Image by Emily Zheng
Back in 2016, writer Kyle Chayka coined the term AirSpace to describe the distinct look that every coffee shop—whether independent or corporate, in Seattle or Tokyo—had somehow settled into. You’ve probably already seen it: The coffee shop has minimalist furniture and industrial lighting and free WiFi. The internet, he argued, gave everyone access to the same ideas and inspirations, which was homogenizing our tastes. This got us thinking: Is poorly applied generative AI having a similar effect on marketing today?
We use AI every day at 2A, and we regularly help clients promote their own AI solutions. But when every brand has access to the same tools, sameness can creep into the messaging without a careful hand. And when content feels interchangeable, it’s easier to forget.
To fix that, you need marketing assistance that goes beyond the brief and acts as a creative partner.
Co-creating the concept
Strong assets start with a conversation: We like to kick off a project by asking what message will move the audience and what form will deliver it most effectively.
This can often mean spending extra time with subject-matter experts (SMEs) for insights that might otherwise stay buried in a slide deck. We helped Dataiku—recently recognized in the 2025 Forbes Cloud 100—create industry-specific ebooks that did exactly this. By interviewing multiple SMEs, we uncovered quotable insights about how AI was reshaping industries from manufacturing to finance. This grounded the content in real expertise rather than broad trends, which gave the ebooks a voice and specificity that was very relevant to Dataiku’s audience.
Upfront discovery work shapes the content, but it also defines structure, tone, and audience. When we facilitate early discussions, clients often find new clarity about what their story should be—and what makes it worth telling now. The result isn’t a faster version of the expected deliverable, but a stronger and more thoughtful one that reflects expertise rather than algorithmic polish.
Designing for impact
Once the story takes shape, the challenge becomes visual: How do you make complex information easy to grasp while keeping it on brand? Many marketing assets begin with dense resources. Our role as a creative partner is to find the structure—and the spark—that helps the message shine through clearly.
For Microsoft recently, that meant transforming a slide deck full of marketplace and process details into a cohesive sales enablement ebook. We built the ebook concept around a cookbook, framing each stage of building a marketplace channel practice as a “recipe”—complete with ingredients and methods. This approach replaced cluttered visuals with a clear, modular layout that guided readers step by step in an engaging and approachable way.
Moving beyond the box
When creative ideas are built through collaboration between subject experts, creatives, and AI tools, the final asset feels different. It carries a sense of intent—a point of view that connects with audiences because it was shaped by real dialogue.
That’s our goal for every project: to help clients create B2B marketing content that’s engaging and effective. You’re already the expert on your audience. A creative partner brings the storytelling, design, and market knowledge to make sure whatever you put in front of them sticks.