By Jane Dornemann

Image by Suzanne Calkins

Gossip (for nerds) 

• Even though its cloud division underperformed, quarterly earnings for Amazon surpassed expectations. Profits were up 88% from a year ago! Everyone was on Amazon buying canned goods and oxygen canisters because soon we won’t be able to go outside without having to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the half-zombie half-human who used to be our neighbor while a nuclear bomb explodes in the background. 
• In Microsoft’s quarterly earnings report, AI revenue was $3B above forecast. However, its cloud earnings fell short (the exact words from UBS analysts were “far worse than expected”), which led stock to dip 5%. 
• While AWS ramps up data center spending, Microsoft canceled leases with at least two private data center operators. It currently leases data center capacity from various suppliers, but recent cancellations may signal an oversupply (an “AI bubble”) issue—slow customer payoffs and the arrival of DeepSeek are two reasons why demand may be cooling. 
• So, what does this all mean for next quarter? Microsoft’s CFO says it’ll probably fall short again, citing influences like foreign exchange rates and businesses not dedicating budgets to AI. Also, spitting truth: “Customers feel that ‘sorely needed features, enhancements, and fixes to core products’ have been put to the side ‘in favor of trying to build a Copilot into everything.’” 
• A Microsoft executive said AI will transform wealth management, making it easier for smaller entities like startups to compete with big banks. This is because of AI’s ability to condense data and reduce costs. Specifically, agentic AI can replace people in jobs like customer advisement and portfolio construction with AI. 
• Is AWS the technology version of Carrie Bradshaw, who spends all her rent on shoes? The cloud giant is doling out the equivalent of a year’s revenue (~$100B) on infrastructure to support AI. 
• Have you ever renovated a kitchen? Here’s the tech version of that. 
• Microsoft doesn’t want Donald Trump to advance limits on AI chip exports to Chinese companies, and says doing so would be a “strategic misstep.” Oh really, has that happened lately? 
• According to a report from AWS, European startups are adopting AI much faster than their large enterprise counterparts—creating a “two-tier AI economy.” 
• Leaked documents revealed that Microsoft is far more involved with the Israeli military and its operations than previously known. 
• Allegations that DOGE is feeding sensitive Department of Education data to AI using Microsoft Azure is alarming to cybersecurity experts (and everyday people, too). 
• There are no private memos, OK? Just write like it’s gonna be leaked, because the people need their corporate bread and circuses. In this month’s leaked memo, managers will need to manage more, but also less. 
• CrowdStrike has made history as the first cloud-native cybersecurity ISV to earn more than $1B in annual sales from AWS Marketplace. Why yes, we DID do marketing work for them. 

Wheelin’ and dealin’ 

• Mondelēz International, the snacks and confectionary company that produces Oreos and Sour Patch Kids—which are chock full of red dye 3 and make your kids lose their goddamn minds—is moving to AWS. 
• Investigative analytics software provider Cognyte is integrating its solution to be deployable with Microsoft Azure. This will bring Cognyte tools into Azure to process and analyze unstructured data. Am I ever going to read something about data and not think of The Goonies? Probs not. 
• Following an investment from Microsoft, Veeam will build AI products. Veeam’s core products focus on cybersecurity. 
• VC firm General Catalyst is partnering with AWS to co-develop and deploy integrated AI products for healthcare—predictive care insights, diagnostics, patient engagement, and platform interoperability. My favorite part of this article is that they included the misspelling in Matt Garma’s emailed quote. Someone get ahead of this man and send him a there-they’re-their primer. 
• AWS is going to help Honda transition from hardware-based vehicles to software-based ones using generative AI, IoT, and AWS compute. And, in partnership with AWS, automotive technology company Valeo is building new solutions for software-defined vehicles. 
• Wow, AWS really is putting the wheeling back into dealing because there is more vroom vroom news. AWS is expanding its presence as the global technology provider for SRO Motorsports Group to “digitally transform the science of racing.” 
• Educational publisher Pearson is expanding its use of AWS, including AI capabilities, to further personalize learning. 
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is collaborating with AWS to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer research by applying AI to multimodal data. The deal will also support AI-powered drug discovery efforts. Montefiore Health System is doing similar stuff with AWS. 
• Clinical AI company Aidoc has entered into a strategic collaboration with AWS, which will start with optimizing Aidoc’s CARE Foundation Model. The FM helps doctors with real-time identification of suspected critical conditions. 
• Defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton is working with AWS to “enhance technology for federal agencies.” Great timing. 
• Snowflake is expanding its partnership with Microsoft to bring OpenAI’s advanced models straight to customers through Snowflake Cortex AI on Microsoft Azure AI Foundry. 
• Faros AI is collaborating with Microsoft to bring its data platform for optimizing engineering to Azure. 

Ma’am, I’m going to have to call security 

• A hacker named Codefinger (ewww) is targeting Amazon S3 buckets, and the ransomware campaign is so effective, organizations are reporting that they can’t shut it down without issuing payment. This could potentially affect supply chains. Um…it’s Cadbury crème egg season, so there better not be supply chain problems. 
• Russian scammers are posing as Microsoft tech support on Microsoft Teams, even doing video calls in some cases and getting employee permission to take over screens! Can you imagine watching someone download malware on your computer screen in real time? Talk about a bad day. 

World domination 

• Microsoft went into full diva mode with its creation of a NEW FORM OF MATTER. That’s right—its “topological qubit” is not gas, liquid, or solid, and it can be used to drive quantum computing (which Microsoft researchers now believe is years away instead of decades). 
• The AWS cloud region in Thailand, which includes three Availability Zones, is now up and running. Microsoft is planning to build there but it hasn’t yet. In Singapore, AWS unveiled its Asia-Pacific hub office. 
• AWS announced a $5M investment in “mega data centers” for Central Mexico. 
• The UK has dropped its investigation into a potentially anti-competitive deal between Microsoft and OpenAI—for now, regulators say. 
• Years after Europe asked for more data sovereignty, Microsoft completed its EU Data Boundary project. This will allow EU countries to remain compliant with local regulations, such as storing data in European Free Trade Association regions. 
• AWS launched a CloudFront Edge region in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and hopes to have a fully operational cloud region by 2026. And Saudia Arabia’s STC Group will work with AWS to speed up AI-powered innovation. 
• I didn’t know there was any room left in New York City, but apparently there is, because AWS launched a new, upgraded Local Zone Edge location there. 
• Australia has entered a Whole-of-Government agreement with AWS. And Australian CommBank extended its agreement with AWS to include customer service optimization and AI innovation. 
• India will see $15B in data infrastructure investments from AWS. Also, India’s Tata Power will use AWS AI and IoT to improve things like predictive maintenance for grid resilience. 

New stuff 

• AWS previewed its Salesforce Contact Center with Amazon Connect, which helps service reps avoid platform switching and gives them a choice in the digital channels they use. So, now Karens can unload all their repressed existential angst and political fear on someone either through Salesforce or Connect. 
• It must be Christmas because Santa has visited us all, and in his sleigh is the best present of all: no more Chime. You’d think it would be hard to come up with a gift that every single person on Earth would be happy to receive, but NO, it wasn’t hard.
• And following suit, Microsoft is retiring Skype and moving users toward Teams. 
• AWS issued a new rule for third-party SaaS vendors on Marketplace that want a discount: They’ll need to be running 100% on AWS. 
• Microsoft’s new podcast, Leading the Shift, will feature interviews with experts, customers, and partners on what they’re doing with AI, data, and the cloud. 
• Are we all ready for Microsoft Build? This reporter expects several Copilot announcements.
• Welcome the o3-mini reasoning model to the world, now available in Microsoft Azure OpenAI.

By Liz Mangini

Image by Suzanne Calkins

Account-based marketing (ABM) is all about precision—focusing your efforts on the accounts that matter most. It’s about working smarter, not harder, by zeroing in on opportunities where you see the biggest potential. While it’s heavily focused on sales, marketing still has a big role to play. To make ABM work, your sales team must be armed with the right tools and marketing resources to convert leads into sales. Here’s how to ensure they’re set up for success—from the initial conversation to closing the deal. 

Deliver a persuasive pitch 

With ABM, your sellers will engage in a lot of personalized, one-on-one conversations with prospects. They’ll need to know your product(s) inside and out to be especially persuasive. Here’s what will help: 

• Invite and follow-up email templates help your team engage right away and continue to nurture leads. These emails keep your brand top of mind and move the prospect closer to a decision. Plus, sellers should personalize the message to detail how your solution can help their particular business. 
• Call scripts ensure sellers stay on track while keeping the conversation flexible. These scripts guide them through common questions by providing key talking points about your solution, allowing room for authentic dialogue. 
• Pitch decks should speak directly to the prospect’s needs, showing how your solution solves their specific challenges with clear visuals and compelling value. 
• Click-through demos let potential customers explore your product on their own. They provide an interactive experience that highlights value without pressure. 

Handle objections and compete effectively 

In any sales pitch, prospects will come up with reasons why it’s not the right time to buy. Sometimes they’re not sold on the investment; other times, they’re considering a competing product. Sellers should expect these objections and know how to handle them confidently. 

• Objection handling guides include common objections and answers that sellers can use to turn “no” into a chance to showcase your product’s benefits. 
• Compete battlecards equip sellers with an understanding of the market landscape and competing products. Battlecards highlight key differences at the organizational or product level, helping sellers position yours as the best option. 

Provide proof and build trust 

After initial conversations with prospects, sellers should maintain momentum by showcasing the results customers can expect. Whether it’s a standout success story or in-depth information that answers technical questions, sellers should reach out to build trust in your product. 

• Solution briefs outline how your product solves their specific problem, providing a deeper dive into its value. 
• Case studies showcase real-world examples that build credibility. Success stories that prospects can relate to are a quick way to highlight wins. 
• Whitepapers offer research-backed insights and are for prospects who need more detailed information. 

ABM is about pursuing valuable deals with laser focus. By equipping your sales team with these key resources, they can engage effectively, overcome objections, and close deals quickly, driving revenue growth. 

Reach out to get started! 

By Nora Bright, Jack Foraker

Image by Nicole Todd

B2B tech is a noisy, crowded space. When that tech comes with a lot of hype, it’s even noisier and more crowded. To be noticed requires creativity, strategic thinking, and an ability to convert jargon into something people actually want to talk about. (Does the world really need another webinar on cross-platform synergies?)  

The best B2B marketers are creative but pragmatic, strategic without being stuck in the weeds, forward-thinking but not flinging ideas at the wall. The challenge, of course, is how to identify a candidate who can make your marketing stand out.  

If you’re on the lookout, here are some questions to ask during the interview process that will help separate the visionaries from the buzzword enthusiasts. 

Can they turn ideas into results? 

Start by asking for examples of how they’ve successfully made a splash. Maybe they spearheaded a campaign that repositioned a product from “nice to have” to “must-have.” How did they build their strategy and get buy-in from stakeholders on their ideas? Most importantly: What were the results? Standing out requires new approaches to marketing, and those won’t always be successful. The right candidate can talk through what they did and why it worked. (And, if it didn’t work, what they learned along the way.) 

Can they sell a good idea? 

A live case interview or take-home project can reveal a lot about the way a candidate thinks outside the box. Ask them to develop a campaign or go-to-market strategy for a hypothetical product. Look for an approach that is considered yet creative: Does their strategy stand out against traditional B2B marketing expectations? Can they pitch left-field ideas effectively to win over a leadership team? Better yet, do you actually want to run with their plans? (Hire them first!) 

Do they know what’s happening in the B2B landscape? 

Trends shift fast in B2B marketing, and making a splash means staying in the loop. After all, how will you know if you’re doing something different if you don’t know what everyone else is doing? Ask your candidate which marketing campaigns they admire and why. Their answer will point to what they see creative success as—and whether they’re plugged into the industry in a way that will help your brand stand apart. 

Are you setting them up for success? 

Even the best marketer needs the right tools and support to deliver results. Be ready with clear expectations, open communication, and a culture that fosters ideas and innovation. That’s why you hired them, right? If you’re looking for tips on how to get the most out of your contract talent, we wrote about that here. 

And if you’d rather ask candidates the important questions than sift through resumes, we can help. Our Embedded Consulting practice carefully vets B2B marketers so you interview only the best. Let’s find your next great hire. 

By Olivia Witt

Image by Emily Zheng

When fashion retailer Mango ditched real models for AI-generated ones, people noticed. Perfect symmetry, eerily smooth skin, and not a single awkward pose? It was a case of uncanny valley. Customers felt misled and noted the loss of diversity, authenticity, and real modeling jobs. Instead of streamlining marketing, the move led to skepticism and backlash. 

AI is here to stay, but how brands use it determines whether it builds trust or erodes it. Thoughtful implementation strengthens credibility, while missteps—like prioritizing ease over authenticity—can quickly unravel consumer confidence. 

In marketing, it’s trust or bust 

From deepfake scandals to AI-generated misinformation, brands that fail to control their AI message risk backlash. AI is often seen as a cost-saving tool, but any negative effect on customer trust can be more significant and costly. Consider these statistics: 

• 46% of consumers are willing to spend more on brands they trust 
• 81% of consumers say trust is a deciding factor in their brand-buying decisions 
• 85% of consumers would not use a brand if it were advertised next to misinformation 

We love using tools like Claude or ChatGPT to brainstorm, jumpstart content, or as an editing sidekick. It’s fast, self-sufficient, and cheap. However, while AI boosts efficiency, it often lacks nuance, and customers notice when something feels off. If AI-generated content strays too far from a brand’s voice or generates misinformation, trust takes a hit. 

Related: 4 reasons why you still need human writers  

A checklist to keep AI in check 

AI should assist, not replace. It works best with human oversight to keep content authentic and emotionally intelligent. Before publishing AI-generated content, run through this checklist: 

• Does the content match your brand voice and tone? 
• Does it align with your brand values and mission? 
• Have you verified all facts, numbers, and claims? 
• Is data sourced from credible references? 
• Has a real-life marketer reviewed, edited, and approved the content? 
• Does the content feel natural, or does it sound overly robotic? 
• Have you incorporated customer feedback or past insights to refine it? 
• Does it encourage meaningful engagement? 

Final check: If your customers knew AI was used, would they still find the message valuable? 

If the answer is no, contact us. We’ve got real humans ready to help. 

By Katy Nally

Image by Nicole Todd

Forrester, Gartner, and IDC…they’re like the plastics of the enterprise tech world. They’re the analysts that rank the players, set the trends, and get everyone vying for their attention. And with good reason. A Forrester Total Economic Impact (TEI) Study, for instance, provides a name-brand stamp of approval on your tech—with jaw-dropping stats to back it up. A TEI study not only promotes trust in your brand or product, but it also gives sales an ROI story to tell.  

But what is the ROI of a TEI study?!? No one knows, but we know how to boost it. 

Whether you fund a TEI analysis, snag a spot in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant, or commission an IDC whitepaper, the payoff in terms of thought leadership and awareness makes it worthwhile. These analyst reports are the basis of a steady stream of trust-the-experts content. And we can help you get the most mileage from them with our analyst bundle. 

Get the word out—GIFs and animations 

Social GIFs with a little wiggle: Post them as paid LinkedIn ads or share them with partners so they can spread the word on social. Here’s a fun one we made for Power Platform to showcase its 224% ROI. 

Animation: Entice prospects to peruse your website with an animation that highlights analysts’ top stats (from TEI reports) and claims about your product (from Magic Quadrants).  

Give them details—datasheets and blogs 

Announcement email: Ping prospects and keep your current customers informed about the leading status of your product. 

Thought-leadership blog and webinar: Combine analyst research with your own point of view and dive deeper into the conversation.  

Datasheet: Package up key findings and accolades into a highly designed datasheet. Here’s one we made highlighting the possibilities of using Azure to power intelligent apps.  

Get a meeting—sales guide and pitch deck 

Sales guide: Prep your sellers with key talking points from Forrester, Gartner, and IDC to validate claims and frame the findings in ways that resonate. 

Invitation email: Invite prospects to learn more about the report and how key findings can help them find just the right solution (yours!) to unblock their challenges. 

Pitch deck: Close the deal with a presentation that includes analyst slides showing the expert-validated value of your product. Here’s a slide we made for AWS Financial Services that uses IDC research to back up claims.  

Analyst research and key findings play a big role in establishing trust in your brand. Don’t let those stats and achievements gather dust. We can help you maximize the ROI of your analyst reports for a big ‘ole economic impact (see what we did there?). 

By Katy Nally

Image by Rachel Adams

Transitioning from the free-trial stage to a paid subscription model is a big leap for your customers. This major decision is the culmination of hundreds of positive interactions they’ve had with your brand. The fact that they’re now paying customers signifies you’ve earned their trust and they believe in your product. 

Well done, marketing heroes! 😊 So, how did you do it? Chances are, you developed well-positioned content along the buying journey that showed a deep understanding of the customer’s challenges, demonstrated the value of your brand, and framed your ideas in a way that was worth listening to. 

With trust coming under the microscope this year for big tech companies, establishing trust with your audience through precise content marketing will be key. Here are the top assets that can help you build trust—all the way from awareness to conversion. 

Thought leadership blogs prove you’re defining the industry 

Ghostwrite blogs from your CTO, CIO, or other C-suite executives. This signals to customers that your leadership has a defined product vision and path to get there. Interview your team members to capture high-level perspectives that demonstrate their authority on subjects. 

Pro tip from our team: Try a Q&A format that gives you the freedom to cover a wide range of topics and comes together quickly. 

Ebooks and playbooks answer common questions

Tailor your deep-dive content so that it responds to the challenges customers face in particular stages of the funnel. If they’re just looking to learn more, keep it light and easy to navigate. If they’re evaluating your product against competitors, give them the technical details that make your product stand out. 

Pro tip from our team: Gather insights from top sellers and customer success managers to truly understand blockers along the buying journey, then structure your ebook around them. The clearer you are on what customers are getting and why they should care, the more trust you build in your brand. 

Case studies showcase success within the customer’s industry 

Find compelling customer stories, then dig for pithy quotes and validating metrics. If it’s a great story, give it legs. Start with a written version so you know the main points, then turn it into a video testimonial. Once you’ve established a relationship with that customer, they can join webinars and co-present at conferences. 

Pro tip from our team: Do the legwork upfront to ensure the customer has actually used your product, achieved success, and will discuss it publicly. 

Product demos give customers a taste of what your product does 

Deliver a curated version of your product that showcases 3–5 features or experiences that users love. These demos walk through real-world use cases from your existing customers and illustrate tangible benefits. Being able to see firsthand what your product can do alleviates concerns and layers on the trust. 

Pro tip from our team: Link your product demo as a CTA in complementary assets like case studies to move customers through the funnel. 

Hopefully this list sparks some ideas on how to build trust with your audience. And if you need help thinking through the content journey, we’re here for you. Now go get ’em, marketing heroes! 

By Aaron Wendel

Image by Emily Zheng

The elevator pitch is dead—what you need is a promo reel. At least, that’s what we’ve created to introduce ourselves to prospective clients and help them get a better sense of what we offer. Our latest reel tells a broad 2A story using recent examples of work—everything from eye-catching animations to impactful keynotes to long-format whitepapers. It’s a jam-packed 66 seconds in which you might see something you recognize! 

This release marks the sixth reel we’ve created for 2A in the past year. Why six, you may ask? Because we had so much to cover! The other reels we created are tailored to specific clients and deliverables. They’re all about a minute long and they showcase dozens of marketing assets. 

Promo reels bring the sizzle and get our team jazzed  

Each reel is a moment-in-time snapshot that demonstrates how much we continue to grow and evolve, which makes them effective as internal and external promoters. Like any internal promotional piece, the reels are inherently aspirational, while also taking into consideration areas for future growth. With the latest release, you can see the impact of smaller partner brands among our core clients and how that pushes us into new spaces. As an agency, we’re excited about these new influences! They keep us sharp and good at what we do best—ramping up quickly and delivering compelling content. 

Of course, no single reel captures everything that makes us unique, and not all of what we do can be captured in a quick clip. Sometimes the value of the work we provide comes from a strategy that puts ideas into motion, how that strategy scales, or what story it tells. Overall, though, these reels reflect what we’re capable of as a team and are a great opportunity to see our ever-evolving body of work. We hope you find watching them as fun and inspiring as we do! 

By Olivia Witt, Carolyn Lange

Image by Brandon Conboy

Remember when “generative AI” was the buzzword of the century—and every company scrambled to adopt it? Well, we’ve arrived at the “cool kids all wear the same sneakers” stage of the trend. If you’re marketing a generative AI solution in 2025, you’re probably wondering, How do I stand out in a saturated market? 

Here’s how to ditch the clichés, earn trust, and make your AI messaging as sharp as your solution. 

1. Center humans, not hype 

The robots aren’t taking over, but your audience might think they are. To cut through the doomerism fog, focus on how your AI augments people instead of replacing them. 

• In your copy, keep the focus on how it helps humans—saving time, simplifying complex tasks, or unlocking creativity. 
• Replace that tired tech stock image (you know the one) with pictures of actual humans benefiting from your solution. 

2. Prove it works and delivers ROI 

Enough with the endless beta testing: people are tired. Show them how your solution delivers real, tangible results. 

• Swap “features talk” for benefits. Instead of “Our tool has a GPT-powered summarizer,” say, “Our tool saved SynergyAITechCorp 10 hours a week.” 
• Add content to your resource library for every stage of the funnel: start with the why, warm them up with the how, and close with the results. 

3. Build trust through transparency 

Let’s face it: AI hasn’t existed long enough for anyone to promise sky-high engagement or flawless content. 

• Acknowledge concerns about AI accuracy or limitations and show how your solution overcomes them. 
• Keep your messaging grounded. Transparency builds trust faster than buzzwords ever can. 

4. Spotlight your differentiator 

Right now, most AI marketing reads like a checklist: it saves time, reduces busywork, and improves efficiency. Yawn. What makes your solution different? 

• Highlight unique use cases and real-world examples. Tell a story. “Our AI helped this company reduce customer complaints by 30 percent in six months” is way more interesting than “It reduces busywork.” 
• Be specific about your technology. Clarify whether it’s generative AI, natural language processing, or a mix of both, and how exactly it uses those methods to deliver results. 

5. Skip the jargon and keep it fun 

Your audience isn’t a roomful of robots, so don’t talk to them that way. 

• Reread that webpage and delete corporate buzzwords like “game-changer” and “best-in-class.” 
• Use natural language: start instead of embark; fast instead of swift; use instead of utilize (seriously, who says utilize in real life?). 

Gen AI might not be the hot new thing anymore, but your messaging can be. Keep it human, focus on the results, and tell a story that sticks. 

By Forsyth Alexander

Image by Nicole Todd

A few months ago, I read the first novel in a new series by Richard Osman, author of the Thursday Murder Club mysteries. (I highly recommend all his books.) In the first chapter, a criminal mastermind instructs ChatGPT to write emails in a threatening tone using a voice and style that isn’t his own. Since truth is stranger than fiction, I decided to investigate whether generative AI is being used for nefarious purposes in real life. At 2A, we continuously look for new ways to use generative AI for good work. But it turns out other people are using it for bad work. Here’s what I learned. 

Phishing and fooling with gen AI: The personal touch 

Most smartphone users I know have received a text from the “USPS”—from a number with a Philippines country code, demanding their response in 24 hours to receive a valuable package. (Okay, as far as I know, that just happened to me, but I’m sure you’ve gotten one like it.) We’ve been trained to spot these texts because of their strange URLs or international phone numbers and to ignore or report them. Our IT and security friends also remind us not to respond to texts from CEOs or managers telling us to buy gift cards or share account information—without verifying first. 

But now, according to two very different companies—one that builds databases and one that offers networking—hackers are creating deep fakes of voices. These deep fakes create the illusion that a victim of the hackers is talking to a real person. As a result, the victim is more apt to share financial or sensitive information. Some hackers even search for videos of someone online to create a biometric reproduction for illegally unlocking devices and applications that use facial recognition. 

Generating fraud and identity theft with dark LLMs: Isn’t that malicious? 

Large language models (LLMs) enable us to ask questions and have conversations with generative AI. Basically, they’re the reason we can type instructions or questions in a prompt and get answers in our own language and not a computer language like SQL. ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini all use LLMs that are trained not to generate malicious code. Yet, that’s not stopping the bad guys. LLMs are a great way to spread disinformation, which can mislead, harm, or manipulate a person, social group, organization, or country, all because LLMs cannot distinguish between fact and fiction. 

In addition, it’s possible to purchase dark LLMs which, unlike mainstream LLMs, have no restrictions. For example, FraudGPT and WormGPT are used to create deceptive content that fools people into sharing sensitive information. Other LLMs can be used to infect systems and applications. 

Finding a security blanket for your identity, data, and systems 

The good news is that companies from all corners of the tech world are building AI solutions to protect against and defeat these new tactics. A graph database added to an existing fraud-detection application can identify hidden patterns that indicate the use of generative AI to exploit identities and systems. APIs provided by a telecommunications giant use AI to ferret out fake videos generated to unlock systems protected by facial-recognition software. A data and network protection company offers AI-powered solutions for protection against personalized threats from emails, chats, and texts. These are just a few ways our tech friends are improving security and keeping customers safe with generative AI. 

By Jane Dornemann

Image by Julianne Medenblik

As a writer by trade, I’m supposed to tell you that generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT aren’t good enough—that you need a human like me to tell your story. In reality, that statement is only half true. 

Having already moved through the stages of grief, I can honestly say that generative AI has already changed how we work…and it will continue doing so. It wouldn’t have that impact if it were entirely useless, right? There are many ways I now use platforms such as Claude to ideate, tweak a sentence, summarize, or ask for explanations. It’s pretty good, and there are times when it produces something that only needs slight refinement. In quantitative terms, I give it a 7 out of 10. 

But other times, it needs real work, and businesses are taking risks by copying and pasting generative AI content onto their websites or marketing materials. Whether it’s a notably inaccurate summary, a word-bloated paragraph, or a straight-up hallucination—all of which I’ve seen—it’s a bit of a time bomb for brands that aren’t using writers as gatekeepers (as opposed to product marketers, for example). 

It also begs a really big question: Do you want to send 7-out-of-10 content into the world? Does 7/10 content give you a competitive edge, or does it file you into the ranks of the average, along with all the other companies doing the same thing? 

Embracing the writer–generative AI hybrid 

If you’re thinking about using generative AI more, we won’t stop you—but we strongly advise you to still include professional writers with subject-matter expertise throughout your process. At 2A, we know the risks companies take by avoiding this route.  

Here are four essential ways writers can protect you from the pitfalls of generative AI. 

1. We keep you from sounding like everyone else 

Whatever generative AI is writing for you, it’s also writing for everyone else. You may have noticed that marketing content, such as product descriptions, sounds too close to those from competitors. Content often includes overused transitional phrases such as “Additionally” and “In summary.” 

This leads me to ask: Is this a ninth-grade book report? 

Generative AI is good at business rhetoric. It sounds professional, intelligent, and confident. But it’s a mirage. The technology creates content based on all the content it has received or been trained on, and it doesn’t differentiate for you. It doesn’t filter out mediocre writing because it doesn’t understand what mediocre writing is. As a result, it’s not uncommon to receive content that uses passive voice (a no-no in “good” writing) and features wandering sentences. Sometimes, you have to feed it back its own content, then ask it to remove redundancies, be more concise, or stick to active voice. While generative AI can be impressive, it still can’t match—or beat—writing with a human brain. Do you think it could write a blog just like this one? Nope. 

In summary, it’s not there yet (see what I did?). 

Would this opening really hook readers and differentiate 2A’s brand more than the opening we wrote above?  

2. We know all the tools and prompt hacks 

I’ve found that most non-writers who are using generative AI tend to use one platform. For example, they solely use ChatGPT or Copilot. They usually provide relatively basic prompts, such as “Take this marketing brief and turn it into three lines of social copy.” We use generative AI as an assistant in various ways, such as brainstorming, catching typos, and summarizing our human-created content—but we never use it as a primary creator. That’s because it takes as much work to refine as it does to just do it ourselves. The key to reducing the work is a stellar prompt. 

At 2A, our writers have experimented with the full spectrum of generative AI platforms and learned how to craft an excellent prompt that yields the best results. There’s a science to it that takes time, study, and practice to perfect. Some platforms are better for editing or rephrasing, while others are best for context setting. A good prompt should have several elements and set clear parameters. Nuanced content requires several rounds of prompting—and cobbling pieces of each result together. If you’re going to rely on generative AI, it’s your best bet to consult a writer with subject-matter expertise in creating the prompts, running iterations, and finalizing content. 

When you’re a prompting pro, the results are so much better.

3. We safeguard from lies, lies, dirty rotten lies 

Last week, I asked a generative AI platform to explain the concept of a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP). What I got back had enough inaccuracies that it would have created problems if it ended up in public-facing marketing content—and this wasn’t the first time that I’ve received incorrect information. When I was writing a personal blog, I asked generative AI to provide a brief history of an organization, and while 99% was correct, it gave me the wrong founding year and the wrong number of organizational members. I have no idea where it pulled those from. Imagine if that kind of nonsense was in your global marketing assets! 

If no one is fact checking and verifying sources in every aspect of what generative AI is producing, you’re absolutely taking risks. So, love your human writers, who will go through your generative AI content with a fine-toothed comb. 

We’re not into zippers. 

4. We bend it to your brand 

Brands that hire us have a thorough set of style guidelines we follow. This keeps their content both unique and consistent. For example, some brands ask that we not spell out certain acronyms, while other brands provide a list of terms we need to avoid (such as “execute”). For assets focused on cybersecurity, we’re often asked to avoid fearmongering. These notes are still too abstract for generative AI—but not for us. 

If you’re using generative AI casually to create content, you aren’t using a robust program that allows you to feed it an 80-page style guide. And even then, generative AI can get it wrong. 2A’s writers can customize AI-generated content to follow your brand guidelines in ways that technology simply can’t do right now. 

Want the best of both worlds? Great! You have options: Send us your generative AI–produced content for us to vet and improve, or just send us your resources and provide access to your subject matter experts. We’ll use our know-how to create a stellar final product…one that won’t tell you David Bowie invented the elevator (or that the elevator was invented by David Bowie). Contact us.