The value of language in an AI-generated marketing world

Of all the jobs threatened by AI, perhaps none is more vulnerable than the creative copywriter. Stories of agencies dumping their human writers in favour of AI abound, with an academic paper published last October already citing a 21% decline in writing-based jobs since ChatGPT became widely available the year prior. Meanwhile, the fewer copywriters still employed are increasingly being tasked with cleaning up machine-generated language instead of conjuring fresh text sprung from the human mind.  

But one agency that’s not yet replacing copywriters with prompt engineers is verbal branding agency Reed Words. Instead, agency co-founder and ECD Mike Reed suggests sharper human articulation will now be needed more than ever, and in a sign of confidence is expanding his London and New York-based business to Asia.   

“It’s remarkable how quickly I’m hearing people say things like: ‘Ugh, you could just tell it’s written by AI’ in a very derogatory way,” Reed tells Campaign on a recent visit to Singapore, where the new office is located. “It’s developing all the time so we can’t be complacent about it, but I do think there is a whole swathe of copywriting or ‘content’ that is going to be bulldozed by AI because it’s already pretty beige.”  

The firm is all too well-acquainted with corporate jargon, as it holds workshops to stop organisations from sounding like boring faceless corporations without personality or relatability.  

Copywriters and marketing teams who already produce that type of vanilla material should indeed expect to be replaced by AI, Reed says, noting estimates that 90% of the Internet could by AI-generated by 2026.

“Any brand that wants to get above that is going to have to turn to some sort of original language and interesting uses of words,” he opines. “I’m arrogant enough to think that what we do as more creative writers is going to be what people and brands turn to, to cut through what will increasingly become a large volume of middle-of-the-road, boring, regurgitated stuff that AI does.” 

Verbal branding: Out of date?

For the record, Reed is no Luddite. Like other agencies, Reed Words also uses generative AI for research and ideation. Reed himself is also aware he needs to be on guard against prompt engineers aiming to replicate their style of work or the voice of their client brands.   

While a verbal branding agency certainly sounds anachronistic in a world of AI along with increased use of emojis, increased acronyms and fake news—all of which have arguably commoditised or devalued the use of words—Reed instead flips the narrative, suggesting words are now worth more. 

“We’ve spent thousands of years developing language,” Reed explains. “This is now a very good tool. Of course it can be misused, but that doesn’t devalue the tool itself.” As for acronyms and emojis, Reed argues they’re just another part of the expressiveness of writing as additions and embellishments. “I feel like, if anything, words are now more important than ever because there are all these different channels that not so long ago didn’t exist.”  

“You see so many examples of brands screwing up social media conversations with consumers because they’re not expressing themselves in the right way,” he continues. “That’s why you need to think about it more than ever.”  

The business

A copywriter for 30 years, it’s not surprising that Reed is loath to discount the importance still placed on words and language, the cornerstone of the Reed Words business, which marked its tenth anniversary last year.  

In actuality, the core value of what Reed provides to clients is not verbiage, but clarity. Too many words can obfuscate, but the right words can serve as brand anchors, around which a purpose may be defined, and new narratives can be built. Reed likes to put text in front of clients early to get quick reactions that more directly steer towards what their company or product really stands for.  

Reed Words' tone of voice work for Heinz

In this way, Reed Words works more like a big picture creative agency than a niche copywriting service. Whereas in the past, agency and brand clients may have called on writers to add nice language at the end of the process when the brief was provided, and the design work had been done, Reed Words is now finding itself brought in earlier on client projects to generate ideas and formulate brand strategies.  

Many of the firm’s clients are advertising, brand and design agencies, but increasingly they are working with more brand clients directly, ranging from consumer names to consulting firms, banks or arts organisations.   

Reed’s Works 

Among its high-profile portfolio, Reed Words collaborated with Wieden+Kennedy on the Formula 1 rebrand setting out its new brand guidelines that have generated admiration and respect from the industry professionals who have since used them. Also memorable is their Heinz work alongside the designs from JKR that set out an unmistakable voice for the packaged food brand. 

Formula 1 tone of voice work

Perhaps the most notable was a project that started Reed Words off as an agency. Reed partnered with Landor to create the voice of the new World Trade Center following 9/11 on behalf of the New York Port Authority rebuilding lower Manhattan. The first job was to install hoardings all around the site that would remain there for years with informational and emotive messaging about what was being done to restore that part of the city.  

“There was a very delicate brief, as you can imagine,” Reed says. “We wanted to be celebratory and optimistic but not ignore what had happened. These were short statements in which every word had to be carefully thought through tonally and informationally.”  

New World Trade Center construction hoardings

English in Asia

It’s this kind of high-profile work that Reed hopes will help appeal to Asian clients from its newly established presence in Singapore, led by general manager Rupert Thomson. 

A former Reed Words client himself, Thomson sees strong opportunities in APAC. “There are lots of incredible companies coming out of the region,” he says. “But sometimes it can feel like there is a gap between the quality of their products and the quality of how they’re spoken about [in English]. That’s a valuable role we can play.”  

Thomson recognises the sensitivity on this point, given the company is British and focused on the best use of the English language, which he acknowledges carries “cultural baggage”. Nonetheless, he also points out that English is the official business language of ASEAN and used in business in many Asian markets as it is globally. “Local companies and brands that want to grow and expand globally will primarily use English to do that,” he points out. 

Much of the initial work for new Asia-based clients, such as the Singapore Repertory Theatre, will be done by the team in London for now. But the plan is to grow the Singapore business to the point where its own local team will be recruited, much like how its New York office was formed.  

Starting small is a familiar tack. Much of Reed Words’ business pipeline is built through modest projects initially which grow in scope as key questions about brand voice and strategy identify greater needs. Having a strong portfolio that remains in the public eye shouldn’t hurt either.  

Positioned as experts in language and copywriters, does Reed then ever fear the embarrassment of seeing a typo or grammatical error in their work? 

“Always, yeah,” he admits. “But we’re pretty good at not doing that.”