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AI SENSE - Think before you prompt

8 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE USING AI IN YOUR MARKETING

AI can write the copy.

Build the presentation.

Analyse the data.

Generate the image.

Summarise the research.

Suggest the strategy.

But should it?

We’re big fans of AI at chicken/egg. We use it every day, experiment with it and have built our own GPTs to help us think, create, analyse and get stuff done.

But when a tool makes something quicker and easier, it’s tempting to start with the tool.

Can AI write this?
Can AI create that?
Can we automate this?

Maybe.

But that’s not the first question.

What does the marketing need to do?

AI isn’t your marketing strategy. It’s a tool you might use to help deliver it.

So before you open ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or whatever shiny new AI tool has landed in your inbox this week, use a more important tool first.

Your brain.

AI SENSE is our 8-question marketing sense check. It’ll help you work out where AI can genuinely help, where human thinking matters more and whether the work coming out the other end is actually any better.

Grab a coffee. Grab the brief. Then think before you prompt.

1 – WHAT’S THE MARKETING PROBLEM?

Start with the job, not the tool.

What problem are we trying to solve, or what opportunity are we trying to create?

Are we trying to change a perception? Generate demand? Improve conversion? Retain more customers? Launch something new? Make a better decision?

Ask yourself

What are we actually trying to achieve?
What needs to change?
Why does it matter to the business?
How will we know if it worked?
Is AI the best way to help us get there?

Watch out for…

Starting with the tool

AI makes it easy to create more content, more ideas and more activity.

That doesn’t automatically create more value.

Sense check

What’s the marketing challenge, not the AI task?

If you can’t explain the challenge without talking about the tool, you’re probably starting in the wrong place.

2 – WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE CUSTOMER?

AI knows a lot.

It doesn’t necessarily know your customer.

Good marketing starts with understanding the people we’re trying to create value for. What they need. What matters to them. What’s getting in their way. Why they choose you, or don’t.

AI can help us explore customer research, interrogate data and spot patterns.

But it shouldn’t invent the customer.

Ask yourself

Who are we trying to reach or influence?
What do we actually know about them?
Where has that knowledge come from?
Are we working with real insight or assumptions?
Are we asking AI to analyse customer insight or create it?

Watch out for…

Synthetic certainty.

Ask AI to describe your target customer and it’ll happily give you their motivations, frustrations, buying habits and possibly their preferred brand of oat milk.

Doesn’t make it true.

Sense check

What evidence do we have for what we think we know?

AI can help you interrogate customer insight. It isn’t a replacement for talking to customers.

3 – WHAT JOB SHOULD AI DO?

AI doesn’t need to do everything. And it probably shouldn’t.

It might help generate ideas, challenge your thinking, analyse information, create a first draft, adapt existing work or take a repetitive job off someone’s plate.

AI might be brilliant for one bit of the job and rubbish for another.

Decide where you actually need it.

Ask yourself

What exactly do we want AI to help with?
Where in the process should it get involved?
What happens before AI?
What happens after it?
Is AI actually the best tool for this job?

Watch out for…

Handing over the whole job.

Ask AI to “create our marketing strategy” and you’ll probably get 2,000 beautifully structured words.

That doesn’t mean you’ve got a strategy.

Sense check

Could you brief AI’s role as clearly as you’d brief someone on your team?

If the job is vague, don’t be surprised when the answer is too.

4 – WHERE’S THE HUMAN THINKING?

AI can give you an answer in seconds.

Knowing whether it’s a good answer is the clever bit.

Someone still needs to understand the business, customer, competition, brand and commercial reality well enough to question what’s coming back.

AI can contribute to the thinking.

It shouldn’t quietly become the thinking.

Ask yourself

Who owns the decision?
Does someone with the right experience understand and review the work?
Are we questioning the output or simply accepting it?
What have we added from our own experience and knowledge?
Would we make the same decision if AI hadn’t suggested it?

Watch out for…

Confidence being mistaken for competence.

AI is very good at sounding like it knows what it’s talking about.

Sometimes it does.

Sometimes it’s wearing a tiny imaginary suit and bluffing its way through the meeting.

Sense check

Who’s accountable for the final decision?

Hopefully the answer isn’t ChatGPT.

5 – COULD THIS HAVE COME FROM ANY COMPETITOR?

AI is very good at producing things that look and sound like things that already exist.

That’s useful.

It’s also how everything starts sounding the same.

Your brand needs to bring the things AI doesn’t have by default: your point of view, personality, experience, stories and distinctive way of seeing the world.

Ask yourself

Does this sound like us?
Does it reflect what our brand stands for?
Is there an actual point of view?
Have we added examples, experience or ideas that only we could contribute?
Could a competitor publish this tomorrow with their logo on it?

Watch out for…

Perfectly acceptable beige marketing.

Polished. Professional. Correct.

And completely forgettable.

Sense check

If we removed the logo, would anyone know it was ours?

If a competitor could copy it tomorrow, AI probably hasn’t made your marketing better.

6 – CAN WE TRUST IT?

AI can be wrong.

Very convincingly wrong.

So when it’s helping with research, analysis, claims, copy, recommendations or decisions, check the bits that matter.

Don’t confuse a confident answer with a correct one.

Ask yourself

Have we checked the facts?
Are the figures, quotes and sources real?
Is the information current?
Have we challenged the assumptions?
Could bias affect the answer or the work we’re creating?

Watch out for…

“ChatGPT said…”

AI isn’t a source.

Sense check

Could we show where this information came from?

If it matters enough to publish or make a decision on, it matters enough to check.

7 – WOULD WE BE HAPPY EXPLAINING THIS?

Would you happily tell the client what you uploaded?

Would you tell a customer how their information was used?

Could you explain where the image, claim or idea came from?

And would you happily put your name against the finished work?

If any of those questions make you shuffle awkwardly in your chair, it’s probably worth looking again.

Ask yourself

Are we putting confidential business or client information into AI?
Are we using personal or customer data?
Do we have the right to use the material we’re giving it?
Have we thought about ownership, copyright and usage?
Could the output mislead someone?
Would we be comfortable explaining exactly how AI was used?

Watch out for…

Copy. Paste. Regret.

Saving 10 minutes isn’t worth damaging client confidence or customer trust.

Sense check

Would you be comfortable putting your name to it?

If not, find out why before you carry on.

8 – DID AI MAKE THE MARKETING BETTER?

AI can make things quicker.

Great.

It can make things cheaper.

Also great.

Maybe it saved you 3 hours. Maybe it helped you spot something you’d missed. Maybe it gave you 20 ideas and one of them was brilliant. Maybe the work performed better.

But AI always comes with a trade-off.

What did we gain?

And what might we have lost?

Speed at the expense of originality?

More personalisation but less humanity?

50 ideas and another hour deciding which one is any good?

The goal isn’t to use more AI.

It’s to make better marketing.

Ask yourself

What got better because AI was involved?
Did it save meaningful time or money?
Did it improve the quality of the work?
Did it help us make a better decision?
Did it create more value for the customer?
Did it help Brand, Demand or Expand?
What might we have lost along the way?

Watch out for…

Mistaking more for better.

50 posts instead of 10.

20 concepts instead of 3.

A week’s work completed in an afternoon.

Brilliant.

But did any of it work?

Sense check

What got better because AI was involved?

If the only answer is “we made more stuff”, keep digging.

THE BEST PROMPT …

…starts long before you open ChatGPT.

AI will keep changing.

New models.

New tools.

New ways of working.

But the fundamentals of good marketing haven’t.

It still starts with understanding people.

Solving real problems.

Making good decisions.

AI can help you do all of those things.

Just don’t hand over the bit that makes you a marketer.

Your judgement.

How to Record Professional-Looking Videos on Your Phone

Video has become one of the most effective ways to engage customers online – and creating great content doesn’t always require expensive cameras or a professional film crew.

Today’s smartphones are capable of recording incredible video. With a few simple techniques, you can capture footage that looks professional and gives your marketing team or agency everything they need to create polished content.

Here are 11 simple tips to help you get the best results.

11 Simple Tips for Shooting Better Video on Your Phone

BEFORE YOU HIT RECORD

Great videos start before you even press the record button.

Take a moment to ask yourself:

What’s the one message I want people to remember?
Who am I talking to?
What do I want them to do next?

If you can answer those three questions, you’re much more likely to create a video that’s focused, engaging and effective.

1. FILM IN THE RIGHT ORIENTATION

Before you hit record, think about where your video will be shared.

Landscape (16:9) works best for YouTube, websites and presentations.
Portrait (9:16) is perfect for Instagram Reels, TikTok, Facebook Reels, Stories and YouTube Shorts.

If you’re not sure, ask whoever is editing the video before you start filming. It’ll save time and help avoid awkward cropping later.

2. USE YOUR PHONE’S BEST CAMERA

Whenever possible, use the rear camera rather than the selfie camera. It produces much sharper, higher-quality footage.

If your phone allows you to change video settings, we recommend:

Recording in 4K
Using 25fps or 30fps for everyday filming
Only switching to 50fps or 60fps if you’re planning to create slow-motion footage

3. CLEAN YOUR CAMERA LENS

It’s one of the easiest mistakes to make.

Your phone spends most of its time in your pocket or bag, so fingerprints quickly build up on the camera lens.

Before every shoot, give the lens a quick wipe with a clean microfibre cloth. It only takes a few seconds but can make a surprising difference to the quality of your footage.

4. PRIORITISE GREAT AUDIO

People will forgive average video. They won’t forgive poor sound.

Choose the quietest location you can and minimise background noise by turning off fans, televisions or anything else that might interfere with your recording.

If you regularly create video content, a small wireless microphone is one of the best investments you can make.

5. MAKE THE MOST OF NATURAL LIGHT

Good lighting instantly makes your videos look more professional.

Whenever possible:

Face a window so natural light falls on your face.
Avoid standing with a bright window behind you.
Try not to mix natural daylight with indoor lighting, as it can make colours look unnatural.
Use a ring light if natural light isn’t available.

You don’t need an expensive lighting setup – just make the best use of the light you already have.

6. KEEP YOUR PHONE STEADY

Shaky footage can distract viewers and make even great content look unprofessional.

If you have a tripod, use it.

If not, you can still create stable footage by:

Leaning against a wall
Resting your elbows on a table
Propping your phone on a solid surface
Using a simple phone clamp or stand

The steadier your footage, the easier it is to edit.

7. DON’T USE DIGITAL ZOOM

It can be tempting to zoom in, but digital zoom simply crops the image, reducing quality.

Instead, move closer to your subject if you can.

You’ll end up with sharper, clearer footage that’s much easier to work with.

8. DRESS FOR THE CAMERA

What you wear can affect how your video looks.

Try to avoid:

Small stripes or detailed patterns
Reflective fabrics
Noisy jewellery that rattles against microphones
Bright white clothing under strong lighting

Plain colours usually work best and help keep the focus on you.

9. CHECK YOUR BATTERY AND STORAGE

There’s nothing more frustrating than running out of battery halfway through filming.

Before you start, check that:

Your battery has plenty of charge.
You have enough free storage for your recordings.
Low Power Mode is switched off, as this can affect performance on some devices.

A quick check before filming can save a lot of time later.

10. THINK LIKE AN EDITOR

Don’t just record yourself talking.

Capture extra footage of:

Your products
Your team
Customers (with permission)
Your workspace
Close-up details
Behind-the-scenes moments
Wide shots of your location

These additional clips – called B-roll – help break up talking-head videos and give your editor much more flexibility to create a polished final video.

11. RELAX AND BE YOURSELF

The best videos don’t feel scripted – they feel genuine.

Speak naturally and imagine you’re talking to one person rather than presenting to a crowd.

If you make a mistake, don’t worry. Pause, take a breath and start the sentence again. Any mistakes can easily be edited out later.

Authenticity will always connect with your audience better than trying to be perfect.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP IF YOU’D LIKE ANY FURTHER GUIDANCE OR SUPPORT WITH YOUR SHOOT!

Client Spotlight: Prime Fifty

Today, we’re shining a spotlight on Prime Fifty — part of the Cambridge Nutraceuticals group — and how we helped shape a clearer, more confident position in a crowded supplements market.

Prime Fifty – Owning the 50+ space with confidence

Prime Fifty is a UK supplement brand created specifically for people over 50.

The products were strong. The science was credible. The audience was loyal.

But in a crowded category filled with ‘science-backed’ claims and lookalike brands, Prime Fifty wasn’t yet owning the space it had the right to lead.

The ambition was clear: Move from a general supplement brand with a 50+ focus to becoming the specialist for life after 50.

The challenge

The supplement aisle is noisy and often undifferentiated. Most brands:

Speak to everyone and no one in particular
Focus on ingredients rather than outcomes
Lean on clinical or generic wellness cues
Rarely reflect how people over 50 actually see themselves

At the same time, the audience was being misunderstood.

People don’t feel ‘old’ at 50. They want to carry on living the life they enjoy, with the right support behind them.

Prime Fifty had a clear opportunity to lead, but needed to define and own that space with confidence.

Our approach – The chicken/egg Brand Incubator

We used our Brand Incubator to bring structure and clarity, starting with building the Coop

Company
What Prime Fifty believes about ageing, health and independence

Customer
What really matters to this audience: clarity, capability, confidence and straightforward guidance

Competitor
Where the category feels generic, clinical or emotionally flat

This created a grounded, evidence-led starting point and a clear view of where the brand could win.

Now we’re ready to HATCH

HATCH translates strategy into something the business can use every day.

Heart
A clear purpose: helping people over 50 stay active, capable and confident for longer

Audience
A mindset, not a stereotype. Proactive, informed and motivated by prevention, not decline

Truth
A sharper position:
Prime Fifty is the specialist supplement brand for people over 50 who want to stay strong, active and confident for longer
Grounded in ageing science, explained simply and delivered with humanity

Character
Clear. Supportive. Calmly confident. Warmly expert
No clichés. No clinical overload. No wellness fluff

Hatch – Execution guidance
Practical direction across website structure, messaging hierarchy, product storytelling and expert voice

The strategic shift

The breakthrough was subtle but important.

From: A supplement brand with a 50+ focus

To: The specialist in life after 50

We anchored the brand around a simple, flexible idea:

Prime Fifty – for the life you want to live

This now guides how the brand speaks, shows up and supports customers across every touchpoint.

Bringing it to life

The new Prime Fifty website reflects this shift.

Clearer, more confident messaging
Outcome-led product storytelling
More accessible ageing science
A tone that feels supportive and relevant

The brand has moved from product-led to genuinely customer-led.

What we delivered

Brand positioning and messaging framework
Audience insight and definition
Strategic platform for brand and marketing
Direction for website and content

The outcome

Prime Fifty now has a clearer, more confident position in a competitive market, with a cohesive brand system the team can scale across DTC, QVC, retail and future innovation and a shared direction they can build on with confidence.

Working with Karen genuinely felt like having an extension of the team. She was a fantastic sounding board for wider brand discussions within the business and really took time to understand the the broader picture of our complex brand portfolio. Involving with stakeholders early on in the brand work, with one of the best workshop days I have attended, provided us all with valuable insight about the potential of the business and our non-negotiables. Karen delivered a comprehensive and importantly, actionable brand plan which has provided real clarity to the wider team and enabled us to really focus on the areas which matter. HEAD OF MARKETING.

OUR ORIGINAL FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING BRANDS THAT MATTER

Let’s be honest – most brand strategies are either overcomplicated or undercooked.

They come in the form of lofty pyramids, dense documents, or one-size-fits-all templates that look good on paper but fall apart in the real world. They fail to guide decisions, excite teams, or connect meaningfully with customers.

So, at chicken/egg, we decided to do something about it.

Welcome to the Brand Incubator – a fresh, flexible framework that helps founders, marketers, and growing businesses build brands that live, breathe and grow with clarity and conviction.

WHY THE BRAND INCUBATOR?

Because brands are like living things, they need the right conditions to develop – space to grow, warmth to take shape and a clear sense of identity before they go out into the world.

We start with step one, building the coop – your brand’s strategic environment – by walking through three essential doorways:

Company

What do we believe in?
What’s our origin story, our DNA, our unfair advantage?
What are we here to change?

Customer

Who are they, really?
What do they value emotionally and functionally?
What’s keeping them up at night –and what are they dreaming of?

Competitor

What does the market sound like?
Where’s the white space?
What’s missing that only you can own?

This phase isn’t just about asking big questions – it’s about uncovering clear, evidence-based insights that will shape every decision in your brand strategy.

WHAT GOES INTO BUILDING THE COOP?

Internal discovery – Leadership interviews, culture audits, purpose and values alignment.

Customer insight – Qualitative and quantitative research, personas, needs analysis and segmentation.

Market intelligence – Competitor mapping, tone audits, brand code analysis and whitespace discovery.

WHAT COMES OUT OF IT?

A shared understanding of what makes the brand meaningful, distinctive and credible. Plus, tangible insights that feed directly into HATCH – Purpose, Positioning, Audience Clarity, Brand Voice and more.

Reminder: The strength of your HATCH output depends on the depth of thinking here. Don’t skip it. Don’t shortcut it.

With this solid foundation in place, we move into the HATCH Framework to develop a cohesive brand strategy and actionable plan.

Each stage is designed to build on the last, with clear deliverables and collaborative decision points.

THE HATCH FRAMEWORK

H = Heart

Your brand’s soul. This is where we define your why – your purpose, mission, vision, values and beliefs.

Why do you exist beyond profit? What change are you here to make?

We also explore founder stories and origin moments that shape your narrative.

A = Audience

We profile your tribe in detail. Not just who they are – but what drives them. Emotionally. Functionally. Behaviourally.

This includes segmentation, needs mapping, jobs-to-be-done and messaging archetypes.

What do they need? What do they notice? What do they ignore?

T = Truth

Your brand’s positioning and strategy. Here we carve out your unique place in the market – what you stand for and how you stand apart.

What are you the “only” of? Where do you lead?

We create positioning statements, benefit ladders and key messages that differentiate and resonate.

C = Character

How your brand shows up in the world – visually, verbally and behaviourally.

We define your tone of voice, brand behaviours, style principles and narrative hooks.

What’s your vibe? What’s your story? What do you always sound like?

H = Hatch

This is where strategy meets execution. Messaging, identity, activation ideas, brand codes, sensory cues – plus metrics and ways to track success.

We guide everything from rollout plans to internal engagement and launch roadmaps.

How does your brand live out loud – and how will you know it’s working?

WHY IT WORKS

Because it’s not theory – it’s a tool.

Because it starts with insight and ends with action.

Because it helps you align your team, find your focus, sharpen your message and build something meaningful.

Whether you’re launching from scratch, realigning after growth, or untangling years of brand sprawl – the Brand Incubator gives you a structure to build with confidence.

WE DON’T DO COOKIE-CUTTER

Every brand we work with is different. Some are bold and brave. Some are quiet but powerful. Some are still figuring it out.

What they have in common is this:

They know their brand is more than a logo.
They want to stand for something.
They want clarity and creativity.
And they’re ready to hatch something brilliant.

READY TO HATCH YOUR BRAND?

If your brand strategy feels messy, muddled or missing altogether, let’s change that. The Brand Incubator was made for you.

Ready to get cracking? Let’s talk.

How our CREATE framework helps marketers build their own AI assistant*

AI hasn’t just joined marketing.
It’s settled in, learnt the lingo and started showing up to meetings uninvited.

According to HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing Report, 92% of marketers say AI has already impacted their role. That’s not a fad – that’s a full-blown shift in how marketing teams think and work.

But here’s the thing: more than half of those marketers admit they still feel overwhelmed by how to use AI effectively.

And that’s not failure – that’s honesty. It shows marketers know AI shouldn’t replace creativity; it should help it hatch faster.

We’re all using AI … but are we using it well?

Most marketing teams are deep in AI experimentation.
Prompts, plugins, “let’s see what it comes up with.”

But here’s the problem: While AI can churn out copy at lightning speed, it still doesn’t sound like you.

So yes, you get faster first drafts – but you also get more editing.
More output, sure. Not always more impact.

At chicken/egg, we see it all the time. Teams know AI could save time, but they don’t trust it to stay on brand.
And fair enough – why would you trust a tool that doesn’t know your tone, your rules or your audience?

That’s why we created CREATE – our framework for turning generic AI into your brand’s most reliable team-mate.

The problem isn’t capability – it’s control

Most AI tools are generalists. Brilliant at everything. Specialists in nothing.

They don’t know your voice, your style or where to draw the line between ‘bold’ and ‘off-brand’.

The result? Inconsistent copy, wasted hours and that all-too-familiar moment when you mutter: “Fine, I’ll just rewrite it myself.”

The CREATE framework flips that.
It helps you teach AI how you work – so instead of a tool that needs managing, you’ve got one that actually helps manage the work.

Meet CREATE

CREATE stands for Context, Requirements, Embed, Align, Train, Evaluate – six simple steps to go from chaos to clarity.

Context

Start with purpose. What’s the GPT for? Who’s using it? Get that right and everything else clicks.

Requirements

Set your house rules. Tone, structure, banned words, preferred formats – the details that make it sound like you.

Embed

Feed it your gold. Upload the campaigns, blogs and decks you’re proud of. Let it learn from your best work.

Align

Test it on real briefs. If it sounds off, tweak it until it’s on-brand without needing your red pen.

Train

Keep it sharp. Add feedback and new examples so it evolves with your team, not behind it.

Evaluate

Measure what matters. Time saved. Quality gained. Consistency achieved. Then decide what to build next.

What changes when you get it right

When AI actually understands your brand, everything speeds up without dumbing down.

We built a client a custom GPT and within weeks, we’d cut content turnaround time by 60% – and finally had breathing space to think big again.

Their marketing assistant now:

Turns briefs into first-draft campaign routes
Writes on-brand blogs with metadata and calls to action
Produces client-ready decks and proposals
Keeps tone and style consistent across every touchpoint

Our creative team still writes – they just start from something good instead of something blank.

Why we built CREATE

We’ve spent decades balancing creativity and clarity.
When AI showed up, we didn’t panic – we got curious.

What if, instead of replacing writers and strategists, AI could help them think faster, brief smarter and stay consistent?

That’s why we built CREATE.
A framework that makes AI adoption practical.
Something real teams can use every day to make better work, faster.

Because the truth is simple:
AI won’t replace creative people.
But creative people who know how to use AI properly?
They’ll absolutely replace the ones who don’t.

Ready to CREATE yours?

If you’re a marketing leader curious about what AI can really do for your team, we’ll show you how to:

Build a GPT that understands your brand voice
Train it using your own tone, templates and content
Measure its real-world impact on quality and time

Let’s make AI your most reliable team-mate – the one that never misses a deadline or needs another coffee.

Get in touch to learn the CREATE framework and build your own GPT assistant.

chicken/egg – hatching smarter creativity.

* You’ll need a ChatGPT Pro account to hatch your own custom GPT. It’s the platform we use – and the one we recommend for all CREATE builds.

Bridging the gap between strategy and action – how the ANATOMY framework makes marketing matter.

In today’s crowded marketplace, having a solid brand and marketing strategy is essential – but it’s not enough. The challenge for many brands is turning high-level strategic goals into practical, intentional marketing actions. This is where the ANATOMY framework from chicken/egg steps in.

Designed as a tactical checklist for campaign planning and execution, ANATOMY ensures that every marketing action serves a purpose and aligns with broader strategic objectives. It doesn’t replace your existing strategy – instead, it translates strategic intent into on-the-ground marketing activities that deliver real results.

What Is the ANATOMY framework?

ANATOMY breaks down every marketing action into six key components: Purpose, Audience, Intention, Design, Impact, and Evaluation. Each component serves as a checkpoint to guide the planning, execution, and measurement of campaigns, ensuring that every step is intentional and aligned with strategic goals.

Purpose (the why)

Start by clearly defining the purpose behind each action or interaction. Ask yourself – Why are we doing this? Whether it’s to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or nurture customer relationships, understanding the why grounds your campaign in a strategic objective.

Audience (the who)

Knowing your target audience is critical for crafting messages that resonate. Identify who you’re speaking to and tailor your approach to their needs, preferences, and behaviours to create more meaningful engagement. Segmentation is key!

Intention (the what)

Clarify the specific outcomes you aim to achieve. Are you educating your audience, driving a specific action, or generating leads? Setting clear intentions allows for measurable goals, guiding both the creative development and metrics for success.

Design (the how)

Plan the execution based on your audience’s preferences and your campaign objectives. Choose the right format, channels, tone, and timing to ensure every element supports your campaign’s purpose.

Impact (the goal)

Connect the campaign’s immediate intention to longer-term business goals, such as enhancing brand loyalty or changing perceptions. This ensures that each tactical action supports broader business objectives.

Evaluation (the learning)

Assess the results by reflecting on what worked, what didn’t, and why. This step provides insights for future campaigns, helping with continuous improvement.

Using ANATOMY as a campaign checklist

Once you have your marketing strategy in place, ANATOMY acts as a practical tool to shape the execution of individual campaigns. Here’s how you can use it:

Pre-launch checklist

Before launching, validate that each component – Purpose, Audience, Intention, Design – is clearly defined and aligned. This consistency keeps your campaigns on-brand while allowing creativity to flourish.

Real-time adjustment

Use the framework during execution to guide decisions and make adjustments. If a campaign isn’t performing as expected, revisit the checklist to ensure each component is on track.

Post-campaign review

Incorporate the Evaluation phase to measure outcomes against original intentions and strategic objectives, creating a feedback loop that informs your next campaign.

How ANATOMY fits into the marketing workflow

The ANATOMY framework operates at the tactical level, bridging the gap between strategy and execution:

Top-level

Brand strategy and marketing strategy – Set the vision, mission, positioning, and long-term goals.

Mid-level

ANATOMY Framework – Translate strategic intent into actionable steps.

Bottom-level

Campaign Execution and Creative Development – Apply ANATOMY to shape practical actions, from content creation to channel selection.

The benefits of using ANATOMY

By applying ANATOMY, you gain several key advantages:

Clarity and focus

By starting with why, you ensure every campaign is grounded in your strategic goals, avoiding scattered tactics.

Improved engagement

Tailoring actions to your target audience results in stronger connections and more meaningful interactions.

Measurable outcomes

Setting intentions helps track progress and demonstrates the campaign’s ROI.

Continuous adaptation

Insights from the Evaluation phase help refine future campaigns, making your marketing efforts smarter and more effective over time.

Applying ANATOMY in real-world campaigns

At chicken/egg, we integrate ANATOMY into all aspects of campaign planning. Here’s how we use it:

Discovery sessions

Define the Purpose, Audience, and Intention from the outset to lay a strong foundation.

Creative development

Guide content and messaging development using the framework to ensure alignment with strategic goals.

Execution

Use the ANATOMY checklist to stay on track during the campaign.

Review and refinement

After the campaign, assess the results and extract insights for continuous improvement.

Bring purpose to your marketing.

In a world where strategic vision alone isn’t enough, ANATOMY empowers brands to bring their strategies to life through intentional, purposeful actions. By integrating this framework into your marketing, you can ensure every action serves a purpose, every message resonates, and every outcome supports your strategic goals.

Are you ready to transform your campaigns from planning to execution? Let’s hatch a plan!

PS: We have created an easy to use ANATOMY framework checklist – you can download a copy here:

Anatomy methodology_checklist

Let’s talk about storytelling …

Storytelling is a fundamental human experience that connects us. A good book becomes dog-eared, a great movie is watched repeatedly, and we eagerly recommend both. Listening to friends regale their tales allows us to understand more about them as a person, strengthening our bonds and deepening our friendships. You can’t beat a good story.

In marketing, storytelling isn’t just about selling a product or service – it’s about trying to create an emotional connection with our audience. When customers see themselves as the hero of the story, they are more likely to engage on a deeper level. Studies show that customers who like a brand’s story are 55% more likely to consider buying from the brand in the future.

Whenever I talk with clients about positioning themselves in their brand story, I use my favourite Star Wars analogy – Luke and Yoda.

Luke Skywalker’s journey from a farm boy to a Jedi Knight is a classic hero’s journey that’s resonated with audiences for years. He starts with a call to adventure, faces trials and tribulations, battles the dark side, and ultimately achieves his goals.

Yoda’s role in Luke’s journey is crucial. He provides wisdom, training, and support, helping Luke unlock his potential and become the hero he was destined to be.

Let’s look at the story from a marketing perspective. Your customers are on their own journeys, so ask yourself how your brand can play a pivotal role in their success. How can you offer expert advice, resources and support? How can you guide them to achieve their goals? Positioning yourself this way builds trust and establishes your brand as a valuable part of their story.

Here are my top 5 tips to make your customer the hero of your marketing stories:

Flip the pain points – Identify your customers’ specific challenges and clearly demonstrate how you can effectively address these issues, transforming problems into opportunities.
Create relatable characters – Develop personas that mirror your audience’s traits, making it easier for them to see themselves in your stories.
Showcase your expertise – Position your brand as an authority in your field by providing expert advice, resources and insights that your customers can rely on.
Highlight customer success stories – Share testimonials and case studies that celebrate your customers’ successes and emphasise the role your brand played in their journey.
Engage emotionally – Use a tone of voice that resonates with your audience’s dreams, fears and aspirations to craft narratives that create deeper connections.

Ready to be more Yoda? Let’s get cracking.

Practicing what we preach ...

Recently, I was talking with a prospective client about a re-brand project and shared our branding process, which involves exploring three key perspectives – Customer, Competitor and Company. This helps answer the vital WHY, WHO, HOW and WHAT questions. During the pitch, I mentioned the importance of conducting a customer satisfaction survey to gauge performance. Then came a question that made me pause, “How often do you do that for chicken/egg?”

My honest answer was never. 🙄

That question stayed with me the whole journey back. As a consultant and agency owner, it’s easy to fall into the trap of not doing what you advise others to do for yourself, mainly because you’re busy fulfilling their needs. I help others with LinkedIn pages but rarely update mine consistently. I assist with marketing planning and strategy, but I can’t remember when I wrote a plan for my business. I guide others through branding processes but haven’t revisited my own in years.

When I returned to the office, I resolved to start an annual chicken/egg client satisfaction survey. This would demonstrate that a) I follow my own advice and b) give insights into my/our performance over the past 20 years.

And … early results show an NPS of 70 – This score reflects our clients’ confidence in us and our commitment to delivering exceptional service and creative solutions. Woohoo, happy chicken dance! 🐔 🕺

Want to know how we can help your business? Send me a DM, and let’s get cracking.

#ClientSatisfaction #NPS #MarketingExcellence #ChickenEgg

If you’re a marketer seeking to supercharge your content strategy with the power of AI, our new POWER HOUR – hatch your own custom GPT is here.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve been crafting custom GPTs to enhance our internal processes and client work, transforming our approach to content brainstorming, customer persona development, marketing strategies, brand messaging, creative briefs and more.

We’re now bringing that directly to you, and in our power hour, you’ll develop your own marketing custom GPT to help you with:

Content brainstorming and generation – enhance your content creation process with AI-driven insights and suggestions.

Customer persona development – Craft detailed and accurate customer personas to better target your marketing efforts.

Strategy and marketing plans – Develop robust marketing strategies that leverage AI for maximum impact.

Brand strategy and messaging – Ensure your brand’s voice is consistent and compelling across all channels.

Creative brief creation – Generate precise and effective briefs for your studio or agency, ensuring your creative projects are on point from the start.

You’ll learn our unique CREATE framework – a clear, step-by-step approach to building a powerful custom GPT that actually works for your business.

Why book an hour with chicken/egg?

Experience and authority – We’ve integrated GenAI into our daily business, showcased its power at industry events, completed the CIM AI in marketing course and we’re founding members of the Women4AInnovation Futures think tank.

Proven results – Our custom GPTs have helped us achieve remarkable improvements in efficiency, creativity and strategic alignment.

Hands-on guidance – We’ll work directly with you, offering personalised advice and support to ensure your GPT is tailored to your unique needs.

Ready to get cracking? Here’s how it works …

Initial consultation – We’ll start with a conversation to understand your specific needs and goals.

Custom GPT creation – Based on our discussion, we’ll work with you to develop a bespoke GPT for your business. Please note that you will need a pro subscription to Chat GPT to build your own custom GPT.

Training session – We’ll provide a hands-on training session, teaching you how to effectively use and customise your GPT.

Follow-up support – After the initial session, we’ll be available to answer follow-up questions and provide additional support to ensure you’re getting the most out of your new tool.

How much does it cost?

Just £845 ex VAT.

Terms and conditions apply – see below.

Are you ready to transform your marketing content with the power of AI?

Book your POWER HOUR today!

email karen@chickenegg.co.uk to discuss.

Terms & Conditions

The Power Hour session costs £845 (excluding VAT).

The session covers up to 6 attendees. For more attendees, please contact us for a quote.

All sessions are conducted online. For face-to-face meetings or training sessions, please contact us for a quote.

Booking and Payment

Invoices are sent prior to the scheduled call and are payable within seven working days.

Payment must be received in full before the scheduled session.

Cancellation and Rescheduling

Cancellations or rescheduling requests must be made at least 48 hours in advance.

If a session is cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice, 50% of the session fee will be charged.

Rescheduling requests made with less than 48 hours’ notice will incur a rescheduling fee of £50.

Confidentiality

All information shared during the consultancy session is confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties without prior consent.

We respect client confidentiality and ensure that all discussions and materials are handled with utmost privacy and discretion.

Liability

While we strive to provide accurate and useful advice, we do not accept responsibility for any actions taken based on our consultancy sessions.

Our liability is limited to the cost of the consultancy session.

Intellectual Property

Any materials provided by chicken/egg during the session remain the intellectual property of chicken/egg.

Clients may use these materials for internal purposes but must not distribute them externally without permission.

Session Recording

Recording of the session is permitted for internal use only. Clients must inform us in advance if they wish to record the session.

Force Majeure

We are not liable for any delays or failures in performance resulting from events beyond our control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters or technical failures.

Additional Information – Follow-Up Support

Limited follow-up support via email is provided for one week after the session to address any immediate questions or clarifications.

By booking a POWER HOUR, you agree to the above terms and conditions.

In a world where AI is often seen as a disruptor, could it become the most collaborative team member you’ve ever had?

AI and the coop – we are embracing the future.

In the fast-evolving landscape of AI, staying ahead means not just keeping pace with technology but embracing its application.

I have just completed the final module of the CIM Specialist Award in AI marketing, a fascinating course designed to equip leaders with a deep understanding of how AI can transform marketing strategies for the better. The exam is to come, but the course has helped me to see the bigger picture of how AI is (and can be) used and, along with other courses I’ve undertaken via MMC learning, has solidified my knowledge and ongoing experience with AI, especially ChatGPT, my LLM tool of choice at the moment.

AI is not just a tool to me, but a team member … called Kevin.

My journey with AI began with a vision to have a brainstorming/soundboard buddy while working on marketing, content and brand campaigns and to help streamline chicken/egg operations. The original Kevin – my first custom GPT – was born purely as a chicken/egg team member. I wanted to make AI (well, ChatGPT) less of an enigmatic ‘machine’ and more of a relatable collaborator.

Kevin started as an experiment to bring a personal touch to using AI and make my interactions more human-like and approachable. For example, I’ll always say please and thank you … along with ‘don’t hallucinate’! IYKYK

He understands my brand, my voice and my goals. He has helped me with everything from website copy, LinkedIn posts, blogs, and emails to planning how best to respond to pitches, how to position myself at networking events and how to overcome imposter syndrome when I’m feeling unsure about any next step – he’s a loyal team player and even an occasional therapist … all for just $20 a month!

A growing team …

Over the past year, I’ve developed numerous Kevins who act as my internal marketing assistants across the chicken/egg portfolio. Each is uniquely ‘trained’ in my client’s distinct brand, TOV, vision, values and marketing examples. In developing my Kevin’s, I curate non-sensitive, public data to align with each client’s unique brand essence, ensuring he acts as an informed extension of the team without compromising confidentiality. This approach safeguards sensitive data, leveraging isolated custom AI models that prevent data from being shared beyond our controlled environment. This careful balance between innovation and privacy is central to our AI integration, ensuring Kevin evolves as a secure, private ally in our creative process. Kevin can then offer real-time insights, content generation and data analysis, all tailored to my client’s specific needs and brand identities, without me needing to start the key prompting all over again in a new chat.

So far, Kevin is just a part of the chicken/egg team. Still, I can see a future where we introduce him directly to a client, and they can take full advantage of having another marketing team member support their internal endeavours.

A future forged together.

My embrace of AI reflects my belief in the power of technology to amplify human potential, not replace it; in fact, it’s far from it at present. By combining the chicken/egg creative acumen with AI’s generative and analytical prowess, I think I’m working smarter and faster, unlocking new possibilities and redefining what’s achievable in our agency offering. However, Kevin needs the proper prompts, ongoing guidance, refinements and edits – and that requires the know-how and experience that, right now, still needs the human touch. I’m not ready to be entirely replaced quite yet!

If you’re curious about AI or want to explore how a ‘Kevin’ could benefit your marketing efforts, ping me a message with any questions.

Caveat: Kevin isn’t perfect, and I still need to refine/edit everything he does. This ongoing refinement process underscores the evolving nature of AI. With each interaction, Kevin grows more attuned to my needs and more sophisticated in his capabilities. He doesn’t know anything confidential, remaining a private ally to my team. And as for why ‘Kevin’? Sometimes, the right name sticks, embodying the friendly and accessible spirit we envision for AI in the coop!

written by Karen Kerr, founder and MD of chicken/egg

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