How Brand Identity Evolves in an AI World
Martin Soler argues that AI does not threaten brand identity by making bad content — it threatens it by making an overwhelming volume of acceptable content, which over time erodes the distinctiveness that makes a brand worth remembering. In a world of infinite iteration, he contends, consistency and taste become scarcer and therefore more valuable, not less.
There is a growing belief that AI will make marketing easier. It sounds right. You upload the guidelines, define the tone of voice, add the logo, set the colors, train your AI, and suddenly every campaign, banner, email, landing page, social post, display ad, sales deck, and slightly desperate Black Friday asset comes out perfectly on brand. That is the theory. In practice, the problems appear quickly.
AI is very good at quantity. It is very good at iteration. It can give you 50 headlines, 10 image directions, 20 email subject lines, 5 versions of a campaign concept, and a surprisingly confident explanation of why all of them are brilliant. This is useful for inspiration, but brand identity is not built by variation. Brand identity is built by repetition, consistency, and distribution.
The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
The 2026 HOTEL Yearbook Technology Edition - AI Everywhere is fully geared towards AI and explores how hospitality technology is preparing for a decade of profound change. With a clear focus on practical impact rather than hype, this edition examines how intelligence is becoming embedded across the hotel technology stack and day-to-day workflows, reshaping operations, revenue, distribution, guest experience, and the back office.
The publication will feature 40 editorial articles by domain experts, combined with a catalog of AI Solution Snapshots, offering readers both strategic insight and a curated overview of AI products currently available to the market, as well as an AI Glossary - a glossary of the most commonly used AI-related terms in hospitality. It brings together a wide spectrum of contributors, including academics, startups, hotel brands, established solution providers, and industry insiders, offering evidence-led perspectives, real-world lessons, and actionable guidance on what hoteliers should prioritize now to stay competitive in an AI-driven future. The publication will launch at HITEC 2026, San Antonio.