AI ISN'T The Enemy, Your Lack OF Progress Is, Now Say Cheese

Steers used facial recognition software and created a selfie booth with a difference: “The Cheesier the Smile, the Cheesier the Reward” (Image supplied)

People are panicking.

It's like a live action set of South Park Goobacks' episode, where, according to Wikipedia "time-traveling immigrants come from the year 3045 to find work”.

The immigrants work for such a small amount of money that companies start firing off all of their employees to hire the immigrants.

Later, at a meeting about the immigrants, the foreman, Darryl Weathers, angrily exclaims, "They took our jobs!"

A full blown, meme-able moment

Took our jobs

Just turned 15

Retroviral has just turned 15.

Some tech has come and some has gone (remember Vine and Meerkat?), in the past decade and a half, but most industry-impacting developments take a lot longer to achieve mainstream adoption than we prophesy.

The dominos of disruption fall slower. The laggards take longer to lap it up.

Some of you will lose your jobs, but resilience and resourcefulness will aid in your recovery, and most importantly, help you in rallying towards your integrated newness.

You've done it before in Covid, remember?

This is why it's time to rage against your ostrich-head-in-sand predisposition and prepare for your future offering, today.

Insert new AI thing – literally

Fortunately, history is our real crystal ball, and trends are cyclical.

From recession to reinvention, there's something we are overlooking as we clamber to ChatGPT, kling, Midjourney and the myriad tools that are popping up - as ads - on our every third Instastory.

Shop Temu, Shein, Insert new AI thing - literally.

The Holy Trinity of Marketing

The Holy Trinity of Marketing was our positioning back in 2010 when the world was losing its collective head over social media.

Yes, it fundamentally impacted mainstream media, publications closed down, and classically trained journalists lost their jobs or evolved to something new.

Pragmatically, all industries need a reinvention to counter redundancy. It's day-job Darwinism.

Back then, we stressed that the more digitally savvy people become, the more we crave human interaction.

We also hypothesised that you need a digital / PR / and activation trilogy in order to create awareness and emotion for brands with their customers.

Cheesier the smile

15 years later and nothing's changed. Our recent experience for Steers proves this.

The people of Thembisa Mall and Wonderpark were real life versions of the mindblown emoji.

The cheesier the smile, the cheesier the burger.

An insight that all English-speaking markets say 'cheese' when we pose for a pic, and a moment of remarkability with a burger box-shaped selfie-booth, with a difference.

Brand synergy sweetspot.

Learn the rules

AI isn't the enemy, your lack of progress is.

It's time to become a truly integrated, integrated marketer / agency archetype.

Learn the rules, and break them with the new tools, via activation and digital, and PR the s*** out of your efforts .

In the name of the platform, the tools, and the Holy Trinity of Marketing.