A Conversation with Deborah Ball, Head of Strategy & Operations at MarketCraft
AI is quickly becoming an indispensable part of the marketing workflow. From AI models drafting social posts to automated brand messaging, the tools are everywhere, and so are the questions. Is AI making our content better, or just more of the same? Can company and personal brands maintain authenticity when algorithms are doing the writing? And what happens to the human element that makes brands actually connect with people?
We sat down with Deborah Ball to discuss her thoughts on AI and the evolution of language. As Head of Strategy and Operations at MarketCraft, Deborah brings more than a decade of experience in naming, branding, and content creation to Medtech startups. With a Master's in Linguistics from the University of Oxford and an MBA from Durham University Business School, she has a unique lens on how language shapes brand meaning and how AI is changing that equation.
Over the years, Deborah has immersed herself in the grammar of brand names, studying how meaning is shaped when phonetic forms are placed in context. It's the kind of deep, human expertise that can't be replicated by a prompt. In this conversation, we explore how AI is reshaping content creation, why human creativity still matters, and what it really takes to stand out when everyone's using the same tools.
Britton: How do you recommend brands use AI tools like ChatGPT in their content creation process?
Deborah: In my role at MarketCraft, my focus is on getting attention. Do you get attention through the averaging effect of AI, or do you get it by throwing in the human element or the big idea?
The first gem of something ideally comes from you or the client. There's got to be decent input first. Alternatively, there are occasions when starting with ChatGPT and its deep research function can be really useful because it’s able to pull from a lot of sources quickly (but you do need to check which sources it's pulling from!). Personally, for branding and content work, I'd rather have the client and our internal team’s input first and then start working back and forth with an AI model or two.
Britton: How do you feel about the writing style of these AI models?
There's a lot of conversation online about AI telltales such as em dashes, structures in threes, shorter sentences, etc... When these things appear in every piece of content, it starts to feel like you’re interacting with an AI model and not a person.
However, what if this is just a new linguistic style in its own right? The same way that texts, emails, and social posts have developed their own writing styles. You can tell straightaway if a post has used AI and you can also tell if it has substance or not. It’s when there’s nothing of note that AI gets annoying. Once you adjust to the style, then you can appreciate the content (or not!).
Britton: What impact do you think these tools will have on marketing?
Deborah: People will be quicker to create and distribute content, which isn't bad. Efficiency is great and removing some of the legwork is obviously good.
The value from the human in the equation then comes from a few things: how to use AI models well (the inputs, working back and forth with it, and checking the output), the creative out of the box thinking, and the client relationship (since AI can’t help speak to or build a relationship with people).
With the kind of averaging effect that AI-generated text can sometimes have, that creative part is going to be really important in getting and maintaining attention.
Britton: You work in a highly regulated industry. How do you maintain authenticity in your content while respecting regulatory constraints?
Deborah: As an individual user on social platforms, it's easy to get at least some attention. Just put up a picture of your face, or your dog, or talk about how quirky you are. People love that. However, with a company, especially a healthcare company, that’s not going to work out so well if that’s all you post for your would-be investors or clinical adopters. I really enjoy the challenge of figuring out what works within regulatory confines, especially with pre-commercial companies. What can you say and still get that attention from your various target audiences?
Companies in healthcare, especially in Medtech where I’m focused, need support in establishing good visibility for themselves. They don’t always have the time or mental energy for this, so companies like mine are key for supporting them in developing a good content strategy, a good content mix, and a consistency of output that’s effective.
When working directly with CEOs, I have to push them towards being a little uncomfortable sometimes to get interesting content. I like what Steven Bartlett says on Diary of a CEO: “If the price is embarrassment, just pay it. If it's just about embarrassment, who cares?”.
I try to spark conversations with leaders by asking about anything they’ve worked on in the past year or two that felt genuinely interesting or meaningful. Often, they’ll mention something almost in passing and wonder if it’s worth sharing, and more often than not, it absolutely is. The trick is making sure to have those touch points with your clients and stakeholders to get that human content.
Britton: How are professionals in the naming industry using AI?
Deborah: Some agencies and freelancers like it, some definitely don’t, and some, I think, have been reluctant adopters. There's a well-known namer in the niche circle that is the world of naming called Caitlin Barrett, who did a survey recently asking how many people are using AI for generating names. More than half of her respondents said yes, they use it.
I think using AI tools for the tedious task of screening names is a great use for it. Then you can either support the creative part and use AI to generate the name itself or keep that entire process for yourself. Both are viable options.
Britton: How does AI-generated content affect consumer trust in brands?
Deborah: I don't think the use of AI for social content necessarily affects brand trust directly. It's all on a spectrum of how much you've used AI to help you create content. In some cases, using AI poorly can affect performance and then, in turn, reputation and trust. Not necessarily the other way around.
AI has huge potential, but just like the internet, it can be easily abused if it’s not used thoughtfully. People naturally lean on a tool more and more if it feels easy. The problem is if you use AI too much, people aren't going to engage with your content because they can tell there’s a lack of effort. That’s why it’s important to set boundaries about how much AI is being used and when, before it becomes a problem.
Britton: Do you think the pushback we're seeing against AI content is really about the technology itself then?
Deborah: It's not really a rejection of AI, it's a rejection of accepting low-quality content. Adoption of AI tools has been quite staggering, so I don’t think it’s the technology itself, just how it’s used.
Once you see it as task replacement, not job replacement, about using these tools for efficiency, not for original thoughts and creativity, then we're putting AI tools in their proper place. It's like the Internet and social platforms, and any other technology that comes our way; we're figuring out how to best use it. As humans, I think we're naturally going to have a push/pull effect. We want something to make our lives easier, but we'll revolt if it starts replacing the best stuff!
Britton: How has this affected the perceived value of marketing professionals or agencies?
Deborah: People work with agencies, freelancers, and contractors because at the end of the day, you still need someone to do the marketing work. You can't just leave it to a chatbot. There are so many facets to marketing, it takes time, it’s difficult to manage, and it can be a big investment.
I know there’s a lot of changes in the workforce at the moment with AI affecting job security, but I think soon there will be a harder tilt back because humans are still needed. People who are creative, and people who are proficient users of technology, especially AI tools, are essential for crafting attention-getting content. AI should just be another tool in the arsenal for marketers to use, not a replacement for them.
The Takeaway
AI isn't going anywhere, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The brands that will thrive aren't the ones avoiding the technology or the ones leaning on it as a crutch. The true winners are using AI for what it is: a tool. A powerful one, but still just a tool.
What Deborah's perspective makes clear is that the real differentiator hasn't changed. It's still the human element, the big idea, the authentic voice, or the willingness to stand out when everyone else is blending in. AI can help you get there faster, but it can't replace the creative spark that makes a brand worth caring about.
For marketers navigating this new landscape, the formula is simple: start with substance, use AI to amplify (not replace) your thinking, and never let efficiency trump authenticity. In a world of beige background noise, the brands that feel human are the ones that get attention.
