Welcome to What We're Reading, a weekly rundown of news stories, marketing columns, and B2B industry news that caught our eye.

Why AI can’t make B2B brands memorable

AI is often pitched as a panacea for businesses, promising to streamline workflows and smooth out inefficiencies, but The Drum says there are certain problems AI can’t cure. Many B2B brands get lost in a crowd of unoriginal, samey content (which is much easier to create with AI), quickly forgotten by content-fatigued buyers.

If your core idea or strategy is weak, you’ll quickly reach the limits of optimization. Human skills like imagination, creative judgment, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking are key to creating a memorable brand.

AI adoption alone isn’t enough for B2B growth

B2B Marketing shares similar thoughts about AI adoption, but they approach it from another angle. New research shows that while B2B businesses are finding efficiencies through AI tools like meeting summaries and automated tasks, the productivity gains don’t necessarily translate to business growth.

After all, “The value of AI is not measured by the time it saves, but by how organizations reinvest that time.” For tangible growth, combine AI’s strengths with human ones, like judgment and strategic thinking, to see problems from your customer’s perspective, anticipate their needs, and tell stories about the things they care about.

Copycat marketers push B2B brands to evolve

B2B brands that manage to break the mould are often followed by copycats. Though there’s definitely something backwards about competitors stealing your original ideas to seem original themselves, there’s no shame in being the brand everyone wants to emulate.

A sponsored post in Marketing Week explains the impact of copycat marketing and the pressure to keep creating unique, distinct ideas. It’s a great example of how agencies can shine a light on your brand’s story and make it come to life.

Is there anything AI shouldn’t do?

It seems like AI tools can build anything you dream up, but should you use them if you’re not well-versed in what you’re trying to create? Our web team discusses where AI tools can be risky, where they excel in the hands of a layperson, and where domain experts can use AI to build tech that accelerates growth. Read the blog here.