our brands?” Deena Syed, Lovemark Strategist at Brand guru agency.
We are not against artificial intelligence. Quite the opposite. AI has become an integral part of how we work, research, analyse information and improve efficiencies across many industries.
For marketing agencies and businesses, the opportunities are enormous.
We can generate content, create imagery, develop advertising concepts, analyse consumer behaviour and produce marketing material in a fraction of the time it once took.
But there is a distinction between using AI to improve the way we work and allowing AI to determine how our brands are represented.
And this is where we believe we need to be careful.
Because while AI can create something visually impressive, it does not necessarily mean that the audience will perceive it as credible, authentic or worthy of their trust.
The Rise of AI-Generated Marketing Content
Historically, professionally produced imagery was a reflection of investment, expertise, creativity and attention to detail.
A carefully art-directed photograph, a well-designed advertising campaign or a thoughtfully developed brand identity communicated something beyond the image itself.
It demonstrated that a business had invested in how it wanted to be perceived.
Today, generative AI allows almost anyone to produce sophisticated imagery within seconds.
The barriers to producing polished creative content have fallen dramatically.
But when everyone can produce beautiful imagery, does beautiful imagery still carry the same value?
We believe this is changing how audiences interpret professional effort, originality and credibility.
The issue is not whether AI-generated graphics look good. Many do.
The issue is whether they create the emotional connection, authenticity and confidence that brands need to build long-term relationships with their audiences.
And increasingly, research is suggesting that these are not necessarily the same thing.
What Does Research Tell Us About AI-Generated Images and Brand Trust?
Recent research is beginning to examine how consumers respond to AI-generated imagery, particularly when they know or suspect that artificial intelligence has been used.
The findings are particularly interesting for businesses investing in brand equity.
- Audiences Can Lose Trust When They Believe an Image Is AI-Generated
A 2025 research paper from the University of Warwick, AI Images, Labels and News Demand, investigated how audiences respond to AI-generated imagery in news.
The experiment involved 2,870 adults in the United Kingdom.
Researchers found that believing an image was AI-generated reduced demand for the news product and perceived outlet quality by approximately 10 percentage points, even when the image itself was genuine.
Think about that for a moment.
The image did not necessarily need to be generated by AI. The perception that it was AI-generated was enough to influence how audiences evaluated the source.
For brands, this raises an important consideration.
Credibility is not simply determined by what we produce. It is also influenced by what audiences believe about how it was produced.
Although the study focused on news rather than corporate advertising, it provides an important insight into the relationship between authenticity and perceived credibility.
- AI Imagery Can Influence Perceptions of Brand Authenticity
Research published in the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, titled Photographed or AI-generated? How image type and message framing influence responses to corporate social responsibility on social media, examined consumer responses to real photographs and AI-generated images.
The researchers found that AI-generated images could produce lower perceptions of human likeness, empathy and corporate social responsibility authenticity than photographs of real people.
This is particularly relevant to organisations communicating social impact, community involvement, sustainability or human experiences.
When a brand claims to care about people, audiences may expect to see evidence of real people, real experiences and genuine impact.
Replacing those experiences with artificial representations may create a disconnect between the brand’s message and how that message is perceived.
And that disconnect can affect trust.
- AI-Generated Designs May Be More Novel but Less Authentic
Research published in Computers in Human Behavior, Perceived authenticity and evaluative asymmetry in judgments of AI-generated product designs, examined how people evaluate AI-generated and human-designed products.
The study found that AI-generated designs could be perceived as more novel and visually distinctive, while receiving lower evaluations for authenticity and usefulness.
This distinction is important.
Novelty attracts attention.
Authenticity helps build trust.
And trust is fundamental to building a strong brand.
For marketers, it raises the question of whether we are prioritising the immediate visual impact of our advertising over the long-term relationship we are trying to build with our customers.
The Difference Between Attention and Brand Equity
One of the biggest challenges I see in marketing today is the confusion between visibility and value.
Businesses are constantly encouraged to produce more content, post more frequently and generate more engagement.
AI has made this easier than ever.
But more content does not automatically mean stronger brand equity.
A brand is not simply what a business says about itself. It is the perception, associations and feelings people develop through their experiences with that business.
And those perceptions are built over time.
An AI-generated image might attract attention. It might even generate engagement.
But does it strengthen the audience’s confidence in the brand?
Does it reinforce what makes the business different?
Does it communicate the values and personality of the organisation?
Does it contribute to the emotional connection that encourages people to choose that brand over another?
These are the questions that should guide marketing decisions.
Not simply how quickly or cheaply we can produce the next campaign.
AI, Lovemarks and the Importance of Authenticity
Our approach to brand strategy has long been influenced by Kevin Roberts’ Lovemarks philosophy, which explores the relationship between Love and Respect.
A brand needs more than awareness to create meaningful loyalty.
It needs to earn respect through performance, credibility and trust, while developing emotional connections that make it meaningful to its audience.
This is where AI-generated marketing content creates an interesting challenge.
AI can help us create imagery that is beautiful, emotional and visually engaging.
But an emotional image is not necessarily an authentic emotional experience.
A synthetic photograph of a smiling customer is not the same as a real customer sharing their experience. Real images have more authenticity and emotional value to the viewer – it’s like the human eyes have a soul.
An AI-generated image of a community event is not evidence that the organisation has contributed to that community.
And an artificial representation of a workplace does not demonstrate the culture that actually exists within that business.
There is a place for creative interpretation, storytelling and visual metaphors.
But when brands use synthetic imagery to represent something that audiences expect to be real, they risk compromising the very trust they are trying to build.
“We cannot manufacture authenticity simply by manufacturing an emotional image.”
When AI-Generated Marketing Content Starts to Damage Brand Credibility
“One of my concerns with the increasing use of AI in marketing is the temptation to substitute convenience for professional judgement.” Deena Syed. Lovemark Strategist at Brand Guru Agency.
We are beginning to see presentations, advertisements and promotional material filled with AI-generated imagery that looks overly polished but lacks connection to the brand itself.
Generic businesspeople, artificial workplaces, exaggerated expressions and imagery that could belong to almost any organisation.
Worse still, there are instances where AI-generated material distorts logos, alters brand assets or creates visual inconsistencies.
For a business that has invested years in building recognition and brand equity, this is not a minor design issue.
Your logo, typography, colours and visual identity are assets that help people recognise and remember your brand.
They should not be compromised simply because a generative tool can produce an attractive graphic.
This is why human oversight remains essential.
A marketing professional should understand not only how to produce an image but why that image is appropriate for the brand, what it communicates and how it may influence the audience’s perception.
That is the difference between content production and brand strategy.
Should Businesses Stop Using AI for Marketing and Advertising?
Absolutely not.
AI offers significant opportunities to improve marketing efficiency, creativity and decision-making.
At Brand Guru Agency, we believe technology should support the strategy, not replace it.
There are many valuable applications for AI, including research, data analysis, content development, creative exploration, marketing automation and operational efficiencies.
AI-generated illustrations can also be highly effective when used to explain abstract concepts, communicate ideas or create imaginative campaigns.
The distinction is knowing when AI adds value and when it potentially compromises authenticity.
For example, an AI-generated illustration explaining a complex business process may be entirely appropriate.
But if a business wants to demonstrate its customer experience, workplace culture, community impact or professional expertise, real photography and genuine evidence may be far more powerful.
The decision should always begin with the brand strategy and the intended audience.
Not with the technology. The brand has to maintain a distinct point of difference.
Five Questions Businesses Should Ask Before Using AI-Generated Imagery
Before incorporating AI-generated visuals into your next advertising campaign, presentation or website, consider the following:
1. Authenticity:
- Does the image genuinely reflect our brand, our people and the experience we deliver?
2. Credibility:
- Will our audience trust what they are seeing, or could the image create doubt about the message?
3. Brand consistency:
- Does the visual respect our brand identity, including our logo, colours, personality and positioning?
4. Strategic relevance:
- Is the image reinforcing our brand positioning, or is it simply making the content look attractive?
5. Long-term brand equity:
- Will this contribute to the trust, respect and emotional connection we want to build with our audience?
6. Creative Ownership:
- Who owns the rights to the images and creative output produces?
These questions matter because marketing should not simply generate activity.
It should create value.
The Future of AI in Marketing Needs More Human Judgement, Not Less
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly sophisticated, I believe the role of the marketing professional will become even more important.
Not necessarily because we need more people producing content, but because we need people who understand strategy, psychology, creativity, consumer behaviour and brand equity. Human connection is now a scarcity in the market and customised or personalised products are in high demand. It’s basic economics demand vs supply. If we have an abundance of things that are mass produced, handmade products go up in value.
AI can generate thousands of images.
It cannot independently determine which image genuinely represents the lived experience of your organisation or whether that representation deserves your audience’s trust.
That requires human understanding, context and judgement.
The research does not suggest that every AI-generated image will damage a brand. Audience responses depend on context, disclosure, execution and expectations.
But it does challenge the assumption that visual polish automatically translates into credibility.
And for businesses investing in their brand, that distinction matters.
“The future of marketing should not be about choosing between artificial intelligence and human creativity. It should be about using artificial intelligence intelligently, while protecting the authenticity that makes a brand worth choosing.”
Because at the end of the day, people do not build lasting relationships with content.
They build relationships with brands they trust.
And trust remains one of the most valuable assets a business can own.
AI, Copyright and Intellectual Property: Who Owns What You Create?
There is another important consideration when using AI for marketing and advertising: copyright and intellectual property ownership. Just because an AI platform generates an image, article, logo or design does not automatically mean your business owns the copyright or has unrestricted rights to use it commercially.
In Australia, copyright protection generally requires human authorship, and the legal position becomes more complex when content is generated predominantly by AI. Businesses also need to consider whether AI-generated material incorporates existing copyrighted works, trademarks or other protected intellectual property.
The terms and conditions of the AI platform can further affect how generated content may be used. For businesses investing in building strong brands and valuable intellectual property, these are not minor considerations.
Before using AI-generated content commercially, it is important to understand what rights you actually have and whether you could be exposing your business to legal risks. Our client at Quest Legal explore these issues in more detail in their article, Australia’s New AI Framework: What Businesses Need to Know.
Research and References
- University of Warwick / CAGE (2025)
AI Images, Labels and News Demand.
https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/research/centres/cage/publications/workingpapers/2025/ai_images_labels_and_news_demand/ - Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing (2026)
Photographed or AI-generated? How image type and message framing influence responses to corporate social responsibility on social media.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-10-2025-0635 - Computers in Human Behavior (2026)
Perceived authenticity and evaluative asymmetry in judgments of AI-generated product designs.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2026.109153 - Journal of Interactive Advertising (2026)
When AI Meets Advertising Creative: Attitudinal Effects of AI-Generation Disclosures for Copy and Visuals.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2026.2665454
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