What is Answer Engine Optimization? How to Get Found in LMMs

How to structure web content so AI answer engines can find it, trust it, and cite it.

This playbook is a deep technical dive into Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)—the practice of making your content findable, parsable, and citable by LMMs and AI answer engines. Unlike our regular posts, this guide focuses on implementation details, schema markup, crawler behavior, measurement frameworks, and structural techniques. It’s designed for content strategists, SEOs, and technical marketers building for LLM-first environments.

TL;DR:

What is AEO? (And why do people call it that?)

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the process of organizing and enhancing web content so that AI systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Bing, and Google's AI Overviews can locate, analyze, verify, and reference your pages within synthesized answers.

You may come across terms like LLM SEO, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and LLM Optimization (LLMO) used interchangeably. This article uses AEO throughout.

AEO vs. Traditional SEO

Traditional SEO Answer Engine Optimization Traditional SEO Answer Engine Optimization
Goal: Blue‑link ranking Goal: Inclusion and citations inside AI answers
Unit: Whole pages Unit: Passages, entities, tables, steps
Query model: Keywords Query model: Questions and tasks
Primary signals: Links and on‑page relevance Primary signals: Clarity, evidence, schema, freshness, author identity
Success metrics: Positions, organic clickSuccess metrics: Share‑of‑answer, citation count and accuracy, assisted conversions

AEO does not replace SEO. It refocuses on answerability and verifiability at the passage level. To the average business owner or organization leadership, this can seem daunting. We have put together an implementation guide to help clarify the best way to implement AEO on your website while preserving the native SEO and content-based traffic.

The 10‑Step AEO Implementation Guide

1) Map answer intents

Begin by creating an inventory of questions and answers for each topic cluster that interests you. Include various categories such as definitions, how-tos, comparisons, pricing, specifications, pros and cons, troubleshooting, and benchmarks. Assign a single primary intent to each page to ensure it has a clear purpose. Additionally, group closely related questions into a small FAQ section at the end of the page.

2) Package answers for machines

Open each page with a direct answer of 40 to 120 words that clearly addresses the main question. Follow this with the method used, supporting details, and examples. Organize content into short sections with clear H2 and H3 headings that reflect how people ask questions. Ensure each paragraph contains only one main idea so that passages can be easily extracted. Incorporate structural elements like numbered steps, checklists, tables, callouts, and glossaries to help parsers extract facts without ambiguity.

3) Strengthen entity signals

Create canonical pages for your key entities, including products, features, concepts, and authors, and ensure consistent naming throughout the site. Link related pages back to these main hubs using descriptive anchor text. Provide detailed information about organizations and individuals with bios and credentials, and utilize BreadcrumbList to clarify the location of each page within your information architecture.

4) Provide evidence

Include numbers, methods, and dates next to the claims they support, and cite primary sources whenever possible. If you own the data, publish it as a downloadable CSV or JSON file, and present it in clean HTML tables. Include figures with captions and a brief methodology section to help answer engines verify the origin and quality of your evidence.

5) Add schema markup

Use JSON-LD to implement the core types that are relevant to each page, including FAQPage, HowTo, Product, Article, Organization, Person, and BreadcrumbList. When appropriate, enhance the structured data with SpecialAnnouncement for time-sensitive notices, Dataset for original research, and VideoObject or ImageObject when rich media can provide additional clarity. Be sure to validate your implementation using testing tools and address any errors before publishing.

Examples

FAQPage

<script type="application/ld+json">

{

  "@context": "https://schema.org",

  "@type": "FAQPage",

  "mainEntity": [{

    "@type": "Question",

    "name": "What is Answer Engine Optimization?",

    "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "AEO is optimizing web content so AI answer engines and LLMs can find, verify, and cite it."}

  }]

}

</script>

Dataset

<script type="application/ld+json">

{

  "@context": "https://schema.org",

  "@type": "Dataset",

  "name": "2025 LLM Answer Coverage Study",

  "description": "Monthly measurements of share‑of‑answer across major AI engines for 150 queries.",

  "creator": {"@type": "Organization", "name": "ExampleCo"},

  "distribution": [{"@type": "DataDownload", "encodingFormat": "text/csv", "contentUrl": "https://example.com/llm-coverage.csv"}],

  "dateModified": "2025-08-01"

}

</script>

SpecialAnnouncement

<script type="application/ld+json">

{

  "@context":"https://schema.org",

  "@type": "SpecialAnnouncement",

  "name": "Pricing update effective Sept 1",

  "text": "Updated pricing for the enterprise tier effective Sept 1.",

  "datePosted": "2025-08-15",

  "expires": "2025-10-01"

}

</script>

VideoObject

<script type="application/ld+json">

{

  "@context":"https://schema.org",

  "@type": "VideoObject",

  "name": "How to structure AEO answer blocks",

  "thumbnailUrl":["https://example.com/thumb.jpg"],

  "uploadDate": "2025-08-10",

  "description": "A 5‑minute guide to writing answer‑first pages.",

  "duration": "PT5M"

}

</script>

6) Ensure technical access

To ensure proper indexing by major AI crawlers, explicitly allow them in your robots.txt file and align this with page-level meta tags when necessary. The typical allowlist of crawlers includes GPTBot, ChatGPT-User, Claude-Web, PerplexityBot, Googlebot, Google-Extended, Bingbot, and Meta-ExternalAgent. It's important to keep the lead answer block and key tables in the initial HTML so that search engines with limited rendering capabilities can still access the essential information. Additionally, publish an XML sitemap that includes all answer pages.

robots.txt

User-agent: GPTBot

Allow: /

User-agent: ChatGPT-User

Allow: /

User-agent: Claude-Web

Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot

Allow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended

Allow: /

User-agent: Googlebot

Allow: /

User-agent: Bingbot

Allow: /

Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml

Page‑level meta

<meta name="robots" content="index,follow,max-snippet:-1,max-image-preview:large">

<meta name="googlebot" content="index,follow">

7) Optimize passages

Write headings that resemble the questions users ask, then answer them directly. After that, add nuance, examples, and limitations. Keep the lead answer concise, include related synonyms and entity aliases nearby, and organize the surrounding context so that any single paragraph can stand on its own when pulled into an AI-generated response.

8) Build off‑page authority

Use digital PR and useful tools or datasets to acquire citations from reputable sources, such as industry journals, .edu or .gov domains, standards organizations, GitHub, and specialized wikis. When others reference your work, encourage the use of exact anchor text that matches your entity names to ensure clear association signals.

9) Freshness and versioning

Schedule time-sensitive pages for updates. When you revise content, display an updated date. Maintain a public change log for methodology pages, and either annotate or replace outdated figures. Remove any content that cannot be updated accurately to prevent search engines from indexing outdated claims.

10) Measure and improve

Establish a fixed query panel for each cluster and conduct tests across different search engines on a monthly basis. Record where your content appears, how it is cited, any confidence indicators, and whether the provided answer appears to be complete. Monitor metrics such as share of answer, citation count and accuracy, answer confidence, answer completeness, entity association strength, opportunities for zero results, and assisted conversions. After making edits, rerun the panel and document the changes.

Example: Turning a generic listicle into an answerable page

Before: A long article on "best project management tools" with buried comparisons and generic blurbs.

After:

Result: Clear passages that engines can quote, verify, and cite.

Pitfalls to avoid

Final checklist

Content and structure: Ensures pages are built around clear questions and direct, structured answers.

Evidence and media: Confirms claims are sourced, dated, and supported with usable formats and captions.

Schema markup: Verifies structured data types are implemented and validated for key content types.

Technical access and performance: Checks AI crawlers can access content and that it loads quickly and cleanly.

Authority: Validates visible author/org credibility and external recognition.

Measurement and governance: Tracks inclusion, accuracy, and update hygiene at scale.


Conclusion

Search engines prefer content that is clear, verifiable, and well-organized. By optimizing your content for these criteria, you can align it with how these systems process and understand information. Follow the steps outlined earlier, track the appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs), and make adjustments consistently. The result will be lasting visibility in AI-generated answers and enhanced brand authority, which is crucial as users increasingly rely on this information to make decisions.

If this sounds like a lot, well you're not wrong. Implementing AEO effectively takes technical skill, strategic content, and deep platform knowledge. When you need help handling an AEO campaign like this, you want to talk to an expert. Twothirty Media are AEO experts in Pittsburgh and we work with organizations all over the country and world on optimization. If you're looking for expert help optimizing your content for LLMs and answer engines, please reach out!

What is Demand Marketing? A Guide to Business Growth

The Fundamentals

Using demand marketing builds awareness and interest in your brand before a buyer is ready to purchase. It’s why someone thinks of your solution the moment a problem arises—even if they weren't actively looking. By guiding buyers through every stage of the journey, demand marketing positions your brand as the go-to choice when it matters most.

In this article, we’ll break down the fundamentals of demand marketing—and clearly explain the difference between demand generation and demand capture—to help you attract and convert high-value customers more effectively.

What is Demand Marketing?

Demand marketing is a long-game strategy designed to create interest before a buyer ever enters the market. Traditional lead generation focuses on capturing active intent, or finding those potential customers who are looking for a specific product or service. Unlike that traditional lead generation strategy, demand marketing nurtures awareness and builds relationships across the entire buyer journey—from initial exposure to final conversion. Like its name, this marketing technique is all about building up the desire, or demand, for a product or service.

Many marketers confuse demand generation with growth marketing. Growth marketing focuses on fast, iterative wins (like A/B testing and funnel hacks), while demand generation is about creating lasting desire and market presence within a larger demand marketing strategy.

Think of demand marketing as an ecosystem: each touchpoint—ads, content, social, events—serves a specific purpose in guiding buyers closer to a decision. Demand creation builds interest organically among unaware or passive buyers, while demand capture converts those already showing intent.

Together, they drive long-term, sustainable growth—not just short-term clicks.

The Modern Buyer's Journey

Most lead generation strategies focus on buyers who are actively searching—but that’s only a small slice of your total market. The majority of potential customers aren’t looking yet, even if your solution could help them. This untapped segment is where demand marketing creates real opportunity.

In today’s environment, where 56% of organizations face resource constraints while under pressure to grow, the old lead-gen playbook falls short. Success now requires a strategy that nurtures buyers throughout their entire decision-making journey—not just when they’re ready to buy. This is a strategy familiar to anyone who has seen ads for repair contractors – they are laying the groundwork for service familiarity, brand recognition, and interest before the customer needs to call them.

That’s the key difference: demand capture converts those already showing interest, while demand creation builds that interest from the ground up. If your results are stalling, it may be time to shift focus from just harvesting demand to actively generating it.

Demand Marketing Implementation Strategies

To build a successful demand marketing system, focus on three foundational strategies that work together to drive interest, engagement, and conversion: Account-Based Marketing, data-driven targeting, and personalization at scale.

1. Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

ABM targets high-value accounts with personalized campaigns that speak directly to their specific needs.

To implement ABM effectively:

Example: A cybersecurity firm created personalized landing pages and case studies for its top 50 target accounts—resulting in a 40% lift in engagement.

2. Be Data-Driven

Modern buyers leave behind intent signals in how they search, click, and engage. Use that data to guide your timing and messaging.

How to apply it:

Example: A SaaS company tracked rising interest in compliance content and launched a targeted email series—tripling response rates.

3. Personalize at Scale

Effective personalization builds meaningful connections at every stage of the buyer journey.

Ways to do it:

Example: An HR tech brand used dynamic content to serve industry-specific messaging on its homepage, increasing demo requests by 28%.

Together, these three strategies form the core of a modern demand marketing system—helping you build interest, guide intent, and convert prospects into long-term revenue.

Your Demand Marketing Action Plan

Building an effective demand marketing engine starts with a clear, data-backed foundation. Here’s how to set yourself up for long-term success:

1. Audit What’s Already Working (and What’s Not)

Start by reviewing your current marketing efforts. Analyze content performance, conversion paths, engagement metrics, and campaign ROI. This baseline will reveal what’s driving results—and where there’s room to improve. A marketing agency that specializes in advertising analytics can be invaluable to determine the gaps in your campaigns.

2. Identify High-Performing Channels

Look at where your best leads are coming from. Are certain platforms, content types, or campaigns consistently converting? Pinpoint patterns in your most successful touchpoints to double down on what works.

3. Build a Buyer-Centric Content Strategy

Your content should solve real problems, not just fill a calendar. Create high-quality, helpful content for every stage of the buyer’s journey—awareness, consideration, and decision. Focus on relevance over volume.

4. Choose Tools That Solve Real Problems

Don’t chase shiny tools. Select technology that integrates with your existing stack and directly supports your strategy—whether that’s CRM, intent data, personalization, or analytics. Look for platforms that show clear, measurable ROI.

5. Define Success and Measure It Regularly

Establish KPIs aligned with your goals—whether it’s lead quality, pipeline velocity, or influenced revenue. Build dashboards to monitor progress and schedule regular reviews to stay agile and accountable. Once success metrics are established, you can create a formula for scalability.

Ready to transform your demand marketing strategy? 

At Twothirty Media, we specialize in building the visual and digital foundation for high-performing demand marketing strategies. From compelling brand storytelling to conversion-focused websites, we create the assets that move prospects from awareness to action.

Let’s work together to turn market curiosity into measurable growth. Schedule a consultation today and see how our creative expertise can help you attract, engage, and convert your ideal customers.

How Long Should I Run My Advertising Campaign?

Have you ever wished you could just flip a switch and instantly attract a flood of new customers? In practice, advertising doesn't function like that. It's more comparable to cultivating a garden: you plant the seeds (initial impressions), nurture them with consistent, targeted messaging, and let them grow over time. This gives audiences the necessary exposure to move through the buying process—from initial awareness to consideration, and ultimately, conversion.

In other words, advertising is often not a quick fix. Your campaign may do better centering on long-term brand-building rather than a single, short-term sales push. Each campaign introduces prospects to your brand, encourages them to explore your offerings, and gradually increases their receptiveness to taking action. Consumers often need multiple interactions with a brand before they're ready to make a purchase.

When you are in the planning stage before you begin a campaign, it can be helpful to consult with an experienced advertising agency. An agency can put together a plan based on research that will recommend industry-specific campaign duration, ads platform, and budget.

Phase 1: Planting the Seeds

The advertisements you create will inevitably engage an audience that is not yet familiar with your brand or services. At this stage, the primary goal is to foster brand awareness and recognition, rather than pursuing immediate sales results.

Monitoring key metrics can help in evaluating your campaign's progress. An increase in ad clicks, website visits, or social media engagement can indicate that your marketing efforts are beginning to yield results. Each interaction represents a chance to connect with potential customers and gradually establish a relationship that could eventually lead to sales. By prioritizing brand awareness, you are effectively laying the foundation for sustained growth and success in the market.

Phase 2: Nurturing Your Campaign

Much like a gardener regularly inspects their plants, you will monitor the performance of advertising campaigns to achieve optimal results. Start by analyzing key metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your ads. Assess whether they are meeting the desired click-through rate (CTR) or underperforming.

It's also important to review your budget to determine if current spending levels are adequate for effectively reaching your target audience. If certain ads show signs of underperformance, consider reallocating funds to those that are generating more engagement.

In addition, scrutinize the copy and creative components of your advertisements. Evaluate whether the messaging resonates with your audience and consider refining it if necessary. Implementing A/B testing with different versions of your ad can yield valuable insights into what appeals most to potential customers.

Utilizing metrics such as cost per click (CPC) will help assess the efficiency of your spending and inform where to allocate more resources. By maintaining a proactive approach and being open to adjusting strategies in response to performance data, your campaign can continue to evolve successfully. Thoughtful adjustments and ongoing nurturing will ultimately lead to a more fruitful outcome for your advertising efforts.

Phase 3: Reaping the Rewards

To really get the most out of your ads, it's important to give them some time to grow. With patience, you are going to see some great results, like more people recognizing your brand, an increase in leads, and better conversion rates.

The advertising landscape is in a constant state of flux, which means that even when your campaigns are performing well, it's crucial to remain proactive. Regularly testing new versions of your ads can help identify what resonates most with your audience. Exploring new target demographics may uncover connections with your brand that were previously unconsidered.

For any sustained advertising campaign, carefully refining your strategy based on performance metrics and audience feedback is vital. Embracing the iterative nature of advertising will help ensure that your brand remains competitive and relevant in the market.

The Value of Playing the Long Game

A successful advertising campaign may emerge through a process that spans several months. This extended timeframe is vital for cultivating brand loyalty and trust among consumers, both of which play a crucial role in securing repeat business. Establishing a lasting relationship with your audience helps ensure that they think of your brand first when making purchasing decisions.

A long-term advertising campaign also provides the opportunity to collect and analyze a wealth of data regarding your audience's preferences, behaviors, and demographics. By continually engaging with them over time, you can gain deeper insights into what resonates most effectively with your target market. A marketing agency can use this valuable information to refine and optimize your messaging, ensuring it aligns more closely with the interests and needs of your audience. As a result, prolonged campaigns not only enhance the effectiveness of your advertising efforts but also contribute to a more sustainable and impactful brand presence in the marketplace.

Patience is Your Best Friend

When cultivating a garden, no one expects to reap a bountiful harvest overnight, and the same thing goes for your ad campaign. Just as seeds require time to grow and flourish, your advertisements need time to make an impact. The journey of building brand awareness is gradual, and modern campaigns tend to go through a "learning" period where advertisers ensure you are hitting the sweet spot. As potential customers take the time to become familiar with your brand, they move closer to making a purchase decision. This slow and steady engagement will ultimately lead to sustainable growth if you remain committed and patient.

How Direct Response Tactics Diverge from Traditional Campaigns

All that said, in some cases a long-term brand-building approach may not be necessary. For instance, direct response or performance marketing campaigns can be structured to drive immediate action, such as a limited-time promotion. Established brands with strong name recognition also have a shortcut to faster results, since trust and familiarity are already built into their audience relationships. These advertisers risk their message falling flat—so it is important that they have done their homework and know their audience, and preferably, their audience already knows them.

Additionally, certain industries and product types thrive on impulse buys or require quick consumer decisions, making a protracted campaign less critical. If the offer is compelling and the market is primed to purchase, short bursts of advertising can deliver swift conversions. Ultimately, the strategy and its timeline depends on your brand's goals, visibility, and audience needs.

In a Nutshell

Advertising is not a simple switch that you can turn on and off like a faucet; it is more akin to nurturing a garden that demands ongoing attention and care. Success in advertising does not come from instant gratification but from consistent effort and dedication over time. By investing the necessary time and energy into your campaigns, you will witness the gradual blossoming of your advertising efforts into lasting success.

Choosing where, and how, to spend your advertising dollars can be a complicated task—consider partnering with a specialized advertising agency in Pittsburgh or one located in your area. Professionals can provide valuable insights and strategic guidance, helping you navigate the complexities of advertising and ensuring that your campaigns continue to flourish. Remember, just like a well-tended garden, successful advertising requires patience, perseverance, and a willingness to learn along the way.

Making Landing Pages that Convert

Your questions about building effective landing pages are answered.

Recently, I was surprised to read that even though landing pages designed with a clear call to action (CTA) have a much higher average conversion rate (~6% more) compared to general websites (2–5% total), only a little less than half of marketers build a new landing page for each marketing campaign!

So, why, if landing pages significantly enhance the success of marketing campaigns, do so many advertisers not use them? With the growth of DIY ad solutions like Google Ads, more small businesses are handling their ads themselves than ever before. While savvy users can figure out how to run ads, they may not have all the tools or strategies that a traditional marketer would bring to the table—especially when it comes to optimizing landing pages.

But that's okay! Landing pages certainly have specific needs, but they're not inscrutable. In fact, best practices for landing pages are straightforward when you don't overthink them.

Here are ten ways to make landing pages that convert visitors into customers:

1.   Landing pages that convert value the call to action above all else.

2.   Landing pages that convert do not distract users from the conversion.

3.   Landing pages that convert make users identify with the conversion.

4.   Landing pages that convert ensure fast load times.

5.   Landing pages that convert meet user experience expectations.

6.   Landing pages that convert test their assumptions about traffic.

7.   Landing pages that convert are mobile-friendly.

8.   Landing pages that convert use compelling visuals and design.

Let's start with the most essential element of your landing page: the point of conversion - your call to action.

1.) Landing pages that convert value the call to action above all else.

What is the most important feature of a landing page? Conversions happen fast, and you need to capture users who are ready to commit immediately. The longer a user spends browsing, the more likely they are to talk themselves "out" of a conversion. So, what should be the most visible thing on your landing page? It's simple: whatever action you want your user to take.

If you want purchases, make sure the "Buy Now" button is easy to find. Need calls or newsletter sign-ups? Your clickable phone number or simple form should be front and center. Avoid vague CTAs like "Learn More." Use clear, action-oriented language like "Get Started," "Claim Your Offer," or "Buy Now." And don't forget the button design—use contrasting colors and ensure it looks clickable.

When collecting data, keep forms as short as possible. The more fields you include, the more likely users are to drop off. Stick to the essentials—name, email, and maybe one additional field if necessary. You can always gather more information later as the relationship develops.

2. Landing pages that convert do not distract the user from the conversion.

If the first thing your users see is your conversion point, what should follow that? Again – don't overthink it. The answer is whatever it takes to get your user to go back to a CTA! If your user was not tempted into an impulsive purchase, maybe they need a little more evidence. This is the right place to add any copy, graphics, or arguments in favor of your conversion. That might be a paragraph about your product or service; it might be smiling people using your service that customers can relate to. Other common examples include testimonials, ratings, guarantees, comparisons, or promotions. Ideally, if the focus is on redirecting the user to the CTA, you're on the right track.

Continuing the argument against distracting your visitors - landing pages that convert users into customers eliminate distractions by minimizing unnecessary elements like navigation menus. It's a hard sell, but your landing page should not be just another page on your website. It should be a separate page that cannot be navigated away from. This focus helps guide users toward specific actions, improving the effectiveness of your (paid) advertising campaign.

Furthermore, all offsite links should be strictly limited to those you need. By need, I mean links you would need for legal compliance, like privacy policies.

3. Landing pages that convert make their users identify with the conversion.

You may have been introduced to ethos and pathos at some point in your life. Today, let's look at these concepts through our marketing lens as appeals to credibility and emotion, respectively. We are not just using these concepts but also magnifying them with a more modern marketing technique: appealing to the user's identity. And we are supporting the whole thing with logos—the appeal to logic.

This is a powerful idea that gets used in marketing very often. Your users should already identify with your product or service on some level. Think about it: You have used tracking, or your user clicked a sponsored link on Google or another site, and they want to find a solution behind your advertisement as much as you want them to. They have already self-qualified themselves as a lead beyond the average person on the street. So when they reach the site, they need to feel at home. They should see happy people, people that they relate to, using your product. That can be accomplished with photos, videos, and embedded social media posts. These are your appeals to emotion - smiling, happy users. Next, you display their peers submitting testimonials, reviews and ratings, impressive clientele lists, or anything else that will increase your credibility. Finally, you appeal to their logic. You can and should wrack your brain to find a logical reason why every user you're targeting needs your product, but you should also provide them with a logical incentive. A discount, money back, a guarantee, a limited-time offer, something that appeals to their sense of cunning.

4. Landing Pages that Convert Ensure Fast Load Times

Speed is crucial for conversions. Studies show that a landing page should load within 3 seconds; anything longer risks losing users. Optimize images, reduce heavy scripts, and ensure your page performs well on both desktop and mobile devices. A slow landing page can kill conversions before they even begin.

This is yet another reason to ensure that your landing page isn't just a page on your website unless you are confident in your server speed! If you are not sure, perform a speed test!

5. Landing pages that convert meet user experience expectations

Do you remember the book "Don't Make Me Think”? This was the guide on user experience for a long time. Unfortunately, the user-first interface techniques have not made it to all of our modern digital interfaces because users don't have another option. But your users always do, and every time you ask them to flex their mind muscles, they are just a little more likely to close the browser window and move on with their day. Keep that from happening; you want your conversions to be as mindlessly straightforward as possible. Anything else, including detailed information about the user, can wait in line behind the almighty conversion.

"Don't Make Me Think" also answers how your landing page should be designed. Like your brand, like your ad. If your user comes to your website, they want your website to look like the ad. They want it to use the wording they heard in the ad. They want to experience a brand that they are familiar with. This all eases the transition to conversion because it increases user trust – the ethos. This is the hardest part because it is easy for an amateur to make a landing page that looks like it could give your computer a virus.

6.  Landing pages that convert, track (and test their expectations about) their traffic.

You may think you know what your users will do. You may have read a few articles or followed best practices, believing your landing pages will convert. But without testing and data, you'd be making a big mistake. If you're planning a long-term advertising campaign using landing pages to convert visitors, you must gather metrics on user behavior. Without metrics, it's difficult to determine how many visitors clicked on your ad, how many stayed for the page to load, how far they scrolled, or even where they clicked on the page.

Tools like Google Analytics can help you track key data points like traffic sources, user demographics, and conversion paths. Heatmap tools like Microsoft Clarity can show you where users are engaging on your page—where they click, scroll, and even lose interest.

However, tools like Google Tag Manager (GTM) are essential to unlocking the full potential of tracking. GTM allows you to implement various tracking codes—such as Google Analytics events, conversion tags, or custom scripts—without needing to constantly update the site's code manually. It simplifies tracking everything from button clicks to form submissions. With Tag Manager, you can customize what events to track and gather more granular data on how users are interacting with your landing pages.

Combining these tools gives you a complete view of your landing page performance, allowing you to optimize for conversions and improve your advertising ROI. However, setting up and managing a successful ad campaign can be one of the more complex and technical aspects of digital marketing. While you may have a good grasp of what it takes to set up a campaign, monitoring and fine-tuning it requires a different level of expertise.

If you find the technical side overwhelming, consider reaching out to Twothirty Media. As a Pittsburgh-based advertising agency, we specialize in tailoring solutions to fit your specific needs, helping you achieve your goals on your terms.

7.  Landing pages that convert are mobile-friendly.

Users are continuing a trend toward mobile-first browsing, so optimizing your landing pages for mobile is essential. Many visitors will access your page on their phones or tablets, and if your page isn't mobile-friendly, they'll likely bounce. Use responsive design to ensure your landing page looks and functions perfectly across all devices. This is especially true if your ad appears across apps!

Speed, layout, and clickable buttons should all be tailored to mobile users, and mobile versions of forms should be short and easy to complete. A clunky or slow mobile experience can cost you conversions.

8. Landing pages that convert use compelling visuals and design.

The visual design of a landing page plays a considerable role in driving conversions. High-quality images, videos, and graphics that support your message can create an emotional connection with your users. Visual elements like product images, explainer videos, and infographics make your offer more appealing, while minimalistic design keeps the focus on your CTA. Your visuals should be purposeful and help reinforce your value proposition. Avoid clutter and distractions, and ensure that your design aligns with your overall brand image.

Extra Credit: When Should You Not Use a Landing Page?

While landing pages are highly effective for driving conversions, there are times when they might not be necessary. Here are a few situations where you can skip the landing page:

Keep these tactics in mind when you build your landing page, and your users will convert more often. If you need help setting up a landing page like this or would like an advertising campaign consultation, feel free to reach out!

Has the AI Bubble Popped?

And if It Hasn't, Will It?

AI is everywhere now, and with its rise, more people are starting to spot it—and not always in a good way. It's cheap, it's accessible, and that's attracted a whole bunch of folks who might not have the best intentions. Scammers, spammers, and other unsavory types are jumping on the AI bandwagon, and it's starting to give the whole thing a bad name. So, are we looking at an AI bubble that's ready to pop? Or is this just how it goes when something new and shiny gets overused, and we'll eventually see things level out? Let's dig into whether AI is heading for a crash or just a course correction as people wake up to what it's really doing.

Whether there is a bubble or not, as the world begins to grasp the real-world applications of AI, there will be winners and losers in every industry. This article is, in a way, a follow-up to our article Will AI Replace Artists? The Future of Art and Design in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. In it, we will explore the possibility of AI creating a bubble and that bubble popping. But before we look ahead, first, we have to look at where we have been. Let's review what a bubble pop looks like.

Understanding Tech Bubbles: Past and Present

Dot-com Bubble (Late 1990s - Early 2000s)

Real Estate Bubble (Mid-2000s)

Cryptocurrency Bubble (2017-2018)

3 Signs of a Bursting AI Bubble:

Decreased Funding and Investment

A drop in venture capital funding for AI startups, fewer IPOs, or lower valuations could signal a market correction. You might see headlines like "AI Startup Funding Drops by 50% in Q2" to indicate such a trend. Not something I am seeing yet.

Mass Layoffs in AI Companies

Large-scale layoffs or closures of AI startups can signal financial stress within the industry. News stories such as "Leading AI Firm Announces Layoffs of 30% of Workforce" would highlight these concerns. This also isn't something we are seeing.

Failure of High-Profile AI Projects

Public failures of well-known AI projects can shake confidence in AI solutions. We are seeing some examples of this one. Reports like "AI Gone Wrong: An Updated List of AI Errors, Mistakes and Failures" for example. While the online-chatter-sentiment (hell of a metric, I know) of AI success is currently on a bit of a downtrend, this is still not the case as far as investor interest goes, as far as I can tell.

What Remains After the Bubble Deflates?

When tech bubbles deflate, they can leave behind valuable innovations and infrastructure. Let's look at the nearest relevant example for us marketers.

Dot-com Bubble

The internet infrastructure built during the dot-com era laid the foundation for the modern internet. Companies like Amazon and Google emerged stronger, becoming industry giants.

Similarly, in the post-AI bubble, robust AI infrastructure, including improved machine learning frameworks and data processing capabilities, could continue to drive Innovation in various sectors. One of AI's most tangible benefits, especially in marketing, is how it simplifies mundane tasks. For example, prompt engineering allows project managers to use AI tools to summarize tasks and start a production calendar very efficiently. But does this mean AI will replace project managers and other roles entirely? No way. Much like the chainsaw revolutionized the lumber industry without replacing lumberjacks, AI will enhance the worker's current capabilities without taking over completely.

Public Sentiment and Ethical Concerns

Quality and Authenticity Concerns

There is growing skepticism about AI-generated content, with many believing it needs more depth and nuance than human-created works. Headlines like "How AI-generated content could both fuel disinformation and improve fact-checking" capture this sentiment. AI videos and images being used to impersonate or trick the public is a valid concern that has caused growing trust problems across the internet already, such as Meta trying to flag AI-generated content.

Job Displacement Fears

AI and automation have raised fears about job losses among many marketers. Reports such as "Artists Are Revolting Against AI Art on ArtStation" reflect these anxieties. This has been mentioned a lot in multimedia and marketing - I've read suggestions that everything from designers to developers and video editors will be replaced, and I've been seeing a lot more AI art. However, when it is art that would normally have been handled by an artist, they are typically seen as giving the product a low quality, at least in the most obvious cases. This makes sense – AI art as a primary designer is cutting corners, but anecdotally, savvy consumers are beginning to take note and form opinions about products that build their brands around AI art. Brand managers – take heed.

Ethical and Privacy Concerns

As AI systems collect and use personal data, concerns about privacy violations are increasing, too. AI companies come under intense scrutiny for potential data privacy violations, and there is growing concern about how these companies handle personal data. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has emphasized that AI companies must uphold their privacy and confidentiality commitments if the AI models are offered as part of a service. These companies often require large amounts of data to train their models, which raises significant privacy concerns when personal and sensitive data is involved.

Additionally, California's ongoing legislative efforts, such as the amendments to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), are aiming to strengthen data privacy regulations around AI systems. These amendments include ensuring that personal information processed by AI systems remains subject to strict privacy obligations, highlighting the increasing legal focus on protecting consumer data in the age of AI.

While at the surface level, this might all seem like a negative response at a federal level, the truth is it was unlikely for AI to develop without some amount of regulatory oversight. The addition of regulations into AI indicates lawmakers expect that it will take hold in a longer-term way.

Can Regulatory Frameworks Increase Stability?

Developing regulations can ensure responsible AI development and build long-term trust and stability in the technology. This regulatory oversight can prevent unchecked growth that leads to bubbles.

The Potential for a Soft Deflation

A bubble popping doesn't really have to be a dramatic event, either. There is potential for a soft deflation or gradual adjustment in the usage of AI. A soft deflation in the AI market would involve a steady correction, where investment becomes more targeted and focused on sustainable innovations rather than speculative ventures.

So what is a better model of growth than the bubble that expands so quickly it must burst? Even sustained Innovation allows for integration and solid uses to develop the technology. Continuous, measured advancements in AI technology can maintain investor confidence, even if the pace of hype-driven funding slows. This steady progress ensures that AI remains relevant and valuable.

What if AI is Not a Bubble?

On the other hand, if it turns out that AI isn't a bubble at all, it might represent a significant technological shift, similar to the internet or mobile revolutions. AI's integration into various sectors may indicate a foundational technology undergoing natural growth and adjustment to better suit the industry's needs, not unlike an evolution. This technological evolution could see the role of AI as a tool changing as it integrates into new and surprising ways.

The ongoing integration that we are already seeing doesn't indicate any slowing down. AI is steadily becoming a part of healthcare, finance, and transportation, among other fields. This suggests that AI is not just a fleeting trend but a technology that is here to stay. Companies are increasingly relying on AI for efficiency and Innovation. This reliance and adaptability indicate that AI has a robust and enduring role in modern business practices.

AI in Marketing, Media, and Multimedia

Drawing Conclusions: Has the AI Bubble Popped?

I'd say that, as of this time of writing (late August, 2024), a small AI bubble has been forming that has not popped. Still, the AI industry is experiencing adjustments, and inevitably, there will be more. The market might see a soft deflation, where growth becomes more sustainable and grounded in real-world applications. Alternatively, AI might represent a foundational technology that continues to evolve and integrate deeply into various sectors.

Final Thoughts

AI continues to be a game-changer in marketing, media, and multimedia. Whether we're witnessing a bubble or a transformative technological shift, AI's impact is undeniable and likely to shape the future of many industries with many diverse applications for marketers beyond content. AI is used in chatbots, virtual assistants, and dynamic pricing. Soon, AI could be utilized in marketing to make incremental improvements in algorithms for ad targeting, improved sentiment analysis, and better customer journey mapping. AI's ability to process data, identify patterns, predict consumer behavior, and, yes, develop content makes it invaluable for marketers, but without a human to parse through that data, it is still rarely worthy of a human audience.

How Does Multimedia Content Help Businesses Get Noticed?

Multimedia content incorporates different forms of media to provide a captivating user experience. Competition for consumer engagement and their shrinking attention spans push businesses to look for ways to stand out. Multimedia is, therefore, an essential tool that goes beyond the ordinary to provide its audiences with an interactive and dynamic experience. Additionally, it improves how brands communicate their stories, giving them more excitement, meaning, and memorability.

Multimedia content includes:

In this article, we look at the different benefits of multimedia content and how it may help businesses gain visibility.

How Multimedia Content Increases Visibility for Businesses

Multimedia Content Increases Audience Engagement

Multimedia content on websites, social media, and presentations is more captivating than plain text. Businesses can use it to boost engagement and maintain user interest in their content. Multimedia materials also attract likes, comments, and shares, increasing engagement. 

Multimedia material allows readers to consume your content more effortlessly without losing interest fast or feeling overwhelmed.

Overall, increased user engagement could convert users into loyal customers.

Multimedia Content Enhances Branding and Credibility

Establishing authority and credibility is crucial for the success of any business. Customers are more likely to patronize businesses they trust. Incorporating engaging multimedia creates a professional and trendy outlook, differentiating you from competitors.

Maintaining consistency is a highly effective way to capitalize on the rewards of a multimedia content strategy. With time, each story you share creates an overall brand image. You can work with a multimedia agency to establish a plan that reflects your brand values and produces a quantifiable effect.

Multimedia Content Boosts Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Multimedia content can help with SEO efforts. Search engines place a high value on multimedia content, and platforms featuring multimedia rank higher. Another aspect that search engines use in their ranking is time. If you include multimedia in your communications, you can attract users to stay on your platform longer, boosting your ranking.

Multimedia content also increases the likelihood of receiving referral traffic, which boosts website traffic and visibility.

Improves Website Aesthetics

Aesthetics are an essential component of website design. Adding multimedia to your website can improve its visual appeal and set it apart.

Multimedia can also create a uniform look and style for your website. Consistent tone, style, and color create a cohesive visual experience, making it easier for users to explore your website.

Breaks Down Complex Concepts

Sometimes, expressing intricate concepts in writing is challenging. Using multimedia can help clarify concepts and increase audience participation. Explainer videos can help break down complex processes into smaller, easier-to-understand chunks.

Multimedia also supports different learning options. Those who learn better visually can find it easier to understand complex subjects by watching films or looking at pictures. Others prefer written communication. Accommodating the needs of such diverse audiences is a selling point you can explore to expand your outreach.

Provides Better Storytelling Capabilities

Storytelling is essential to branding and marketing. An engaging narrative can help you build a better bond and emotional connection with your audience. Multimedia enables you to present your brand story engagingly and dynamically. For example, integrating short videos can help you demonstrate the functions of your products and services while creating an even more profound interaction with customers.

Multimedia also contributes to a more memorable impression, setting you apart. Over time, this could establish a loyal client base. Incorporating a timely selling point can make all the difference. 

Increases Shareability

Multimedia content is very shareable, particularly on social networking sites. Videos and photos are examples of visual content that is often more intriguing, shareable, and causes viral publicity. The effect would be an expanded reach, attracting additional followers.

Expands reach with diverse content formats

Many multimedia contents come in different formats; consumers can access that content almost anywhere. Multimedia material, therefore, gives you the flexibility to connect with a larger audience on various platforms that you might not normally be able to reach. A user who does not frequent YouTube might still see your video content if it is on Instagram.

Additionally, you can tailor your material to your target demographic, no matter where they are. Whether you create lengthy videos or social media nuggets, tailored content helps you reach your audience. Multimedia content actively engages your audience across multiple channels, increasing brand visibility.

Creates a competitive advantage

Companies and organizations that want to stay competitive must look for creative methods to set themselves apart. Multimedia content that is both interesting and high-quality may be the solution for your business. Such content can increase brand memorability and appeal to prospective buyers.

For instance, infographics, pictures, and videos let you convey your message in a more interesting and captivating way. By doing this, you can draw in viewers and make their user experience unforgettable. Making your offerings more unique, memorable, and appealing than your competitors increases the chances that your prospects will purchase from you.

Boosts Conversion and Sales

Ultimately, the goal of any business is to generate sales and improve revenue. Multimedia content establishes trust and influences purchasing decisions, increasing sales and revenue.

By embracing multimedia, you can build a user experience that meets your objectives and helps you succeed in a competitive environment.

Monitoring key metrics is crucial for ensuring the success of initiatives aimed at distributing multimedia material. These include accessibility, engagement, and conversion rates. Businesses must also adjust their strategies as necessary.

Below are more tips for effective use of multimedia content. Businesses may optimize their content by implementing these strategies and recommendations.

Multimedia content has become an essential part of content distribution strategies. It gives companies a valuable tool for engaging, teaching, and building relationships with their target market. Ultimately, this encourages brand visibility, consumer loyalty, and business growth.

What Things Should You Know Before Creating a Multimedia Promotion?

A multimedia promotion is one of the most comprehensive and robust ways to build a brand, launch a new promotional campaign, and drive sales and leads. The question is, how do you pull it off when there are so many moving parts? 

Multimedia support is nearly always best if you're in the preparation phase of building an advertising campaign. Turning to a company like Twothirty Media makes the entire process effective and efficient. However, you should still know what goes into a successful multimedia promotion.

What Is Multimedia in the First Place?

Multimedia marketing utilizes various media forms to reach your audience, promote a product or service, and build your brand. Every component of the process needs to communicate the same message with the same branding details. Otherwise, you'll confuse your audience and limit any return on investment. 

Typically, multimedia uses traditional media methods, like radio, direct mail, TV promotion, and digital channels, including social media, digital marketing, and email. Today's more elaborate multimedia campaigns encompass photoshoots, aerial videos, and even animation, all to communicate your message in a way that gets attention from your target audience. You need to focus on incorporating the types of multimedia most likely to get attention from your target clients. 

How to Build a Multimedia Promotion

Working side-by-side with a multimedia marketing team, you'll navigate through several steps to build a strong promotion. It will include several starting points to ensure your brand management is on point first. You'll need to have a well-defined brand image. Then, consider the following steps:

#1: Define Your Target Customers

Multimedia promotions can be versatile enough to draw in various groups of customers. However, before you can launch a campaign, you need to zero in on the most likely-to-buy customers you want to target first. 

Once you break down your market into segments, based on the answers above, you can start to formulate a plan for marketing to each group. You'll learn who these people are, what they need, and where you can find them to reach them effectively.

#2: Define the Types of Multimedia Best Suited for Your Target Audience

Once you understand your market, you can now begin to define the types of multimedia best suited to them. This is where it helps to work with a multimedia marketing company specializing in this. It's easy to watch your budget balloon go out of control if you're using every type of tool out there. And you certainly need to meet your ROI goals. So, where do you start? Consider these areas:

For your multimedia campaign, focus on the marketing strategies that reach your audience.Think about where your customers are. 

You can work closely with your marketing team to refine where your content and ads must be placed to reach your target audience.

#3: Develop a Customer-Centric Campaign

With the tools in place, work with your marketing team to build a promotion that communicates a compelling message to your target audience. Consider these tips and strategies:

There's also a necessary period of testing and development. That often means considering past campaigns and successes as well as integrating tools that can help to monitor progress. 

Whether you are a small company breaking into a market or an established brand building your reach multimedia marketing is exceptional, necessary, and within reach. At Twothirty Media, we bring the tools and expertise to pull together a successful campaign by handling every step of the development process. If you are looking for help building an advertising campaign, feel free to reach out!

What is an Example of a Creative Strategy in Advertising?

Excellent marketing is essential to any successful business, and advertising plays a crucial role. The key to effective advertising is having a creative strategy that persuades your target audience and sets you apart from your competitors. In this article, we will discuss multiple examples of creative strategies and will detail how it can make a difference in the success of your marketing efforts.

What is a Creative Strategy?

A creative strategy refers to a marketer's plan or approach to communicate a thought-provoking message in an engaging or unique way. Developing a creative strategy for advertising involves using new and innovative ideas to capture the attention of potential customers and persuade them to take action. A well-executed creative strategy might appeal to a customers emotions, enhance a brands credibility, or confront them with a logical argument. This kind of campaign to build brand awareness and drive revenue might sound like a very modern concept, but it has roots in ancient Greece.

Incorporating Pathos, Ethos, and Logos into your Creative Strategy in Advertising

Believe it or not, advertising is tied to the ancient art of persuasion. Aristotle introduced the concepts of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in his work "Rhetoric" as the three modes of persuasion. He outlined them as essential elements for effective communication and argumentation. These concepts still play a crucial role in crafting messages that resonate deeply with audiences and can be seen at work in various creative strategies, driving the success of memorable ad campaigns. 

Developing a Creative Strategy in Advertising Using Pathos

You will find Pathos everywhere. Pathos, the emotional appeal, is masterfully employed in campaigns like the SPCA's ads featuring Sarah McLachlan. These ads create a lasting impact by evoking strong emotional responses, compelling viewers to take action. This strategy often leaves a lasting impression on the viewers. You may be like me and try to avoid these ads, or you may not, but you cannot deny their existence or their impact. The SPCA had over $250,000,000 in contributions, memberships, grants, and sponsorships in 2022. 

Another successful example is the Dove Real Beauty campaign, which used emotional storytelling to promote its message of self-love and acceptance. By featuring real women describing themselves to a forensic sketch artist, Dove created an emotional connection with its audience and promoted its brand as one that celebrates diversity and inner beauty.

Pathos and Storytelling

Some advertisers take this one step further and use storytelling to help customers visualize meeting their goals using your services or product. Everyone's favorite story is one about them, after all. Everyone is the hero of their own story, and we all love a happy ending. So, for example, an organization that offers physical therapy might use a storytelling technique to walk a customer through the recovery process by showing an actor dealing with pain on their own, learning about the service, making an appointment, going through the steps of physical therapy, and then be seen enjoying some physical activity they would typically enjoy in their leisure time. On the other hand, an environmental nonprofit may promote membership or donations by telling a visual story about a character who grew up loving nature and took steps to help protect it for the next generation.

Pathos and Humor

Of course, everyone's favorite example of a creative strategy in advertising is humor. Humor in advertising typically falls under the category of Pathos, as it aims to evoke positive emotions in the audience. By making people laugh, humor creates a sense of enjoyment and connection with the brand or product. This emotional response can make the advertisement more memorable and increase the likelihood of the audience associating positive feelings with the brand, which can ultimately influence their purchasing decisions. While humor primarily appeals to emotions, it can also enhance Ethos (credibility) by making the brand seem more relatable and human. In some cases, it can support Logos (logic) by simplifying complex ideas or highlighting the absurdity of a problem.

Using humor, advertisers can make their audience laugh and associate positive emotions with their brand or product. This makes the advertisement more memorable and can create a sense of likability, or at least memorability for the brand. Examples here range from State Farm's Bundle Mantra (feat. Patrick Mahomes), which features a clever joke and plays the actor's overreaction for laughs, to the Quiznos Sprongmonkeys, the bizarre yet entertaining proto-meme flash cartoon-inspired commercials that recently returned to a warm but puzzled reception after 20 (!) years. Like them or not, that's a long time to be in the public memory! And that’s the point.

Of course, you can and should simultaneously take advantage of more than one of these concepts. The State Farm ad above lists Patrick Mahomes in the title, and that's not an accident. This ad will be searched for on YouTube and other social sharing sites and found by people searching for football players on Google. The connection that State Farm makes by associating themselves with Patrick Mahomes is clearly quite valuable to them. And it's a great example of using the concept of Ethos.

Developing a Creative Strategy in Advertising Using Ethos

Ethos, or the appeal to credibility, is vital in establishing trust between a brand and its audience. For instance, Dove's Real Beauty campaign, which we discussed earlier, leverages Ethos by featuring real women rather than models, thus positioning the brand as authentic and relatable. This approach strengthens the brand's credibility and fosters a genuine connection with its audience.

Endorsements from industry experts or celebrities boost a brand's credibility. For example, Nike's partnerships with athletes like LeBron James or Serena Williams lend credibility to their products through association with respected figures in sports.

Ethos and Credibility 

The SPCA's campaign featuring Sarah McLachlan is a prime example of how credibility can be established through a sincere and heartfelt appeal. The SPCA enhances its credibility and trustworthiness by aligning the organization with a well-respected celebrity known for her compassion towards animals. This connection draws attention to the cause and encourages viewers to take the message seriously, leading to a significant increase in contributions and support for animal welfare.

Ethos and Expertise

Another method is to exude expertise by association. An environmental conservation organization might use it’s Annual Report to highlight the successful projects and partnerships with recognized scientific institutions to demonstrate its authority in the field. By providing evidence of its accomplishments and expertise, the organization establishes itself as a credible and reliable source, encouraging individuals to support its cause and trust in its ability to positively impact the environment.

Developing a Creative Strategy in Advertising Using Logos

Logos, or logical appeal, is evident in the strategic storytelling of ads like the physical therapy example mentioned earlier. By logically outlining the benefits of the service and the steps involved in the recovery process, the ad appeals to the audience's rational side, helping them visualize the practical value of the service.

Taking advantage of a powerful concept like Logos can help carry a message far, even with a small budget. A compelling creative strategy does not equate to massive spending on production and expensive campaigns. It is all about the idea and how it is executed. For example, the "Dumb Ways to Die" campaign by Metro Trains in Melbourne, Australia, successfully promoted train safety awareness through a humorous and creative approach. McCann Melbourne estimated that within two weeks, the campaign had garnered at least $50 million in global media value, along with over 700 media stories, all at a fraction of the cost of a single TV advertisement.

By illustrating the consequences of unsafe behaviors in a humorous (there's sneaky Pathos again!) yet precise manner, the campaign provides a logical argument for the importance of following safety guidelines. This approach engages the audience and drives home the message that safety is a serious matter, leading to a positive change in behavior.

Logos and Rational Appeal

Employing a logical appeal is critical in convincing an audience of a service's value. A physical therapy organization can take this approach by outlining the steps of the recovery process, from initial pain to successful rehabilitation. By presenting a clear and logical progression, the advertisement appeals to the audience's sense of reason, helping them understand the benefits of the service and how it can effectively address their needs.

Logos and Logical Arguments

An environmental nonprofit can effectively use logos by presenting logical arguments about the importance of conservation efforts. For instance, the organization might highlight the direct impact of climate change on specific ecosystems and how their initiatives are combating these effects. By providing scientific data and logical reasoning, the advertisement appeals to the audience's rational side, persuading them to support the cause based on sound environmental principles and the tangible benefits of their actions.

The Importance of a Creative Strategy in Advertising

Having a creative strategy in advertising is crucial for several reasons. First, it helps brands stand out by showcasing their uniqueness and creativity. This can be the key to capturing consumers' attention and differentiating yourself from other brands in a crowded market.

Moreover, unique advertising strategies can also help in building brand awareness. By creating memorable and impactful advertisements, brands can increase their visibility and stay top of mind for potential customers. This can increase brand recognition and recall when consumers make purchasing decisions.

By partnering with an innovative, creative agency, brands can also receive fresh and unique ideas to help them stay ahead of the curve in their advertising efforts. 

That's where Twothirty Media comes in! As a full-service Pittsburgh creative agency, we specialize in creating and executing effective and unique advertising strategies for our clients. Through our expertise in storytelling, design, and digital technology, we help brands connect with their target audience in meaningful ways that drive results.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your brand stand out with a creative strategy in advertising.

Will AI Replace Artists? The Future of Art and Design in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Recently, I stumbled upon something quite peculiar on a grocery site I often use. The recipe photos, at first glance ordinary, held some bizarre surprises. Lemons with egg yolks, bacon jam merging seamlessly with its jar, pastries exhibiting impossible Euclidean geometries, turkeys with extra legs, mutant strawberries, and bizarre, indecipherable alien scripts. These oddities confirmed my suspicion: the website has embraced AI-generated imagery.

As somebody who has friends, family, and colleagues who work as food photographers (a specialty I have a ton of interest in and respect for), this hurt to see. At the same time, I know that without some something like regulations, the temptation to shift towards cheaper alternatives is usually too great to ignore for most business owners. Traditional food photo shoots are expensive and can be logistically challenging, especially for recipe content that doesn't directly drive revenue, but thankfully for my friends in the biz, the AI results speak for themselves. And they are strange.

However, from what I can tell, it is certain that AI-generated images will improve significantly in time. This raises questions about the future of art in the digital domain. Art, and yes even food photography, has always been a medium for human expression, creativity, and emotion. Before now, we have exclusively celebrated the artist's unique perspective. But can AI replace artists?

Understanding AI in Art

Before we explore the potential of AI replacing artists, first we need to grasp what AI in art really means. Artificial Intelligence, in simple terms, is about computer systems doing things that typically require human brains – like learning, solving problems, and understanding languages. When applied to art, these systems can help generate entire creative works based on human prompts or assist artists with more minute details in their creative process.

AI-generated art involves algorithms that learn from an array of existing artwork to create something new. These algorithms analyze patterns, colors, shapes, and styles from potentially thousands or more pieces before generating their own unique pieces. This process is often referred to as machine learning or deep learning.

AI and the Future of Food Photography

In the context of food photography, in the United States we have regulations that mandate the use of edible items. For example, advertisers need to display actual food when depicting food for sale. No substitutes, everything shown as food must be edible. This has led to strange practices such as using mashed potatoes to stand in for iced cream, as they're more photogenic under hot studio lights. It's a fine line between making food look great and staying within legal boundaries.

Does AI's entry into this space complicate this? Since AI-generated images aren't bound by the same rules — they're creating representations, not photographs — we may see a legal and ethical debate unfold. Is AI food alright on packaging and commercials for products you can purchase? What about for recipes? What will we tolerate as a society? How does AI imagery even apply to our standards of realism and truth in advertising? It's certainly an area ripe for potential regulation and debate.

Photography Beyond the Reach of AI – Limitations and Drawbacks

While AI shows promise in specific photography niches, it's important to remember its limitations. For some audiences and users, there is no replacement for legitimate footage. Documentary photography, for instance, relies on capturing real, unscripted moments, interactions, and events. The news media, one would hope, would adopt some best practices on the ethical use of AI-generated visual content and not misrepresent the footage they present before regulation becomes necessary. The authenticity and storytelling power of a human behind the camera, witnessing and recording life as it unfolds, remains unparalleled by AI. I believe the human demand for authentic imagery will be what saves food photographers from AI replacing them in the long term in the same way it will preserve documentary film crews and news media. There will always be a market for authentic and documentary media.

While I am talking about limitations, I should mention that the reason I can feel fairly safe in displaying the “food” images above is due to perhaps the biggest current drawback with AI art – the courts have determined that an AI created image cannot be copyrighted under U.S. law, stating that creative works must have human authors to be copyrightable.

The Role of Human Creativity in Art and Design

Despite the impressive capabilities of artificial intelligence, it lacks one crucial element that every artist possesses – human emotion. Art is not merely about creating visually appealing pieces; it's also about conveying emotions, telling stories, and expressing individuality. These are aspects that an algorithm cannot replicate.

Human designers have the ability to understand cultural nuances, historical contexts, and personal experiences - all these elements contribute to their creative process. They can empathize with their audience and create designs that resonate on a deeper emotional level.

Furthermore, while AI can mimic styles based on data inputted into its system, it cannot innovate or think outside the box like a human designer can. It doesn't have personal experiences, intuition, or emotions to draw inspiration from, limiting its creative potential. It cannot understand its audience or the client. Humans are still needed for that. In the case of my online shopping service, a human could have certainly prevented the worst of the images from making it onto the website. Clearly, at least for now, the best practice should involve oversight over this content at an absolute minimum.

So Can AI Replace Artists?

While the advancements in AI have led to impressive feats in the worlds of art and media, the question remains: Can AI ever replace artists? To answer this, we need to consider what makes art truly 'art'.

Art involves making conscious decisions about what to create and how to create it. An artist's choices in terms of color, composition, texture, and form are influenced by their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and cultural background. AI doesn't possess these human qualities; it creates based on programmed algorithms. There is a case to be made that it is the thought process itself that makes art, and that making art is impossible without conscious thought.

Reluctant Adoption, But Not Replacement

So, will AI make artists obsolete? The answer is not as straightforward as it may seem. While AI is definitely shaking things up in the art and design world, it's not about to fully replace human designers. But there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle either; AI is already here.

At least when it comes to multimedia marketing, what's more likely than AI taking over your field is a future where more humans in your field use AI. By taking the best of what AI is good at – efficiency and crunching data – human artists will likely continue to do what they have been doing since the beginning – using art to express themselves.

The Future of AI in Art and Design

While it seems unlikely that AI will replace artists entirely in the foreseeable future, it certainly has a role to play in the evolution of art. AI can serve as a tool for artists to explore new creative avenues and push boundaries.

Moreover, the intersection of AI and art opens up exciting possibilities for interactive and immersive art experiences. Artists can create dynamic artworks that respond to viewers' movements or change over time using AI technologies.

In conclusion, while AI in art has made significant strides and offers exciting possibilities for creativity and innovation, it cannot replace the emotional depth, personal expression, and conscious decision-making inherent in human-created art. The unique perspective each artist brings to their work is irreplaceable by any algorithm. However, like it or not, AI will be a powerful tool in the hands of artists, helping them push the boundaries of creativity and explore new artistic horizons. Creativity, for now, remains a uniquely human trait. And while machines may mimic or assist us in creating art or designs, they cannot replace the human touch that makes each piece unique. So instead of asking "Will AI replace artists and designers?", perhaps we should be asking "How can legitimate artists effectively collaborate with AI?" The answer to this question will define the future of art and design.

Rebranding vs Brand Refresh: Which is Better For My Business?

It was the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus who posited that change is the only constant in life. The business environment is no exception to this theory. For every business, there comes a time when certain changes become inevitable. In such situations, either you change and remain relevant, or resist change and stay stagnant, or even decline.

One big question most businesses ask at such times is whether to rebrand or refresh. Whether you’re rebranding or just refreshing your brand, both tasks require significant costs. Hiring the services of an experienced multimedia marketing company can help you maximize scarce resources and get the desired results.

What is Rebranding? 

Rebranding involves the complete transformation of certain key elements of a brand. In terms of the degree of change, a rebrand is often more extensive and radical than a brand refresh. Hence, in a rebrand, a brand's identity and strategy can be overhauled holistically. Rebranding is typically adopted when the current brand strategy has failed.

Elements that may be affected during a rebrand include:

The Benefits of Rebranding

Rebranding is often more challenging than a brand refresh but, when properly conducted, can yield several benefits, such as:

What is a Brand Refresh?

A brand refresh is a set of modifications to certain brand elements in order to realign the brand with current trends in the marketplace (or achieve any other goals that necessitate the refresh). In other words, a brand refresh can be likened to an attempt by a brand to fine-tune or modernize its image while preserving its core identity and strategy. Elements that may be affected during a refresh include:

The Benefits of a Brand Refresh

Though a brand refresh is often not as comprehensive, in-depth, or radical as a rebrand, it still ushers in a variety of significant benefits. Here are some of them:

Rebrand or Refresh: Which is the Better Option for You?

As noted earlier, change is the only constant in life, and every business must change according to present-day realities. The business world is always in flux, characterized by innovation, new consumer tastes, preferences, and demands. Therefore, your business will need to rebrand or refresh once in a while.

So which option is better for you? Well, it all depends. If your brand is in a fairly strong position and doing well, then you may just need to refresh things here and there to become even stronger and more profitable. In contrast, you will need a rebrand if you have fallen behind your competitors and thus require holistic improvements to at least catch up if not overtake them. However, note that a company in a strong position may also decide to rebrand to achieve more. But this carries an element of risk because you do not change a winning team, as those in the soccer industry will often tell you.

If you are in Pittsburgh and looking to either rebrand or refresh, be sure to check out Twothirty Media, an experienced branding agency in Pittsburgh. We are branding experts who possess the knowledge and experience to assist you in building a strong, consistent brand identity that resonates with your target audience.