Hey, Marketers: AI is a How, not a What

In marketing, it’s tempting to lead with AI as a product feature because it's new and exciting and gets executive attention. However, savvy marketers know that customers don’t care if something is powered by AI—they care about what it does for them. The value of a product is in the outcomes it delivers, not the technology that powers it. In the words of Alex Osterwalder at Strategyzer, customers care about jobs-to-be-done, pains and gains. To be effective, marketers should avoid AI-washing and instead focus on the benefits and results the product provides.

Avoiding the AI Hype: Focusing on User Outcomes

When a product is billed as “AI-powered,” the marketing message becomes vague and confusing. Customers might not understand what AI is, and may not see it as a positive attribute. And, even if they do, they don't care about the intricacies of the technology anymore than they care about how you built an efficient data lake to retrieve information. What they do care about is how the product will solve their problems, reduce friction in an activity, make their lives easier, or help them achieve a specific goal.

Take Spotify, for example. The product and engineering teams built a sophisticated AI to deliver personalized music recommendations. Yet, when Spotify markets its product, it doesn’t lead with “AI-powered music suggestions.” Instead, it focuses on the user experience: “Discover music you’ll love.” The messaging centers on the what—helping users find songs that match their tastes and moods. The AI working behind the scenes is essential to providing the benefit, but it’s not the selling point. In the context of the Ideo innovation model, AI is part of the Feasibility circle, not the Desirability circle. Spotify understands that users care about getting personalized playlists, not the algorithm that makes it happen.

The Benefit-Centric Approach

Good marketing is built on the question: “What’s in it for the customer?” This means uncovering clear, tangible benefits that matter to the customer. When AI is involved, the technology should be presented as an enabler, not the star. A tool like Jasper AI, which helps marketers and writers create content, is a great example. While it’s driven by advanced AI, Jasper’s marketing focuses on its ability to speed up the content creation process, improve writing quality, and generate ideas. It’s not about the AI itself—it’s about what the AI does for the user: saves time, improves results, and boosts creativity.

By focusing on outcomes—better writing in less time—Jasper avoids falling into the trap of overhyping the AI component. Users don’t care about the model or architecture behind Jasper’s capabilities. What matters is how quickly they can produce high-quality content that achieves results. The messaging is clear, relatable, and focused on the real-world value the tool provides.

Customer Stories Over Technical Features

Customer stories or case studies that showcase the impact the product has had for customers like the target are powerful tools in the marketer's kit. Rather than focusing on the AI feature itself, companies can highlight real-world use cases where AI played a role in solving a customer’s problem.

For instance, HubSpot uses AI to optimize marketing automation, lead scoring, and customer segmentation. But instead of promoting the AI engine behind the platform, HubSpot emphasizes the what: helping businesses automate their marketing workflows and build stronger relationships with leads. The focus is on what businesses can achieve—better lead generation, nurturing, and conversion rates—not on how AI is powering the underlying processes.

Three Lessons for Today’s Marketers

1. Lead with Outcomes: Talk about what the product does for the customer, not how AI makes it happen.

2. Showcase Real Benefits: Whether it’s saving time, increasing productivity, or improving outcomes, highlight the tangible benefits.

3. Use Customer Stories: Emphasize real-world success stories and how the product solved a specific problem.

AI doesn't change the marketer's job. Put your effort into understanding the customer and what they hope your product will do for them. Stick with the basics and you will thrive, even in a world of AI.