AI is the talk of every industry, especially marketing.
Much of the conversation is dominated by two extremes. On one side, people act as if AI could replace every marketer with a pulse. On the other, people say AI can only be used to produce generic slop. We think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
At Gorilla 76, we use AI because it’s useful, and we think agencies that ignore it are leaving real value on the table. However, it must be used responsibly.
AI has a place in our work, just not in the driver’s seat.
AI is a useful tool
AI tools already have proven use cases that save our agency a lot of time and effort, like handling volume, generating options and speeding up processes that don’t require deep expertise or judgment.
It can be good for brainstorming when pressure-testing angles or generating options early in the process. It’s also useful for outlining, summarizing and helping structure raw data and other information. It can help clean up transcripts from technical SME interviews, edit images, translate content, assist with coding tasks and otherwise speed up some of the legwork, so our people can focus on the strategic and knowledge work.
A lot of marketing work isn’t as simple as “write the article” or “make the page.” Much of the work is deciding what to say in the first place. It’s finding the angle, collecting the raw material, clarifying your message and making complex topics easy to understand.
AI can help with some of that. It can give you a decent starting point. It helps you brainstorm, move faster and overcome blank-page syndrome. But it can’t replace experienced people making smart decisions.
We do not treat AI outputs as finished work
Clients hire us for our professional judgement, not an AI platform’s. It can’t be trusted to produce actionable strategy or publishable content.
If something goes out under our or a client’s name, a human being is responsible for it. Everything we produce is carefully written, edited and fact checked. Claims are verified and language is refined. Anything vague, incorrect or generic is fixed or cut.
We’ve all seen what happens when people skip those steps. You get hallucinated facts and misleading claims, along with bland copy that only rises to the median.
New tools, same standards
As we adopt new tools, quality standards become more important than ever.
Some companies talk about AI as if the normal rules of professional conduct suddenly don’t apply.
We don’t see it that way. Accuracy, honesty and originality still matter. If anything, their value increases as AI makes it easier to move fast and break things.
But we’re not interested in cutting corners. The fact that something can be generated quickly does not make it worth publishing, whether it’s a blog post, messaging framework or campaign asset.
You won’t see Gorilla using AI to plagiarize, misrepresent or rush through anything. We’re not going to neutralize nuance, oversimplify technical subjects or crank out filler just because the machine makes it easy.
Confidentiality comes before convenience
What goes into these tools matters as much as what comes out.
Clients trust agencies with sensitive business information, which comes with serious responsibilities.
We’re careful about what goes into AI systems and would never put your sensitive business data into an unsecure platform. Sensitive data may include contracts and legal agreements, customer and sales data, and revenue, margins or cost structure. Sensitive client information only goes into tools we subscribe to that include privacy in their user policies.
Responsible experimentation and innovation
AI moves fast. New tools show up every week. Most of them promise some version of the same thing: more speed, more automation, less effort. That doesn’t mean they belong in client work.
At Gorilla 76, we want our use of AI to be intentional, governed and accountable.
Saying, “we’re experimenting,” sounds harmless right up until confidential information ends up in the wrong place or low-grade output sneaks into work that’s supposed to reflect careful thinking.
AI can’t replace expertise
This is really the bottom line.
If you work with Gorilla 76, AI may help us brainstorm or structure information. But it is not doing the thinking for us.
Our strategists are still responsible for campaign management. Our writers are still responsible for writing, accuracy and clarity. Our account teams are still responsible for the final output. Human beings will always make the judgment calls.
Clients do not hire agencies for the tools we subscribe to. They hire agencies for taste, expertise and perspective. AI won’t change that.
If you’ve got more questions about how we use AI or how we help clients optimize for AI in their marketing plans, reach out to us. We’ll be happy to talk.
