The five dimensions of brand design: Building human-centric brands in the age of AI
How to create authentic connections when everyone can generate content.
Two years ago, I delivered a keynote at Marketing Indaba, Cape Town, and made a prediction that felt bold at the time: we were about to witness an explosion of AI-generated content that would fundamentally change how brands compete for attention. Today, that prediction isn’t just reality – it’s our daily experience.
What seemed like a distant future in 2021 became mainstream overnight. Generative AI didn’t just arrive; it detonated across every industry, every creative discipline, every marketing department. Suddenly, anyone could write “compelling” copy, generate stunning visuals, and produce content at a scale previously reserved for large creative teams.
But here’s what I’ve learned in the two years since that talk: the brands that are thriving now aren’t the ones using AI the most – they’re the ones using humanity the best.