How we use AI to level up craft, creativity and operations at Amigo.
Everyone’s talking about it. Most are using it. Few are using it well.
It’s become the go-to headline in marketing, and let’s face it, also the go-to buzzword. But behind the hype, the real question is: what’s actually working?
At Amigo, we’ve spent the last two years embedding AI into the way we work. Not to replace people. Not to chase shiny tools. But to make us better: sharper thinking, smarter creativity, stronger delivery.
Here’s how AI fits into our world, and what we’ve learnt about making it work without losing the human spark.
Craft gets smarter
Great marketing doesn’t start with the big idea. It starts with the craft. The detail. The brief. The clarity of thinking. That’s where AI’s first big win lives. This means:
- Less noise, more signal
Whether we’re digging into CRM data, analysing hundreds of social posts, or mapping out market shifts, AI helps us spot patterns fast. That means less time crunching, more time thinking.
- Briefs that don’t leave you guessing
We use AI to handle the heavy lifting of briefing: structuring and drafting. The result? Better briefs, faster. It’s still down to us to bring the final 20%: the judgement, clarity, and context. But we start stronger and move quicker.
- Deeper insight, not just more data
AI lets us scale our view without flattening it. From mapping sentiment in open-ended surveys to analysing UGC trends, we use machine-assisted tools to back up our instinct with evidence, and make sure our creative thinking is grounded in real behaviour.
Creativity that scales without getting boring
Spoiler alert: AI doesn’t kill creativity. Used well, it sets it free. This means:
- A creative co-pilot, not an autopilot
We don’t ask AI to come up with the idea. But we do let it in the room. We talk about creatively enabled AI. AI is a sparring partner for our creative teams, throwing out hooks, references and angles. Sometimes it sparks something. Sometimes it doesn’t. But it helps us explore more and waste less.
- Faster feedback loops
With AI-driven creative testing, we can predict how a campaign will land before it goes live. That helps us tweak, refine, and optimise early. Less guesswork. Less budget burn. More confidence in what we’re making.
Ops that don't eat all your time
Some of the biggest shifts we’ve seen from AI haven’t been in the work, but in the way we work. This means:
- Knowledge that stays useful
We use AI to keep our internal knowledge working hard. Tagging and indexing past campaigns, insight decks, and frameworks so we don’t reinvent the wheel every time. It helps us get smarter, faster.
- Fewer silos, smoother flow
From AI-enhanced brief writing to smarter approval workflows, we’ve reduced the lag that creeps in when things get busy. Projects run cleaner. Feedback loops tighten. Everyone stays on the same page which means better outcomes, delivered quicker.
What AI can’t (and shouldn’t) do
For all the power AI brings, here’s what it doesn’t replace:
- It doesn’t know when to break the rules
- It doesn’t get a hunch from a cultural shift
- It doesn’t understand your brand’s soul
That still takes people - experienced, intuitive, curious people. People who ask the right questions, dig deeper, and know when the work needs more than just what the brief says.
We use AI to amplify those people. Not sideline them.
Our playbook for using AI well
If you’re a marketing leader trying to work out how to bring AI into your business without losing what makes you good, here’s what we’ve found works:
- Start with the challenge, not the tool. AI’s only useful if it solves a real problem
- Weave it into your system. Not just one team. Not just one workflow. Make it part of the way you work
- Keep your standards high. Speed is good. Taste is better
- Be open about it. Tell your teams and clients how you’re using it and where humans are still in charge
- Keep experimenting. Tools evolve fast. So should your approach
Final word: AI isn’t the answer. But it makes you better at finding it
At Amigo, AI hasn’t replaced our thinking. It’s given us more time to think.
It’s helped us make faster decisions. Sharper briefs. Bigger ideas. Smoother operations. And in a world that’s only getting more chaotic, that’s not just helpful, it’s essential.
The future isn’t about choosing between human or machine. It’s about using both, together, to move forward with intent.
Intelligent Progress™, by design.