Do your paying customers even like AI images?

AI graphic hate seems to be at an all time high, and this isn't just a few people not "getting with the times". Don't dig your heels in, just think about how it's impacting your image (or like the kids say "aura")

The question you need to be asking is:
"Do my paying customers like it?"
(cause I can go on a rant about AI bot customer service 😤)

As someone who has been in design and marketing for over 12 years, I can tell you that AI image use creates brand to customer alignment issues.

Brand Marketing is supposed to be a bridge that connects people with your product, it's the first impression customers have with you. It's your "vibe".

When your first impression:

1. Looks the same as others
2. Is associated with negative themes 
3. Is not about the customer
   

You turn into background noise, and you lose potential customers.

AI seems to be the current tool that is amplifying this problem. It triggers red flags in people 🚩

🚩AI food images look weird and unsettling. This might get better later, but not using real photos of your food is inauthentic, even stock photos trigger this.

🚩AI artwork miss the mark on what the customers are looking for. The image generators are trained off the google search results for "logo" so they have this "knock-off" quality to them. They don't consider human emotions when designing

🚩AI doesn't care that your customers hate it, only that you approve of it. It is a "yes-man", it will do whatever you ask, it won't defend it's decisions or elaborate on WHY it made that decision.

Marketing isn't about you, its about your customer. So align yourself with the customer, and what they want. Set their expectations authentically (use real photos of your food). Observe what your community likes and grow into that space. It's more fun and fulfilling anyway.