If I were in your shoes, the very first thing I'd do is create a super-detailed brand style guide specifically for an AI to read. I'd start there because the single biggest mistake I see is brands treating AI like a magic content button. Without a clear, documented brand identity, AI-generated content defaults to being generic and soulless, which actively harms your brand. As Sarah Coles pointed out on Retail Remix, you have to ensure AI output is consistent with your existing voice. This guide is the foundation for doing that.
In the first week, I would focus entirely on building and testing that brand guide. This isn't just a list of logos and colors. It's a deep document covering your mission, persona, voice, tone, and specific vocabulary, including words you use and words you avoid. Then I'd start feeding it into a generative AI tool to write low-stakes content, like social media post ideas or internal memos, purely to see if it can consistently capture the brand's essence. This is your training ground.
Once I felt confident the AI could mimic our voice, I'd expand in month one. This is where it gets exciting. I'd follow Salma Aboukar's playbook from the time she created a new brand with AI in 60 minutes on The eCommerceFuel Podcast and start using AI to generate visual concepts for a new campaign. At the same time, I'd adopt the strategy Max Sinclair keeps talking about on New Frontier: Answer Engine Optimization. I'd start creating content—FAQs, blog posts, guides—that is specifically designed to be picked up by AI search tools. This positions your brand to be the one recommended by the new wave of AI agents.
What I'd completely ignore is the idea that AI is a replacement for your team. Chris Hall on Send It! was right when he framed it as a way to reduce workload, not eliminate humans. AI is a creative partner and an efficiency tool, but it's not a strategist. You still need a person to guide it, review the output, and make the important decisions.
The biggest trap I'd be careful to avoid is letting efficiency kill the brand's soul. Joe Apfelbaum made a great point on The eCom Ops Podcast about needing a clear objective before you start. If your only goal is to produce more content faster, you'll dilute your brand. The objective should be to scale your unique voice and point of view. As Vladimer Botsvadze says, you have to balance AI's power with genuine care and brand authenticity. Use AI to do more of what makes you, you.