We’ve all been sold something before - some product, some person, some promise that it’ll fix everything. Lately, that thing is AI.
But let’s be honest: AI won’t save your business. It won’t invent your brand’s identity. It won’t give your idea a soul. And it definitely won’t make people care. What it can do - brilliantly, is help you work faster, cleaner, and more consistently. It’s a tool. A very sharp one. But a tool nonetheless.
Can AI save my business?
Time - yes.
The Misunderstanding
We’re watching brands jump headfirst into AI like it’s the second coming of marketing. They’re chasing prompts like prophets, automating content like it grows meaning on its own. But AI doesn’t know your context. It doesn’t know your culture. It doesn’t know what your customer’s heart breaks for.
And as John Hegarty once said: “Creativity is the oxygen of marketing.”
AI might be efficient, but it isn’t breathing.
What It’s Good At
It can outline content so you’re not starting with a blank screen.
It can draft email copy or social posts to sharpen your message.
It can analyse data faster than your entire team.
It can streamline repetitive tasks so your team can focus on ideas, not admin.
Think of it like a studio assistant - sharp, fast, tireless, but it’s still your vision that needs to lead.
Where It Falls Short
AI cannot:
Replace your brand’s voice
Create a campaign worth remembering
Understand cultural nuance
Feel
Decide what matters
It can process, but it cannot prioritise. It can remix, but it cannot originate. That’s your job. Still.
Why This Matters
At Spitting on Flowers, we believe growth doesn’t come from shortcuts - it comes from the tension between what’s raw and what’s refined. Between strategy and instinct. Between data and daring.
A flower doesn’t grow because you demand it to - it grows from care, from attention, from weathering a few seasons. You can’t automate that.
AI is like spitting on the soil. It might stir something, speed something. But if there’s no seed, no root, no intention - nothing grows.
So use it. Smartly. But don’t expect it to make the art for you.
As Hegarty said, “The best advertising is built on truth.”
AI can mimic truth. But it’s still your job to mean it.
