Generative AI startups are coming out of the woodwork with AI-powered, AI-enabled, AI-magical solutions for whatever ails you.
How can a marketer know what’s real and which tools are capitalizing on the AI hype cycle? It can feel daunting.
But there’s a simple way to tell the difference, says David Jones, CEO and founder of mar tech holding company The Brandtech Group, on this week’s episode of AdExchanger Talks.
“Ask for a login,” Jones advises.
If a company says “yes,” then it’s got a real platform. But if it answers “no” or tells you not to worry about it, “we’ll just do it for you,” that’s a bright red flag that the technology doesn’t deliver what it says on the tin.
More likely than not, Jones says, “they have a bunch of people running around using different LLMs in the background trying to create stuff, which is not the same thing as a platform.”
To say that Jones is bullish on generative AI – when it’s legit – would be an understatement.
The Brandtech Group’s portfolio is brimming with companies that focus on AI innovation, including in-housing agency Oliver; creative agency Gravity Road; Mofilm, which brings together a community of Web3 creators and generative AI artists; digital media and marketing agency Jellyfish; and Pencil, a generative AI ad platform Brandtech acquired in June 2023.
To date, Pencil has generated more than 2 million ads across 5,000 brands, and roughly $4 billion in media spend has flowed through its platform.
“Every single facet of marketing can be done better, faster and cheaper using technology and AI,” Jones says. “I’d rather have a fast, efficient machine than a slow, grumpy creative with a big ego.”
Also in this episode: A peek inside Brandtech’s M&A strategy, empowering the next generation of leaders through Jones’ nonprofit One Young World and his unvarnished POV on the IPG/Omnicom merger. Plus: Mr. Jones’s tattoo.
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