The true value of AI and automation is not the prospect of replacing human effort – but in freeing up our time to focus on deeper, more meaningful and more creative work.

That was one of the overarching messages of “Automate & Elevate,” a 90-plus-minute virtual event organized by the Branded Merch Network and hosted by the 2 Regular Guys podcast on Thursday, Nov. 13.

The Branded Merch Network held an Automate & Elevate virtual event on Thursday, Nov. 13, sharing practical tips for infusing AI into print, promo and apparel workflows.

“I think we’re past the hype stage of AI, and some of the next chapters are being written,” said Jay Busselle, co-founder of Branded Merch Network at the beginning of the event. “One of those chapters I’m most excited about is the intentionality and creativity and increase in emotion. In other words, using automation to clear away the noise, to give back some of our time so we can design with purpose.”

He added: “That’s the real edge. It’s not just about who’s the fastest. It’s increasingly going to be who’s the most human.”

The event included several panel discussions, with speakers who ranged from promo suppliers and apparel decorators to AI-focused service providers. Here are some of the main takeaways from Automate & Elevate:

1. AI-powered trend detection and predictive planning are increasingly accessible. (But it’s essential that your data is clean and organized – and that you take steps to keep it protected and private when using large language models like ChatGPT.) Using sales history and seasonal data, AI can help surface buying cycles, missed opportunities, color stories and product suggestions. “It can find those patterns and trends that as a person you might miss,” said Marshall Atkinson, a promo industry veteran and consultant.
   
   
2. Personalization at scale is becoming a major competitive advantage. There are plenty of tools that allow distributors and decorators to create customized mock-ups, catalogs and marketing campaigns automatically for individual clients or segments. Davis Slagle, vice president at Fredericktown, PA-based BeeGraphix, shared a story of being at a trade show, where his sales rep would have a conversation with an attendee, being sure to say the company name out loud. While they chatted, Slagle would google the company and use AI tools to build a custom catalog populated with products featuring their own logo so he could share it on-screen with the prospect by the end of their three-minute booth visit.
   
   
3. Automation & AI can significantly reduce operational costs. Panelists shared many examples of how they’ve replaced manual tasks and legacy systems with AI-driven workflows. “We’re in the process of turning into a completely digital shop floor,” said Ali Banholzer, owner of Wear Your Spirit Warehouse in Huntingtown, MD. “We’ve gone from printing roughly 500 to 1,000 sheets of paper a day to two. … We’ve reduced our software costs by 90% by implementing AI.”
   
   
4. Adoption of AI is often slowed by company culture and lack of time. Many businesses, panelists say, hesitate to adopt new tools due to habit, insufficient bandwidth or fear of change. “In our industry, we’re very reactive,” said Ashley Colautti, vice president of U.S. sales at Montreal-based Spector & Co. (asi/88660). “You have to give yourself the gift of time to learn something new.” She suggested that companies new to AI start by asking questions of their customers and internal departments to identify pain points and opportunities for automation. “Take tiny bites at a time,” she added.
   
   
5. Maintaining an authentic human voice is critical. Panelists advised using automation for efficiency while ensuring brand voice, emotion and individuality stay human-driven. “Automation doesn’t replace humans,” Busselle reiterated at the conclusion of the event. “It redefines what humans make possible.”

The Automate & Elevate event is available to view on YouTube.