AI Doesn’t Replace Strategy… It Makes Space for It.

Ai
Written By Sharon Sherpa

We’ll start with this: AI isn’t the solution to every problem. But it’s also not the problem itself.

AI is just a tool. The impact it has depends entirely on how it’s used, and more importantly, why.

At Avenue, we’re a digital agency that leads with values. As a women- and BIPOC-owned Certified B Corp, we work with purpose-driven organizations that care about people and the planet. Every decision we make, including how we use AI,  is guided by that mission.

For us, AI isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about protecting what matters most: strategic thinking, creative energy, and genuine relationships.

How We Use AI to Make Our Work More Human

Used thoughtfully, AI can clear out the noise. It can help reduce the mental load and make more room for the kind of work that requires empathy, curiosity, and care.

Here are a few specific ways we’ve made AI part of our internal workflows:

1. Less Meeting Fatigue, More Focused Collaboration

We use transcription tools like Fathom AI Notetaker or Fireflies.ai to capture meeting notes and summarize key decisions. This helps our team show up fully in conversations without scrambling to write everything down.

We also send pre-read briefs generated with AI support so meetings stay streamlined and focused. The result is more time for real problem-solving and collaboration.

Try this: Use AI to prep agendas or summarize next steps so your team can spend less time recapping and more time ideating.

2. Faster Drafting, Smarter Feedback

When we’re building a campaign, AI helps us quickly generate caption copy ideas. These aren’t final drafts. They’re a starting place, and drawing inspiration from somewhere is often all it takes to move a project forward faster.

This lets us get feedback earlier in the process and spend more time refining ideas instead of scrambling to come up with them under deadline.

Pro tip: Train your prompts using past feedback. This saves time and avoids repetitive rounds of revisions.

3. Automating Administrative Tasks 

AI helps us build report templates, restructure data visualizations, and quickly format performance insights for client recaps. These used to be time-consuming and manual, but now take a fraction of the time.

What we do with that time matters: we reinvest it in building stronger strategies and connecting more deeply with our clients.

AI Supports Strategy. It Doesn’t Replace It.

Strategy takes critical thinking, context, and a strong understanding of your audience. These are all human skills. No AI tool can replicate them.

But what it can do is help us gather inputs more quickly, organize ideas more clearly, and test assumptions more efficiently.

For example, our team might use AI to:

  • Analyze competitor messaging as a jumping-off point for client positioning

  • Pull keyword suggestions to guide SEO research, then decide which align with a client’s values

  • Draft headline variations so we can test tone and structure before we refine

This isn’t strategy driven by automation. It’s strategy guided by intention, with AI offering support rather than taking control. AI may spark ideas, but the creativity, context, and critical thinking still come from the experts.

Clearing the Path for Creative Thinking

At Avenue, our team is made up of digital experts who bring creative problem-solving into their work, whether they’re building paid media plans, writing social copy, or shaping a multi-channel campaign strategy.

But creative thinking needs space. It doesn’t happen when your brain is juggling ten low-priority tasks or stuck in repetitive admin mode. Using AI, we’ve created more space to think creatively by streamlining our day-to-day workflows.

Here’s how we protect that space:

  • Campaign Planning: AI helps us map out timelines and touchpoints, which we then refine based on the client's goals and internal bandwidth so team members can stay focused on concepting and strategy.

  • Content Brainstorms: We generate long lists of ideas, prioritize the ones that align with brand values, and spend our time developing the strongest ones.

  • Reporting: We use AI to help summarize monthly performance across campaigns, giving us more time to focus on actionable insights and next steps that align with our client’s goals.

Takeaway: If your team feels creatively drained, start by looking at what’s cluttering their time. Then automate the low-value tasks so they can focus on the high-impact work.

Our Litmus Test for Any AI Tool

We don’t adopt new tech just because it’s trending. Before bringing any AI tool into our workflow, we ask one simple question:

Does this help us do our work more humanely or does it make us feel more like machines?

If it speeds up something repetitive and gives us more time for thoughtfulness, we’ll explore it. If it pulls us further from our clients, our values, or our team’s strengths, we leave it behind.

Some of our filters include:

  • Does it align with our values and support the missions of our clients?
    Tools that prioritize accessibility, equity, and impact always rise to the top.

  • Does it reduce friction or create it?
    We look for tools that clarify processes and foster collaboration, not ones that require workarounds or create silos.

  • Does it improve efficiency without cutting corners?
    Saving time is great but only if it doesn't sacrifice the nuance, quality, or context our work demands.

  • Does it help us do our best thinking or just help us do more?
    We value tools that create space for insight and creativity, not just speed and output.

We’re not afraid to test and experiment with AI tools. But we’re even more committed to making sure our work stays aligned with our values and the needs of our clients. That’s why we created our AI Manifesto. It’s a living document we update regularly as the technology evolves and to help us navigate this shift with clarity and integrity.

AI Can Support Purpose-Driven Work

Nonprofits, B Corps, and values-led businesses are right to be cautious about AI. You care about truth, nuance, and integrity. You’ve worked hard to build trust with your audience, and you don’t want to lose that.

The good news? You don’t have to.

AI can help you:

  • Shorten your content production cycles

  • Give your team more time for community engagement and stakeholder collaboration

  • Organize data and insights so you can make decisions faster

But only if you approach it with care. That’s where having the right partner comes in.

At Avenue, we help purpose-driven brands use tools like AI to do more of what matters: lead with clarity, connect with their communities, and stay grounded in strategy that reflects their values. Whether you’re refining your brand voice, optimizing your workflows, or rethinking how your team collaborates, we’re here to help you make smart, human-centered choices.

Want even more marketing tips and insights that make a difference? Join our digital community!

Sharon Sherpa
Next

5 Digital Marketing Essentials for Credit Unions