Blind leading the blind?

I read a post on LinkedIn recently. It was authored by a graphic designer decrying the generic nature of AI-generated brand design.

He or she was not a fan, obviously, and why would you be, a two-minute prompt, doing what a designer may take days to do. 

The post prompted an indignant reply, “I don’t take any notice of branding. If the service is great and the price is right, that’s all that matters. Branding is irrelevant.”

I must admit to a little chuckle. The responder reminded me of a focus group I sat through a few years ago.

It was a pretty big deal. National brand, TV storyboards, and a room full of punters. I was behind the glass with the research team and the account director.

The mediator began to introduce the process when a guy cut her off mid-sentence. He spouted off much the same rhetoric as the respondent above, to nods of approval from those assembled to pass judgment on my work.

The difference here being, thanks to the one-way glass, I could see the leader of the pack. Nike trainers, Levi jeans, a Fred Perry polo shirt, topped off by a New York Yankees baseball cap.

If not a slave to branding, his whole outfit could have cost him a quarter of the price!

This leads us to the oft-repeated affirmation that brands aren’t just logos but the entire personality they project, presumably invisible to some.

Perhaps more interesting and central to this subject is the sheep-like nature of humans.

In his brilliant book ‘The Choice Factory’, Richard Sutton states that “humans rely on social proof - we look to others to decide how to behave, especially in uncertain situations. This sheep-like tendency isn’t irrational; it’s an efficient mental shortcut that helps us make quicker decisions by assuming that if many people are doing something, it’s probably the right choice.”

Maybe not the end of the world when deciding whether to run a TV ad, but we need to understand and accept that a group can be led by a confident, outspoken member.

Great entertainment watching BBC's Traitors round table, a fine example of one person leading the rest of a group over the cliff of their own beliefs.

But less fun for the accused at the Crown Court when a jury is led, often by an alpha male.

My point?

In an ever-dominated AI world, generic by nature and function, we must strive for unique, instinctive human storytelling that sets brands apart and gives us reason to choose. Otherwise, the sheep win.

Okay, it’s a fair cop, I did use AI for my trophy-winning sheep.