Branding Advice from an AI GPT

Hello, Curious Friends,

Lately, I’ve been playing around with GPTs. Generative Pre-trained transformers (GPT) are models that use a knowledge base alongside AI capabilities to perform specific tasks. It’s like creating a custom Chat-GPT bot that relies on specific knowledge, instructions, or content to create a specialized outcome.

Some GPTs are better than others. In class, we opened one called Social Butterly-AI 2.0. It had a preset prompt, “Explain social media algorithms like I’m five years old. Then help me develop a content plan to make them work in my favor,” so we ran it.

It returned a pretty clever answer. I wanted to share it here as well. This is a great way of explaining algorithms to non-tech people.

“Imagine you have a big, colorful box of toys. Every day, you pick out your favorites to play with, right? Social media, like Instagram or TikTok, has a big box of videos and pictures (we’ll call them “toys” for now). The social media “algorithm” is like an imaginary friend who watches what toys you play with the most and then, every day, picks out new toys for you that are similar to your favorites. If you love playing with race cars, your imaginary friend will give you more race cars and maybe some tracks to race them on because they know that’s what you love!

Now, if you want this imaginary friend to show your toys (the ones you create) to other kids (people on social media), you need to make your toys super fun and interesting so that when some kids play with them, they’ll love them and want to play with them every day. Here’s how we can make a plan for your toys (your content) to be everyone’s favorite:

1. Find Out What Other Kids Love: Just like knowing your friends’ favorite toys, find out what content (videos, pictures, stories) your followers like the most. Do they like funny videos? Beautiful pictures? Helpful tips?
2. Make a Schedule for Show-and-Tell: Decide how often you want to show your toys. It’s like planning a show-and-tell at school. Maybe you decide to share a new toy every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
3. Create a Variety Pack of Toys: Make sure you have different types of toys. Some can be videos of you playing with the toys, some can be pictures of the toys, and some can be stories about a great adventure you had with your toys.
4. Tell Stories About Your Toys: When you show your toy, tell a story about it. Did you go on an adventure with it? Did it help you solve a problem? Stories make everything more interesting!
5. Listen to the Kids in the Playground: After you show your toys, listen to what the other kids say. Do they love it? Do they want something different? This will help you pick better toys next time.
6. Make Your Toys Easy to Find: Just like putting your name on your toys, use hashtags (#) and descriptions so when kids search for a race car, they find your race car!
7. Play Together: Sometimes, invite your friends to play with your toys together. In social media, this means sometimes making videos or pictures with other people who make similar toys. This way, their friends can see your toys too!

If you follow these steps and keep sharing your toys, more and more kids will want to come play with you. Remember, the most important part is to have fun with it because when you love your toys, everyone else will too!”

We then asked it to break down the brand strategy for Wendy’s social media account. Here is its reply.

“Crafting a social media strategy for a brand like Wendy’s, known for its witty and bold online presence, requires a balance between maintaining its edgy tone and engaging its audience in innovative ways. Wendy’s has set a high bar in social media with its playful roasts and interactions, especially on Twitter. Here’s a multifaceted strategy to enhance Wendy’s social media influence, staying true to its brand voice while expanding its reach and engagement across platforms:

1. Leverage Brand Personality

• Maintain the Wit, Add More Heart: Continue with the brand’s signature sass and humor but mix in moments of genuine warmth and community involvement. For instance, highlight employees, community projects, or customer stories to add depth to Wendy’s online persona.

2. Engage Through Interactive Content

• Create Interactive Campaigns: Launch social media campaigns that encourage user participation, such as contests to create a new burger or to suggest a new menu item. Use hashtags to track submissions and feature the best ones on Wendy’s channels.
• Real-time Engagement: Host regular Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes live streams, and cooking challenges led by Wendy’s chefs or employees, giving a human face to the brand.

3. Utilize Multi-Platform Strategy

• Instagram & TikTok for Visual Storytelling: Use these platforms to showcase the aesthetic aspect of Wendy’s menu items through high-quality images and videos. Create TikTok challenges that encourage users to recreate Wendy’s recipes or share their dining experiences.
• Twitter for Conversations: Continue using Twitter as the frontline for witty banter with competitors and fans. Regularly engage with trending topics and memes to stay relevant.
• LinkedIn for Brand and Career Stories: Share stories about Wendy’s culture, employee highlights, and career opportunities, presenting Wendy’s as an attractive employer.

4. Focus on Community and Customer Service

• Highlighting Community Efforts: Share stories of local restaurant’s community involvement and charity efforts to build a positive brand image.
• Responsive Customer Service: Use social media platforms, especially Twitter, for prompt customer service responses, turning negative experiences into positive public relations opportunities.

5. Innovative Use of Data and Insights

• Leverage Analytics: Continuously analyze engagement data to understand what content performs best. Tailor the content calendar based on these insights to increase engagement and reach.
• Experiment with New Formats: Regularly experiment with new content formats and social media features (like AR filters, Stories, Reels, etc.) to keep the brand fresh and engaging.

6. Partnerships and Collaborations

• Collaborate with Influencers and Brands: Partner with food influencers and even other brands for crossover campaigns that can bring a new audience to Wendy’s. Keep the collaborations unexpected and quirky, aligning with Wendy’s brand voice.

7. Special Focus on Sustainability and Transparency

• Promote Sustainable Practices: Share Wendy’s efforts in sustainability, like sourcing ethical ingredients and reducing waste, to resonate with environmentally conscious consumers.
• Menu Transparency: Use social media to educate customers about nutritional information, allergen-friendly options, and efforts to include healthier choices on the menu.

This strategy aims to amplify Wendy’s existing strengths while diversifying its approach to engage with broader audiences. The goal is not just to maintain but also grow Wendy’s position as a beloved and socially engaged brand, leveraging humor, community involvement, and transparency to create a deeper connection with its audience.”

It is amazing what AI is able to do, and it is scary to imagine what it will be capable of next.