In our second Q&A with AI expert Jacob Robinson, we explore how leading Toronto PR agency APEX PR is using AI, and how some clients are using it.
Jacob also shares: AI's improvement of employee and consultant performance; and his thinking about why copywriters should not rely on generative AI. Read part one of our Q&A here, and part three.
AI supports work for clients
Code Words: On the client side, what results are clients interested in when an agency uses AI? Saving time and focusing on strategic work? More balanced decision making? Customer care? Content production? How are you advising clients?
Jacob: It all depends on the client, the use case, the workflow, the business objectives, and how AI would best serve their needs.
We use AI in PR when there are certain tasks that are repetitive and baseline in nature. The use of AI tools can free to frees up time, time we can to redirect to creative work – such as overcoming writer’s block for an upcoming creative campaign.
If you can use AI to get (or help get) an integrated marketing campaign, a landing page, AdWords for SEO, media kits, promotional materials (and that's just on the generative side), a client would probably would be in favour and scale to what they think their budget should be.
When it comes to customer care, I suspect we’ll be seeing a lot more conversational chatbots as part of the marketing funnel and lead generation. But the focus should remain on people and what they need, not the tech stack.
AI and improving employee/consultant performance
Above, a worker effectiveness study, conducted by BCG consultants with more than 750 of their consultants. It reveals improved speed and efficiency when working with the right AI tools for the job, and ensuring correct inputs.
The end results: less time, less cost, greater output.
The caveat: There’s no magic wand.
The pain point: It takes time and effort to properly train the AI. And by the time you do so, the AI you’re using is probably out of date.
Code Words: Do clients need to understand how AI works?
Jacob: Given the competitive nature of the business, of course. Organisations are already expressing interest on know how AI can save them time and cost, while enhancing user experiences. The smart ones want to get ahead of the game so they don't get left behind. There's no downside in exploring and considering options.
AI in PR
Code Words: Can you give examples of how your clients are using AI?
Jacob: Here are some examples:
Walmart's Latest Tech-Powered Experiments Aim To Make Shopping Easier and More Convenient. Walmart believes that generative AI (GenAI), a type of artificial intelligence that can generate text, images or other media from the data it’s trained on, can help Walmart customers spend more time doing the things they enjoy and less time scrolling, tapping and searching.
How Roku uses AI and machine learning to power TV streaming advertising. Roku is using AI to help users find content to watch. When you turn on a Roku TV or a Roku streaming player, there’s a user interface that is largely driven by machine learning to bring content to users that’s interesting to keep them engaged.
DoorDash Introduces AI and Agent-Powered Voice Ordering Solution. Door Dash recently announced its development of voice ordering capabilities incorporating AI, building on its existing model leveraging best-in-class agents, to further support restaurant operations.
Should copywriters rely on gen AI?
Code Words: What are you views on copywriters relying on generative AI, or companies insisting that copywriters use it a lot?
Jacob: Copywriter or not, I don't think it's wise for anyone to rely too much on AI—I think it’s a bad habit. We don’t want to create an existential crisis unnecessarily—the AI chatbot (direct access to LLM) or API (communication to the LLM) should be viewed and treated as a co-pilot, or an extension of the human, not a substitute.
Also, go beyond ChatGPT. Explore Copy.ai, Wordtune, or Rytr.
Do you have questions about AI for Jacob? Send them to us and we'll forward them to him and publish the answers soon.
Read Jacob's part-one Q&A, and part three Q&A.
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