AI x creativity: The longing for authentic experiences

According to the “State of Marketing 2024” report, marketing today faces a fascinating challenge: the more generated content surrounds us, the greater the need for interpersonal resonance. We live in the age of AI and are experiencing a renaissance of authenticity. The direct encounter between people and brands in live communication and events is gaining importance as a moment of authenticity. Are AI and authentic experiences at odds? What is the future of AI and creativity in live communication?

Authenticity and storytelling

In an increasingly digitalized and artificially generated world, people long for real, human connections. An event has to offer more than just neat execution; it needs to touch the audience and make them part of the story together. Storytelling not only evokes emotion – it creates genuine connection, builds trust and promotes long-term brand loyalty. Sounds simple enough… but what does that mean in practice? What characterizes such storytelling? Does it have to be as crazy, moving and powerful as possible? Does it need to be tasteful, in the right tone and well designed? 

Tone and emotion aren’t all that important. The key ingredient is truth. If a brand manages to go beyond a product and stand for a truth that we can share as humans, then we perceive it as authentic and the result will be not just sympathy, but identification. 

For example, the project “Bring Women Back to Work” promotes equality and diversity by helping women return to tech jobs after a career break. Our aim with the campaign film was not only to touch people, but also to capture authentic stories that mothers and families could relate to – creating a powerful testimonial from many messages. We also relied on strong storytelling for Alpiq for the opening of the Nant de Drance pumped storage power plant in Valais: In a campaign spanning several months, the nature spirit Dora guided employees through various chapters of an expedition diary. A spirit? Yes, what might not sound very authentic at first, added a level that allowed us to talk almost philosophically about the balance between man and nature in the context of such a gigantic structure and to involve the employees in the story through challenges and team building.

AI as a booster for creativity 

Authenticity in storytelling is therefore essential to establish a deep connection with the target group. Used correctly, however, AI does not have to be the antagonist here. Although AI likes to cheat from time to time to bridge gaps in the dataset, it can be very helfpul if the foundation is right, especially in the first step of setting the right course and understanding the target group. This enables companies to tailor their messages to the expectations and wishes of their audience and increase the relevance of their communications.   

While AI’s data-driven analysis provides deep insights into the needs of the target group and enables personalized products, generative AI supports the creative process by creating quick mock-ups and making concepts tangible. Rather than starting with a blank sheet, AI enables multiple iterations in a short period of time, inspiring the creative process and making it more flexible. 

Creativity and AI – an efficient symbiosis

Ultimately, the balance between AI and creation ultimately lies in a clear division of roles: Data-driven insights sharpen the strategy at the beginning, while human creativity uncovers a shareable truth and shapes authentic, emotional stories. Generative AI then helps to tell the stories in a visually compelling way. The result is a symbiosis of technology and creativity that enables brands to create real connections.  

Looking to the future, AI will play an increasingly important role in the events industry, particularly in the areas of strategy and creative process optimisation. Brands that understand and use AI as a creative tool will be able to communicate their messages in a much more personalised and immersive way in the future. But finding a truth that resonates with people is still a human craft.