Why Most AI Copy Sounds Generic — and How to Keep Your Brand Voice Authentic
In today's Hong Kong, SME owners are all "wearing multiple hats"; time is money. The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially large language models like ChatGPT, seems like a savior for marketing. Need to write a Facebook post? Throw an instruction to AI. Need to reply to an email? Let AI draft it. Saves a lot of time and is low cost. Sounds perfect, right? But slowly you'll notice a problem: no matter how you adjust your prompt, the copy generated by AI always has an indescribable "AI flavor" and a "canned feel". The sentences are safe and formulaic, the word choice is monotonous, like a soulless customer service robot. Your brand might have a unique personality, humor, or professional authority, but under AI's pen, it all becomes a blurry "standard answer". These seemingly "harmless" canned copy are actually slowly eroding the brand image you've worked hard to build. When your content is no different from your competitors, or even the AI copy from the tea cafe next door, how can you leave a lasting impression on consumers?
The Birth of Canned Copy: The Inherent Flaws of Generic AI Models
To understand why AI copy is so "generic", we first need to understand how "Generic Models" like ChatGPT operate. Their knowledge source is the vast internet, containing massive amounts of text from Wikipedia, news, forums to social media. To appeal to everyone, they are trained to be a "jack of all trades", but simultaneously, a "people pleaser". This training method brings three fatal flaws:
1. Severe Lack of Brand Context
Generic AI doesn't know your company. It doesn't know your founding story, your brand values, your "secret sauce" (Unique Selling Proposition), or the biggest pain points of your target customers. When you ask it to "write a promotional copy for my new product", it can only piece together the most "generic" and "safe" article based on millions of similar copies online. The result is content that could be used for any brand, empty and devoid of substance.
2. Falling into the "Average" Trap
To provide a reasonable answer in any situation, generic models tend to choose the most common, most neutral expressions, avoiding overly strong emotions, unique viewpoints, or local slang. This is the "Average" trap. Think about it, the charm of a brand lies precisely in its "unevenness" — it might be fun, edgy, highly professional, or warm. But generic AI grinds down these edges, pulling your brand voice back to a mediocre midpoint. It's like a restaurant boasting "global cuisine" where every dish is just average, none memorable.
3. Ignoring Hong Kong Local Culture and Language Habits
This point is especially critical for Hong Kong SMEs. The training data for generic AI is mostly in English or based on formal written Chinese. It may not grasp the essence of how Hong Kong people speak daily. You might see AI copy using "视频" instead of "影片", "优化" instead of "搞掂佢", "夥伴" instead of "兄弟/同事". These subtle differences immediately make your brand seem "out of touch", disconnected from the Hong Kong market, and can even make target customers think you are an outsider company without the sincerity to serve locals. Your copy not only fails to resonate but creates alienation.
The Heavy Cost Behind "Free" AI Copy
You might think that using free AI to generate content, even if the quality is slightly lower, doesn't incur any real loss. But in fact, this "canned copy" is harming your business in several ways:
- Brand Image Becomes Blurry: When your social media, ads, and website content are filled with these personality-less words, consumers can't remember you. In an era of information overload, no memory point equals non-existence. Your brand will slowly become a dispensable option among many competitors.
- Consistently Low Engagement Rates: How can soulless content touch hearts? Canned copy doesn't spark discussions, evoke emotions, or prompt action (e.g., commenting, sharing, purchasing). Your Facebook posts might only be met with silence, wasting your chance to reach potential customers.
- Wasting Marketing Budget: You might save time on copywriting, but if you use this low-quality content in paid ads, it's like pouring money into the sea. Because the copy fails to convert effectively, your advertising cost per acquisition (CPA) will remain high, and your overall Return on Investment (ROI) will be dismal.
- Potential SEO Risks: Google has stated that they are targeting not AI content itself, but "low-quality, unoriginal content generated for ranking purposes." If your AI is just reorganizing existing information online without providing any unique value or deep insight, your web pages will struggle to rank well on search engines.
Say Goodbye to Canned Replies: Building an AI Brain Exclusive to Your Brand
Since generic AI models have so many problems, does it mean we should give up on AI? Absolutely not. The problem isn't AI itself, but that you are using a "public" AI. The real solution is to build a customized AI model that is exclusive to your brand and "fine-tuned". This process is like transforming from hiring a clueless intern to nurturing a seasoned employee who understands your company culture and can work independently.
At Frasertec Limited, we specialize in providing such customized AI solutions for Hong Kong SMEs. The process generally looks like this:
Step 1: Infuse Your "Brand DNA" into the AI
We don't rely solely on generic information from the internet. Instead, we use your company's unique data to "feed" the AI. This data includes: past successful marketing copy, company website, blog articles, product catalogs, brand story and founder philosophy, customer service chat logs, email templates, and internal brand guidelines. By learning these exclusive materials, the AI truly begins to "know" your company, not as a stranger.
Step 2: Define a Unique Brand "Tone of Voice"
Is your brand humorous and cheeky, or professional and authoritative? Is it亲切温暖, or cool and stylish? We will work with you to establish a clear brand tone of voice and translate it into instructions and rules the AI can understand. After training, every sentence the AI writes will consistently reflect your brand personality.
Step 3: Deeply Understand Your Hong Kong Target Audience
A good salesperson must understand what customers are thinking. Our customized AI is the same. We integrate your customer personas, market research reports, and customer feedback into the model. This way, when creating content, the AI can put itself in the shoes of your target customers, directly addressing their needs, desires, and pain points, writing copy that truly resonates with them.
How Can Frasertec Help? An AI Solution Tailored for Hong Kong SMEs
Enough theory, let's look at practical application. How can an AI model customized by Frasertec bring revolutionary changes to your daily operations?
Social Media Management
Generate a month's worth of posts in one go, each consistent with your brand voice and local trends.
Email & WhatsApp Marketing
Draft personalized messages based on customer tags, significantly improving engagement rates.
E-commerce Product Descriptions
Quickly generate unique, attractive, and SEO-friendly descriptions tailored for Hong Kong consumers.
Intelligent Customer Service
Build a chatbot that communicates in natural Cantonese. Learn how our WhatsApp AI Assistant can help.
AI is a double-edged sword. Used correctly, it is your most powerful marketing ally; used poorly, it is the culprit destroying your brand image. In Hong Kong's fiercely competitive market, where every brand is racing for speed and innovation, you absolutely cannot let "canned copy" hold you back.
Stop using those soulless, generic AI models that everyone else has. It's time to invest in an AI brain that truly belongs to you, understands you, and can speak for you.
Contact Frasertec Limited Now
Want to know how to build a dedicated AI engine for your brand? Our expert team is happy to provide a free consultation, analyze your business needs, and demonstrate how customized AI can help you stand out in the market.
